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”.
What makes a perfect cup of coffee in Newcastle and beyond?
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”.
PORT STEPHENS
Jed Milgate, barista, In House Kitchen, Nelson Bay. “I love Allpress coffee for its consistency. Every day I drink a soy iced latte in a takeaway or keep cup so I can have it with me everywhere I go, which is usually to one of our beaches.”
Jodi Finnegan, owner The Cactus Cafe, Karuah. “My perfect cup would be best described at as a smooth strong small latte. I have some fantastic regular customers at my cafe and being able to take a minute to sit and have coffee with them is so enjoyable.”
Kerry Hodges, owner, Tillerman’s Restaurant, Tea Gardens. “A wonderful start to my day is an early morning coffee watching the sun rise over the beautiful Myall River - and I get to do it every day. Perfect!”