Preview: Matt Forbes of Cobb Lane

Matt Forbes of Cobb Lane in Yarraville

This is the man behind those devilishly good doughnuts everyone is queuing for on weekends at places like Clements Coffee and Dead Man Espresso. Matt has had a busy few years first establishing Matt Forbes his wholesale baking business, and more recently Cobb Lane bakery-cafe in Yarraville. He also supplies us at Espresso Tales Magazine with our recipe in each new edition of the magazine.
Get the full story in VOL 3 out soon!

Cobb Lane
13 Anderson St
Yarraville 3013

Espresso Tales meets STREAT

Matt (head roaster) and Rebecca (CEO) or STREAT

STREAT is a small chain of inner Melbourne cafes that takes great pride in it's food and coffee - but is is also a social enterprise. Over the last few years STREAT has had over 180 disadvantaged and 'at risk' young people through it's doors on one or more of a number of schemes they offer ranging from work experience to six month training courses in hospitality.

The full story behind STREAT will feature in Volume Three of Espresso Tales due out in May -
Which I guess means I had better get writing!!

A chat with Heath Cater of Coffee Supreme

Heath Cater, Managing Director of Coffee Supreme.

Later this year Coffee Supreme turns 21. It's a coming of age! Last week I chatted with Heath Cater of Coffee Supreme to find out more about his journey in to coffee and where Coffee Supreme is at now. Heath's journey, incidentally, started when he was hired as the delivery guy by husband-wife owner operators in Wellington, New Zealand back in 1997 . Through serendipity, mostly, Heath soon found himself in charge of the roasting.
Heath points out that this is typical of the company even today. Staff work in the job they are hired in but are quickly trained up in other areas also. This, he offers,  makes for a  happy, well rounded, highly skilled team.

Get the full story in VOL 3 of Espresso Tales due out in May 2014 (look for it at MICE14!)

Grab a copy of Volume One or Two here


Coffee Supreme
www.coffeesupreme.com

Second Shoot for Volume Three! Ruby's Cafe in Coburg

Becky and Mik Tsatsis of Ruby's in Coburg

It was a pleasure hanging out at Ruby's for a few hours to photograph the kitsch space and get to know Becky and Mik a little. Ruby's is this couples first cafe together but they know what they want from the business. They love the open ended possibilities in having their own cafe and, although it only opened late 2013 Becky and Mik are already working on the next phase of their business.

Catch the full story and interiors photographs in Volume Three of Espresso Tales due out mid May 2014.

Catch up one Volumes One and Two here

Ruby's Cafe
138 Nicholson St
Coburg,
Melbourne

First Shoot for VOLUME THREE!! Sbriga EspressoBar, Melbourne CBD

Mario from Sbriga Espresso Bar, Melbourne CBD

It is the coffee, food and interiors often that attract us to a certain cafe - but it's the staff that keep us coming back, right? The passion behind Melbourne cafe owners inspires me every time I sit down to conduct an interview. True again when I sat down with Mario Simeone in his European inspired Sbriga Bar in the north-west corner of the CBD.  Mario's approach is to provide Melbourne style coffee with a Roman inspired ambiance.

Volume Three of Espresso Tales will include a 6 page photographic feature of the stunning Sbriga Espresso Bar and Mario's personal story of how it came about.

Volume Three will be launched at MICE 2014

Buy volume's 1 & 2 here

Meet the makers: Prana Chai

Mario, Koray and Vincent, of Prana Chai

The guys behind Prana Chai are good mates. Mario and Vincent have been 'besties' for over 30 years and based the chai recipe on the chai they drank on their 4 year stint travelling throughout Asia and beyond. Koray came on board more recently, as both a friend and a business partner but is the catalyst to the branding behind this recognised product we spot Melbourne wide. 

As always - I'm not giving away much more than this for now, but the full story and a photographic documentation of the beautiful, hands-on process that produces Prana Chai will be seen in full in Vol 2 of Espresso Tales - Due out in November.

Prana Chai

www.pranachai.com

info@pranachai.com

Salvatore Malatesta, Entrepreneur.

Salvatore Malatesta, entrepreneur.

I have had Sal's number in my phone for a year, I swear, but I 

held off making contact with him. Mostly because it was not quite the right time but also because I felt a little intimidated by his... big reputation. Working on VOL 2 of Espresso Tales made this the right time to get in touch with him, and I'm pleased I did. Was I right to feel a little intimidated? In away yes! Not because he is in any way intimidating (I can say that now I have met him!) but because Salvatore is a man that leaves an impression. He is a man that makes waves and gets things done. He is a business man, a very successful business man at that, and a really energetic, charismatic individual. 

I love hearing peoples life journey's and about what makes them tick. I am inspired by people that go out and make things happen. Salvatore is to this end incredibly inspirational.  I havent' given too much away here, this is a story that should be read in full and for that story you will have to wait until Espresso Tales Vol 2 comes out in November!

Oh, I know, I'm such a tease!

It will be worth the wait ;)

rh

Meet Nick Sawle of Servery and Spoon.

Nick Sawle, Servery and Spoons new Executive Chef.

Meet Nick Sawle, Executive Chef @ Servery and Spoon, cafe, East Malvern.

"This industry has treated me well and I’ve had the opportunity to learn from some fantastic chefs and to work in some amazing restaurants... I have forged lifelong friendships and gained invaluable experiences..."

I wish I could say that I have been passionate about food, both cooking it and eating it ever since my mother started me on solids...  but that would be a lie.  Growing up as one of three boys, when we gathered around the kitchen table to eat, this was simply to re-fuel.  I didn’t attach any deep cultural experiences to the dinner table. We were typical boys that scoffed our food so we could be excused to run off outside.  

After high school I found myself with a one way ticket to London to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I worked at a school during the day and worked in a pub at night.  12 months passed me by.

I learn't that I didn’t want to be a teacher and I didn’t want to work behind a bar.  With those two possibilities eliminated, I jumped on a plane and made my way back to Australia.

"This is where my career in the 
kitchen began...  

I felt this instant sensation that I was in the right place"

I went to Uni for a few years chopping and changing between courses as nothing really set my world alight. But every student needs to make some cash and this is where my career in the kitchen began.

I stepped into my first kitchen team, washing dishes. I felt this instant sensation that I was in the right place, I was at home. I was in sensory overload - it was the noise, the movement, the comradery and, naturally, the food.  Exotic words like “mise-en-place” and “chiffonade” were flying around the kitchen between chefs, their own secret language. I was intrigued. I wanted in. 

It took a good four months of endless applications and a relocation to Perth before winning an apprenticeship. As soon as I was cooking full time I realised my persistence had paid off.  I am incredibly passionate about cooking and the produce that I work with, it’s my life and it’s well and truly in my blood.  

"I am incredibly passionate about cooking and the produce that I work with, it’s my life and it’s well and truly in my blood"


Cooking for people gives me great personal satisfaction that I couldn’t imagine achieving in any other career.  It’s instantaneous.  Despite the long hours and the dedication required, I completely understand why so many of us choose to dedicate our lives to food.  There’s no waiting for the completion of a 3, 6 or 12 month project to get a result.  If I poach a perfect egg for table 3, BOOM, they’re happy and I’m happy, it’s an incredible feeling.


Part way through 2008 I felt the need to be re-energised so I once again packed my bags and moved to London in search of inspiration.  I wound up working at a restaurant called Franklins in Dulwich, South London.  Tim (the head chef and owner) was the inaugural Head Chef at the famed St John Restaurant and his dedication to using the freshest produce available ensured I was in foodie heaven every day.  The menu changed daily - sometimes even hourly. 

There would be a knock on the back door and you would open it to find some supplier had pulled up with produce that had just been picked.  This was the ultimate; the freshest, highest quality, seasonal produce delivered daily to your door. 


Whilst working at Franklins I was offered a job with a London based brewer to oversee the menu development of 20 of their top end “gastro” pubs. In what sounds like the holy grail of chef jobs, I worked 9am-5pm weekdays only, writing and testing recipes.  It should have been a dream job but I found myself missing the part of cooking that I liked the best, feeding people. Two years on, I figured it was time to come back to Melbourne and get back in the kitchen.  

"Whilst I am passionate and dedicated 

I also believe that food should be fun so I don’t take myself too seriously"

On arriving back home I wanted to find a job cooking food that I wanted to cook without the structure and formality of restaurant or hotel dining.  A mutual friend mentioned the Servery and Spoon Executive Chef position to me and put me in touch with Elaine.  A few meetings later we’d really hit it off and I haven’t looked back since. I’m relishing the opportunity to create again and work with the freedom that a café environment allows.

Whilst I am passionate and dedicated I also believe that food should be fun and so I don’t take myself too seriously.  When I’m pulling together a new menu my constant consideration is to put up dishes that I would be happy to pay for.  Dishes that are so delicious that you just can’t get enough. If it doesn’t meet this criteria.  It doesn’t go on the menu.  Simple.

Stay tuned to Espresso Tales as over the next weeks and months Nick will be sharing some of his fabulous dishes from Servery and Spoons new menu for readers to try at home!

Servery and Spoon
Cafe and Foodstore

137-139 Waverly Rd

Malvern East

Melbourne

See photos of Servery and Spoon here