November 01, 2024
You know them, you love them. This month we’re showcasing two epic coffees from our good friends over at Melbourne based ST ALi Coffee Roasters.
The gang over at ST ALi is known for roasting your fave go-to morning coffee that tends to be sweet, balanced, and makes you want another cup. So, get excited because that’s exactly what you’re getting this month. Coffees that are an absolute joy to drink everyday.
First off, who is ST ALi? The origin story of ST ALi is quite mysterious – a tale passed down from person to person over the past 20 years among late-night bevvies and early morning brews. What is known is that ST ALi is named after Sufi Sheik (referring to an Arab scholar), Ali Ibn Umar al-Shadhili, aka ‘the patron saint of coffee’. Ali is said to have been introduced to the coffee plant while traveling to Ethiopia and returned to Yemen with coffee cherries. From there, coffee spread throughout the Islamic world and eventually the globe!
Even with all their mystery and being everywhere right now, ST. ALi stays true to their roots – always seeking to source coffees that are ethically and sustainably produced. They believe that great people grow fantastic coffee, and their industry relationships originate from years of friendship.
Want to visit them in-person? Check out their flagship cafe in South Melbourne, their beautiful shop in the Queen Vic Market, or grab a coffee on Collins Street. Oh! They also have a venue in Brisbane! Flying to Southeast Asia? No problem. Visit the ST ALi Melbourne Airport cafes for a coffee before your flight then check-out their Bali, Jakarta or Manila hotspots. Like we said, they’re everywhere now!
The Interview
We met up with Ella Turnbull, who manages ST ALi’s single origin program, at their Port Melbourne headquarters, to chat all about what led her to a career in coffee. Ella has been working with ST ALi as their Quality Control and Program Manager for almost a decade. When she’s not immersed in the world of coffee she’s hanging out at home with her best buds, Maxy and Mimi, who just so happen to be two fluffy bunny rabbits. Sounds like a good life!
Ella, Tell us about you! How did you become interested in Coffee?
When I moved to Melbourne at 15 I thought there was nothing cooler in the world than drinking soy lattes and smoking rolled cigarettes while sitting on milk crates down seedy lane ways (this was the early 2000’s after all). My mum, a smart lady, leaned into my delinquent tendencies and sent me to a barista class at a local cafe. The owner/teacher low-key became my hero – probably because he was an adult who owned a Nine Inch Nails t-shirt and let me bum cigarettes and hang out after school practicing my milk texturing skills.
I didn’t start my career in coffee until many years later when I was studying food science. While being a huge nerd at school, I also worked as a barista which finally led me to ST ALi. Almost a decade later, I’m still at ST ALi working on quality control and managing our single origin program. I’m pretty sure I ended up at ST ALi because, while I grew out of my other bad teenage habits, I never stopped believing that making coffee and drinking coffee is the peak of coolness. My mum still thinks I’m a delinquent though.
How does ST ALi source their coffee beans and what do you look for in the beans you use?
My boss lady, aka the Queen of Green, aka ST ALi Green Buyer, Lucy Ward, lives by the philosophy “Good Coffee by Good People” and this applies to the beans we source as well as the products we sell and lattes we sling. Commerce and principles don’t always go hand in hand, especially when dealing with the extremely tight margins of the coffee world. I count myself lucky to work under someone who walks the walk on this point!
Relationships are everything to us. There’s a lot of delicious, high quality green coffee around the world but we specifically seek out people who think like us; innovative, big thinkers and above all… good people. We like long-term relationships. Rather than shopping around for whatever is trendy and tasty each harvest, we tend to work selectively with the same coffee producers year after year. By doing this our producers can rely on money always coming in, which means they can invest in themselves and ultimately leads to better coffee for us. It’s also a two way street. These strong relationships help us survive as a company when times get tough. Coffee is a commodity, and like any other commodity crop it has highs and lows and is impacted by weather, politics, the global supply chain, etc. ST ALi navigated and even thrived throughout some tumultuous seasons because we could count on the people who count on us.
How has coffee shaped you and brought along some unique and awesome experiences?
Coffee is kind of the lens through which I view the world. Like whenever I travel, I explore a city by researching its coffee scene and going to as many coffee places as I can. I’m not a super outgoing person, but I love talking about coffee, and almost any industry person in any country will stop for a chat if you ask about a coffee and drop in, “I work in coffee, in Melbourne”. It’s a small industry really, full of interesting, weird nerds (like me) all around the world, and I love that.
The Coffee
ORTHODOX
ESPRESSO COFFEE
Orthodox is ST ALi’s mainstay milk blend and the backbone of their coffee range. If ST ALi was a flavour, it’d be Orthodox. Made up of a light, sweet Colombian component and two rich, thick Brazillians – Orthodox is super balanced with dried fruit vibes upfront and dark fudgy choc to finish.
Coffee Origin:
Colombia & Brazil
Tasting Notes:
Notes of dried fruit and dark chocolate fudge.
Espresso Recipe:
Dose: 18g
Yield: 36g
Brew Time: 25-32 seconds
Ratio: 1:2
BABA BUDAN GIRI
FILTER COFFEE
This month’s feature filter by ST ALi is called Baba Budan Giri from India. It’s a washed process and made up of a few cultivars that are grown extensively in India. Expect this delicious coffee to be moreish and balanced with notes of dried fruit and molasses cookies. The gang over at ST ALi is very excited by coffee from India – they expect it to be one of the next big names in specialty production since the coffee from there seems to be getting better and better each year. It’s also fantastic to see origins closer to home gaining traction in Australia. The fewer miles our coffee travels, the better!
Coffee Origin:
India
Tasting Notes:
Notes of dried fruit and molasses cookies.
Filter Recipe (V60):
Dose: 18g
Water: 250g
Brew Time: 2-2:30 mins
Ratio: 1:14