As Newcastle’s coffee culture continues to grow at a phenomenal rate, our curiosity and knowledge grows, too.
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In the beginning of 2018 Weekender commissioned Newcastle food and drink writer Nathalie Craig to find out what local baristas, roasters, coffee lovers and cafe owners thought was the “perfect cup”.
Read more on the perfect cup:
The question was intentionally open-ended - Was it the best cup you ever had? The best cup you make every day? The best coffee memory of your life?
We cast a wide net, as the coffee community is a hugely diverse group of people on both sides of the counter.
The answers reflection the complexity, the knowledge and in some cases, pure emotion, of Newcastle’s coffee culture.
Among our favourites was the response of Bec Bowie, the owner of Estabar: “When I’m having a cup of coffee it’s a license to stop. It’s a moment of stillness while the rest of the world carries on”.
NEWCASTLE BEACHES
Nathaniel James, owner, Esther C, Merewether. “The perfect cup for me is one which you cannot pinpoint, as it changes into so many beautiful flavours, forms and emotions as you drink it. The cup that is like a coffee that Willy Wonka would make; a flavour journey.”
Anneliese Wild, barista, Organic Seed Cafe, Merewether. “An Ethiopian single origin arabica bean with a beautiful earthiness and smoothness. If it’s extracted properly I will take a long black, otherwise I will take it with soy”.
Jake Johnson, head barista, Doughheads, The Junction. “The pursuit of the perfect cup is about more than just great tasting coffee, it's about atmosphere, respect and maybe most importantly the sense of community coffee can create. Everyone has a different idea of a perfect tasting coffee, but I think it's the little things complementing it that makes the difference like a Doughheads doughnut.”
Alice Joy, co-founder, Pickled & Pressed, The Junction. “Coffee is a moment of pure pleasure. If you only have one (or two!) coffees per day, then they need to be amazing in taste, texture and context … We encourage keep-cups, and use compostable coffee cups, but our favourite cup of coffee happens when people take the time to stop, breathe, and connect with each other.”
