This article was originally written by Monique La Terra and has since been updated.
Melbourne is known as Australia’s coffee capital. There are hundreds of independent cafes located around the city, and many of them roast their own specialty coffee as well. Keep reading to discover the best coffee roasters in Melbourne, and learn more about what they offer consumers.
Dukes Coffee Roasters
Cafe, Australian, Coffee, $$$
Dukes is an Australian specialty coffee roasting company. Since their establishment over 10 years ago, the team at Dukes have successfully built strong relationships with the best coffee growers in Central and South America, Africa, and Asia. All of Dukes’ coffee is ethically traded and sourced, and is roasted daily at their headquarters in Richmond. Their online coffee shop features blends, single origin espresso, filter coffee, decaf, and teas and chocolate.
Industry Beans was established by brothers Steve and Trevor Simmons in Melbourne in 2010. The brothers were inspired by the Third Wave coffee movement, which was redefining the ideas around sourcing, roasting, and brewing coffee. They began in a garage and formed strong relationships with coffee farmers in key global coffee growing regions. Today, Industry Beans is one of Melbourne’s most popular specialty coffee roasters and cafes; operating under one roof in Fitzroy.
Seven Seeds proclaims to “source, import, roast, and sell what we believe is among the best coffees around the world.” On their website, the micro-roaster and cafe explains that coffee is seasonal like other fruit, so their offerings constantly change throughout the year. Seven Seeds’ current range of espresso and filter coffee include beans sourced from Guatemala, Ethiopia, Colombia, and Brazil.
Code Black is a coffee roaster and cafe, located in Melbourne’s bustling Brunswick neighbourhood. They say that their core value is respect: for the produce, for the coffee growers, for their baristas, and respect for their beloved customers. Code Black Coffee also offers a consultancy service to wholesale buyers, who can develop their own customised coffee blend. Sample one of their coffees with a dish from their daily breakfast and lunch menu.
Axil Coffee Roasters is owned and operated by a husband and wife team: Dave Makin and Zoe Delany. They have cafes in the city, as well as Hawthorn (home to their roasting facility) and Chadstone. Their coffee follows a Direct Trade approach, which means it must meet strict criteria. This includes direct communication with farms, paying 25% more than the current fair trade price, and purchasing only the highest quality, sustainably-produced coffee beans. Axil Coffee Roasters also offer breakfast and lunch at their Hawthorn and Chadstone locations.
Aucuba is a micro-roaster, cafe, and brew bar in Melbourne. Their aim is to bridge the information gap regarding specialty coffee, so their customers can enjoy their coffee as much as they do. The cafe has a dedicated brew bar and espresso bar, as well as a small menu that includes Aucuba Coffee-infused granola. Aucuba Coffee Roasters use a roaster called Percy to roast all their coffee in-house. Their coffee can either be purchased in store or online.
Market Lane Coffee is a boutique coffee roastery and retailer, with several locations across Melbourne. They pride themselves on sourcing coffee beans that are both distinctive and memorable, and don’t need to be blended. Market Lane roast their coffee in small batches at their roastery in Prahran Market. They only serve seasonal coffee, and love to share the stories behind their beans. The other Market Lane Coffee locations in Melbourne include Queen Victoria Market, the CBD, Carlton, and South Melbourne.
St Ali Coffee Roasters was established by Salvatore Malatesta, a pioneer of specialty coffee in Melbourne. He and his team have been searching South and Central America, Africa, and Asia for the most highly rated and in demand coffee beans since 2005. Today, they have a renowned wholesale coffee business and cafe in South Melbourne. Customers can choose to have a barista breakfast (espresso, cappuccino, and filter), or go on a coffee adventure and try six samples of their best coffee.
Nolan Hirte is the founder of Proud Mary Coffee Roasters. He says his company takes great pride in supporting and representing coffee producers and companies. Today, the Proud Mary moniker includes a coffee roaster, a cafe in Collingwood, Aunty Peg’s black coffee brew bar, the Collingwood Coffee College, and Proud Mary Cafe PDX in Portland, Oregon. It is at Aunty Peg’s where you can tour the roastery.
Based out of Kensington, Rumble Coffee Roasters are not only in the business of roasting coffee. They also specialise in coffee making and cafe management as well. The team at Rumble source their coffee beans from the world’s best growing regions, and are constantly searching for the best coffee suppliers. Rumble Coffee can be found in several Melbourne cafes, including Breakfast Thieves in Fitzroy, Brick Lane in the CBD, and Market Espresso at the Queen Victoria Market.
