More than just a caffeine hit, DC Specialty Coffee Roasters’ bold and invigorating coffee is creative fuel
Subscribe
X

Get the latest from Beat

23.07.2020

More than just a caffeine hit, DC Specialty Coffee Roasters’ bold and invigorating coffee is creative fuel

For coffee that inspires, you can’t go past these guys.

The ethos behind DC Specialty Coffee Roasters is centred around creativity. From the colourful designs on their packaging to the artistry that goes into each cup of coffee, there’s certainly nothing boring about these beans. Their motto is “Individuality expressed”, and their passion for all things bold and exciting is evident in everything they do. Not only will these coffee beans put a pep in your step, but they’re perfect for getting your creative juices flowing.

Give us a bit of the backstory to your business.

We are a family-owned business with an extensive history in the hospitality scene. We have been roasting just on 20 years in Preston, supplying cafes and retail shops in VIC, NSW and SA. We import directly from our farms and have a lot of fun doing it along the way.

How have you been travelling? What is it like to run a coffee-based business during these crazy times?

It has been challenging, to tell you the truth. We have been lucky enough to have a strong retail arm to our business that has helped support our foodservice customers and farms which have been pushing mud uphill over the last few weeks. It made us reassess how we run our business and the partners we have, to make sure we are all pulling in the same direction.

Have you noticed any notable shifts in the way people are drinking coffee or the amount of coffee they are drinking?

Coffee is the new “beer currency”. I can get my car serviced or my house moved now for a kilo of coffee! People are amazed at the rate they are consuming coffee at home, and we have had to quickly adapt our business model to meet the demand. Making a cup of coffee at home breaks the boredom, it is something to do. You can get lost in the art of the process and the outcome is rewarding.

Tell us a bit about the coffee bean creation process? Why is it so important that your beans are made in-house?

As roasters, we are just the middle-man between the farmer and the consumer. Our process is to source coffee from our farms that we think our customers will love, roast it in a way that displays its best characteristics and deliver it to them as fresh as possible. Doing this all in-house means we have control over the whole process the coffee goes through, from farm to cup.

What separates your coffee beans from your Melbourne competition?

We have never looked to the industry for validation on what we do, our culture is about expressing individuality and our position is about celebrating the people creating and using our coffee as fuel for their creativity. Our coffees come from farms that we have been supporting now for several years and they are all proudly featured and celebrated on our packs.

Do you have a favourite coffee blend that you offer? Why is it your favourite?

All City, it’s a blend of Sumatra Ketiara and Colombia La Orquidea. The Ketiara Coop is an all-female ran group in the north of Sumatra. Our connection with them is pretty deep and the coffee they supply is just superb! This coffee has it all; it’s fruity, chocolatey, not too strong but enough to give a kick. Perfect through a filter or espresso machine.

For the coffee sceptics, what encouragement would you give them to start drinking coffee?

It’s never too late, there will be a bean out there with your name on it you just have discovered it yet. So just go and try some! Start with single origins and go from there.

Tell us a bit about your coffee delivery service. How can one get their hands on your beans?

Our online shop is a good place to start, all of our blends and single origins are there and you can order beans or select your grind type, plus orders over 1kg have free delivery with the discount code: FREEDELL100. Or you can walk into any Coles store and grab a bag off the shelf. We have the whole range in most stores and freshness isn’t an issue as we struggle to keep up with the pace.

Order online and find out more at the DC Specialty Coffee Roasters website

Never miss a story. Sign up to Beat’s newsletter and you’ll be served fresh music, arts, food and culture stories three times a week.