March 02, 2025
Oh hey there March. Introducing this month’s featured roaster, the legends hailing from Perth, Brightside Coffee Co.!
We’re massive fans of the talented Brightside Team, led by husband and wife Matt & Edith Muhl. Matt actually first stepped into a roastery when he was a teenager. Since then he’s been brewing up a storm until one day he and Edith decided they wanted to start making their own undeniably delicious morning coffee go-tos. Understanding the importance of that first cup of coffee in the AM is their specialty and we’re incredibly grateful for it.
Matt and Edith make delicious, everyday coffee that’s a fan favourite here at Thieves. Perfect flavours for the homebrewer to work with. We’re excited to be drinking it all month long.
The Interview
We sat down with Brightside Coffee Co. Founder, Matt Muhl, and asked him a few questions about how Brightside got started, how they’re sourcing their beans today and their thoughts on where the coffee industry is going.
Tell us about you. What’s your coffee background?
Despite working in the coffee industry since I grew out of shorts , coffee is just one part of my life! I’m a husband and dad primarily, who occasionally works on coffee stuff at Brightside. I got my start in coffee around 2008-ish as a roaster for one of the OG specialty roasteries, back in what we all like to call the ‘glory days’. The days of basket tapping and double shot ristrettos. Over the years, I’ve had the chance to explore different areas of the coffee industry – from roasting and packing to servicing equipment and sales. It all seemed reasonably straightforward. By 2021 I figured I had the essentials down and took the leap starting Brightside! Although, I quickly realised it was not in fact ‘straightforward’. But, we got through. It’s been a heck of a journey, one that shows no signs of slowing down.
How did the brand get started? Talk us through the process and challenges.
For my wife Edith and I, coffee at 5am on a weekday before work is, and always will be, a big part of our daily routine. So finding delicious coffees that were right up our alley was always a journey of joy and frustration. We assumed that a lot of people had the same frustrations as us – finding a coffee roastery that ticked boxes unapologetically. Light roasts that are lightly roasted - and espresso roasts that don’t get confused with lemon grass, and everything in between. Accessible coffee, not weighed down by the burdens of hospitality, and margins of a full service roastery.
Basically we wanted to buy coffee for home coffee lovers, and roast it exactly the way that showcases it best at home. So, a desire to buy and roast coffees that we wanted to drink, along with a healthy disregard for financial risk management, we set out to buy a roaster and start using it for fun and profit.
The biggest challenge was retrofitting an old roaster with modern technology without breaking the bank and local gas regulations. Once we had that sussed out, it was just a matter of marketing our brand.
How do you source your coffee beans and what do you look for in the beans you use?
Our sourcing philosophy is all about finding the right balance. Of course, we prioritise the essentials that every decent roaster should have – sustainable coffee, fair prices for farmers, specialty grade, and ethical sourcing – these are crucial, but they’re just part of the equation.
First and foremost, we need to ensure our business is sustainable too. That means sourcing coffees that make financial sense for us. We're not looking for cheap options, but as a small business, we have to be smart about what we buy. Roasting coffee to perfection is one thing, but effectively marketing it, conveying its value, and turning a profit is a whole other challenge. Luckily, we have access to an amazing range of coffee suppliers in Australia who offer fantastic products that fit our needs.
Secondly, we focus on coffee with a story. Whenever possible, we highlight the farmers and producers behind the beans. We've featured incredible Brazilian coffees from producers like Edilio Soares, Gabriel Nunes, and Leda & Jose. When naming the farmer isn’t an option, we shift the focus to other unique aspects, like the coffee varietal. We also try to source coffees from the same farms over consecutive years. This year will be the 4th year of sourcing coffee from Gabriel Nunes for example.
What are you looking forward to in the coffee industry at the moment? Any cool trends we should keep our eye on?
We’ve loved seeing home coffee gear become more affordable and accessible. It’s so easy now for people to make really great coffee at home, and there is no shortage of excellent coffee choices, based on how you like to drink it. So, more of that!
What do you think is most exciting in your local coffee scene right now?
We’re seeing some local barista and brewing competitions popping up – which is awesome. There are a few major advocates for the Perth specialty coffee competition scene who are leading the way there, and it’s great to see!
What do you consider your most notable coffee achievements? Specifically, how has coffee shaped you and brought along some unique and awesome experiences?
Honestly, just being open still feels like a bit of a rush. It’s been a challenge building a coffee roastery without operating in the cafe space. There are a few challenges across the industry with coffee pricing and such at the moment, so we are feeling pretty fortunate to be in a good position, and we have excellent staff! Otherwise, getting to travel is awesome. Lots of national trips, up and down the WA coast, across to VIC & NSW, and a trip to Brazil on the 2025 calendar to meet some of the growers of our coffee selection. Pretty awesome.
Tell us about what’s in store for the rest of the year? Any exciting or upcoming projects to note?
Our focus at the moment is launching our new website, and introducing re-usable packaging and low impact waste. We have worked with Eco-Barista to come up with a solution for this, and we are pretty keen to get it out there!
Other than that, we are in a bit of a wait-and-see phase with a few of our plans, as we see how the supply difficulties in the market pan out.
The Coffee
DANILO BARBOSA
ESPRESSO COFFEE
Brightside’s espresso coffee comes from Danilo Barbosa, a well-known and highly regarded (and awarded!) farmer from Minas Gerais, in Brazil. This coffee (like all of their Brazil specialty coffees) comes to them through their long term Brazil partners, Southland Merchants. They got pretty lucky with this coffee! It’s a real showcase of punchy Brazilian sweetness and body – two very well aligned attributes of coffee for Brightside’s style. It’s roasted to really cut through milk and give a caramel koala vibe. Sweet and chocolatey, but versatile.
Coffee Origin:
Brazil
Tasting Notes:
Caramel and sweet chocolate.
Espresso Recipe:
Dose: 20g
Yield: 45g
Time: 28 seconds
Ratio: 1:2.25
ARICHA WUBANCHI
FILTER COFFEE
This month’s filter roast by Brightside comes from none other than… Ethiopia! Sourced in partnership with Upstream Imports – a naturally processed coffee from the Wubanchi washing station in Aricha, Yirgacheffe.
Boasting vibrant notes of red fruits and a smooth and creamy body, it’s the perfect balance between clarity and texture. The Brightside team picked this coffee because the particular processing station that it hails from, started operation in the same year they did… 2021. It’s a newer operation, but built on the heritage and traditions of naturally processed Ethiopian coffee which is exciting.
Coffee Origin:
Ethiopia
Tasting Notes:
Red fruits & a smooth and creamy body.
Filter Recipe (V60):
Temp: 95c
Dose: 17.5g
Water: 250ml
Time: 2-2.5mins
Ratio: 1:14