October 01, 2023
We’re stoked to be featuring the amazingly talented team over at Melbourne-based Locale Coffee Roasters this month. They’ve been in the Melbourne specialty coffee scene since 2015, slinging back ethically sourced coffee and showcasing eclectic flavour profiles.
Locale kicked-off almost ten years ago. Since then, they have grown into a much loved roastery that supplies cafés across Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth with delicious beans. Not only is their coffee superb but they’re passionate about making the world a better place. One of the many ways they’re sending out good vibes is their seasonal donations project – where they partner with an organisation they admire each season and help raise money for them. This spring, Locale is working with Carbon Positive – an Australian charity who have been restoring degraded lands through ecologically sensitive tree-planting for over 22 years!
In between roasting and working with charities, the Locale gang is enjoying spending time in their newly renovated lab/warehouse space located in Melbourne’s northern suburb of Coburg and preparing for their trip to Paris in 2024 where they will be supplying athletes with coffee. Make sure you keep an eye out for news of them opening their HQ to the public on their socials and website – it’s a beautiful space to sip on a great cup of coffee!
THE ROASTER
We visited Locale’s newly renovated lab and warehouse space in the northern suburb of Coburg to chat with Locale general manager Josh Jackson about everything and anything!
How would you describe your coffee to someone who’s never tasted it before?
Epic! But obviously we’re a little biassed. We have four different house blends, each with a unique flavour profile to suit any preference, as well as a decaf for the naturally caffeinated. They’re all well-balanced and developed to bring the very best out of each origin.
For our microlots, we’re looking for the best quality coffees available! We’re usually leaning towards interesting experimental lots because that’s what we personally love to drink. We look to source coffees that allow the producers to shine – showcasing interesting varietals, processing methods and techniques.
What do you consider your most notable coffee achievements? Specifically, how has coffee shaped you and brought along some unique and awesome experiences?
Locale is by far my greatest achievement in coffee! Starting a roasting business in 2015, after the peak of the 3rd wave of specialty coffee in Melbourne, and growing it into the brand it is today, has been a true career highlight. To have survived the pandemic, a year of lockdowns and still be thriving – I’m super proud of what we’ve achieved. I’m grateful to have a killer team around me, an awesome group of café partners and a new HQ to work in. It’s all upwards from here.
I also can’t talk about our ‘coffee achievements’ without giving a shout out to our Head Roaster, Ben Toovey, who won the 2018 Australian Roasting Championship and went on to place 4th at worlds! He’s been out of the comp game for a few years since then but recently competed again in August this year and finished in 2nd. An incredible effort. We’re so grateful to have Ben’s knowledge and experience behind Locale’s coffee program.
What are your current favourite hospo haunts and hang out spots?
I live over on the west-side (best side), so you can catch me at Dumbo for brunch (and excellent coffee), Navi for dinner & drinks (hard to get a reservation, but the bar tasting menu is also incredible – highly recommend), Good-Good Burgers are hard to beat and you won’t ever hear me say no to a lobster roll from Supernormal!
What are your passions outside of coffee? Where can we expect to find you on a Saturday evening?
Outside of being a die-hard Sacramento Kings fan, my wife and I share a love for food & entertaining. If we’re not hosting a dinner party at home for friends and family, we’re working through our never-ending list of cafés, restaurants and bars to visit in Melbourne. But in all honesty, you’ll most likely find me at my daughter’s latest musical theatre production, singing concert or footy match… that’s dad life!
Tell us about what’s in store for Locale for the rest of the year? Any exciting or upcoming projects to note?
We just opened our brand-new warehouse/lab/showroom in collaboration with Loveramics Australia. That project has taken loads of our time and energy over the last 9 months. Now we’re just really enjoying the space and hope to be able to open it up to the public more often. We’ll also be heading over to Paris in 2024 to caffeinate our Aussie athletes inside the village which is super exciting for us!
Where would you like to see Locale in 5 years time? Tell us your big dreams!
World domination? Nah, not quite. For us it’s more about finding ways to further that connection with our community. We’d love to eventually open our own café space to the public and create our own Locale vibes. More informative and fun events that bring everyone together is our jam. Getting back to origin post-covid and further strengthening those ties is also high on the list.
@localeespresso
localeespresso.com.au
THE COFFEE
João Rainha
FILTER COFFEE
Introducing this month’s very special filter roast – a beautiful Brazilian washed catucai (catuai and icatu hybrid) coffee by the gang over at Locale. The beans are from João Rainha of the Dois Irmãos farm in Brazil. The Dois Irmãos farm is located in Rancho Dantas, one of the most westward Mountain peaks in the Espirito Santo region. Picture lush green mountains dotted with cows and coffee fields. After the coffee cherries have been washed at Dois Irmãos, they’re left to dry on a covered concrete terrace for 15-20 days. The coffee is then sent to Locale and roasted to perfection in their gorgeous STA Roaster.
Coffee Origin: Brazil
Process: Washed
Varietal: Catucai
Tasting Notes: Refreshing peach tea sweetness complimented by red grape acidity.
Suggested Recipe:
- Dose 20g to 300g water, 92°c
- 50g bloom for 45 seconds
- 125g pour finished by 1 minute
- Final 125g pour at 1.30 minutes, finished by 1.45 mins
- Finish 2.30-3.00 minutes
- Add approx. 20g of water to dilute strength
Original Gangsta
ESPRESSO & CAPSULE COFFEE
Espresso drinkers rejoice! This month you’ll be enjoying an epic roast by Locale that will remind you of the iconic fruit n’ nut choccy bars from your childhood. Their OG espresso blend, appropriately named ‘Original Gangsta’, is greedily made up of three single origins. The first is a naturally processed Bobolink coffee from Brazil, followed by washed coffees from Gran Gaalope in Colombia and another by the Caballero family in Honduras. The origins are individually roasted, to maximise the potential in each coffee, then expertly blended afterwards. OG is an easy-drinking, versatile blend that pairs perfectly with milk (highly recommended with oat milk, if that’s your jam) and is just as delicious as an espresso or long black.
Coffee Origin: Brazil, Honduras and Colombia
Process: Washed and Natural
Varietal:
- Brazil – Catuai, bourbon and mundo nuovo
- Colombia – Castillo
- Honduras – Catua
Tasting Notes: Enjoy notes of chocolate, raisin and almond.
Suggested Recipe:
Dose: 22g in
Yield: 38-42g out
Time: 26-30 seconds
Temp: 92°c
