Latest News
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Just a snippet of the 5 Senses culture
For the past month, the 5 Senses crew have been indulging in some particularly childish behaviour. A game of ‘You’re It’, an adaptation of Chasey, has been raging across the country.
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Quality and speed — tips from the pro
Stepping behind the bar in someone else’s café can be a bit daunting, even for someone with many years industry experience. In my role as Head Trainer for 5 Senses, café owners often invite me to put my skills into practice in their café, frequently during their peak ‘busy’ periods!
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Olympic Effort
When I first feasted my eyes on the state-of-the-art technology I would be using at Coffee Lab International, I knew I was in for a week of fun. In picturesque Burlington to attend a week-long roasting course, I was looking forward to meeting renowned coffee expert, Mané Alves.
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No compromise at Bella Vista
When you talk to John Todaro, owner of Bella Vista Espresso Bar, you get the impression that he was almost destined to open his own café. A first generation Italian from Melbourne, with a background in fashion and design, John has always been around good coffee.
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Bali Gold — Part 2
In last month’s newsletter, I started a truly gripping tale (for at least for a few of you!) of our five day journey into the mountains of Bali, in search of a coffee that would lift us to new and sublime heavenly heights. My last story diarised the first two days of the trip; here I describe our last few days and, hopefully, whet your appetite for our new, highly anticipated coffee, which will reach our shores in the next couple of months.
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Why Isomac will fulfil all your espresso dreams!
After receiving what must have been our 50th enquiry to the tune of ‘what home espresso machine should I buy’ we thought it was time to put you out of your misery and lay down the facts. To put it simply, an Isomac will equip you with the best tools to make some kick ass coffee, just the way you like it, at home.
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Mooba spreads it's wings
One of our favourites from the 5 Senses family of fine cafés, Mooba, is spreading its wings, and being believers in Mae West’s “too much of a good thing is never enough” philosophy, we couldn’t wait to bring you the good news!
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Representing at the Regional's for excellence
Mornington Peninsula Gourmet, together with Restaurants & Catering Victoria, recently hosted the Regional Awards for Excellence and the 5 Senses (Victoria) team jumped at the opportunity to combine work with pleasure, enjoying the delectable regional produce whilst showcasing 5 Senses coffee for the event.
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Pumped Up
The boys in the 5 Senses roasteries are a buff bunch. You’d be forgiven for thinking that this is a result of the millions of coffee beans they heft about every day — but in the case of Caleb Podhaczky, his muscles pre-date his work in the 5 Senses roastery.
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Epic Stars as 'Best in the West - Coffee'
Epic Espresso notched up yet another media accolade last night, starring as the ‘Best in the West — Coffee’ in the WA episode of Today Tonight.
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Epic Feature on Today Tonight
Tune in to Today Tonight this evening (Tuesday, 29 July) to catch the Epic Espresso team explaining the art of espresso.
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Bali Gold - Part 1
This week our journey has taken us up into the mountains of Bali in the Kintamani region. Those who’ve been following what we’ve been up to over the last couple of years will know that we have been trying to identify a grower group in Bali that 5 Senses can support and ultimately work with in the long term. Our hope is that as a result of our involvement and willingness to pay a better price, the grower group will have a real incentive to improve their quality.
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Grocery Bar changes hands
When John and Maggie Leever decided to leave the world of high fashion and venture into coffee, they wanted to retain the sense of style that they were known for. Where better, then, to set up shop than St Kilda, where the fashionable flock to share the latest gossip over a coffee.
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Snaffled from Synesso
Seattle — a mecca for all things coffee; Synesso — touted by experts around the globe as the crème de la crème of espresso machines. Coffee and Synesso — a marriage made in heaven! Little wonder, then, that we considered ourselves incredibly lucky when we snaffled Synesso’s first official employee, Caleb, to work at 5 Senses.
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WBC: A Barista's Eye View
My pilgrimage started in Paris, on a cold, cold summer’s morning at Port de Clichy where I met up with some other French coffee fanatics and colleagues from Alto Café — owners Aleaume and Tom, my manager Adrianna and me (the coffee nerd of the trip).
The journey entailed around 1,500km of driving across France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany before finally arriving in Denmark, in good time for the Saturday heats of the World Barista Championship (WBC).
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A Fair Grow for All
Last month I had a rant about some of the fairness and equity issues relating to the global trade of coffee. I raved on about how small growers were getting screwed over by huge coffee buyers and how this was impacting the growers’ ability to invest in infrastructure which would, in turn, lead to a better quality product, which would then allow them to pitch and sell their coffee to more discerning buyers who would be willing to pay more — thereby changing the course of their lives, potentially forever.
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Aussies take Copenhagen by Storm
After a lead up in over 50 countries, the 8th World Barista Championship has just wrapped up in Copenhagen, Denmark. Along with the Barista Championship were the World Latte Art Championship and the World Cup Tasting Championship; each of which had an Australian representative.
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World Barista Champion enjoys his Synesso
From world recognised coffee guru David Schomer to current World Barista Champion James Hoffman, all the experts are lining up to lend their support to Synesso’s world class espresso machines, particularly in respect of the engineering tricks which deliver thermal stability not seen in any other machine …
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Scottie Callaghan talks latte art on Sunrise
There’s no doubt that Scottie Callaghan, previous winner of the coveted Australian Barista Championship and World Latte Art Champion, knows his coffee. So, naturally, there were a lot of high fives echoing around the roastery when we heard Scottie talking up 5 Senses’ coffee on 7’s “Sunrise” programme.
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A 'Coffee-Off' in Spring
My usual visit to Spring Espresso begins with barista Andrew ‘Super’ Tang and me having what I guess could be called a ‘coffee-off,’ in which we frantically exchange the latest exciting news from the specialty coffee world in the hopes of being the first to know. Unfortunately for me, Andrew normally wins, but happily for Spring, it means they are always on top of their game. And you can definitely taste it!
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Coffee with Conscience
Consider this statement: A good tradesman is never cheap, a cheap tradesman is never good. Or what about this one: A good second hand car is never cheap, a cheap second hand car is never good.
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Looking Good in Tights
When our new recruit, Mark Chandler (WABA Trainer Extraordinaire) told us that his step-daughter, Emma, had won a place at the Royal Ballet School in London, we weren’t all that surprised. After all, Mark was renowned for his nifty footwork on the basketball court in his younger days, and rumour has it, that these days he carves up the dance floor at dubious nightclubs around town.
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What’s your coffee base?
Sure, perfectly steamed, silky milk enhances the coffee experience and yes, some milk brands taste better than others. However, let us not forget the real player here — the often-neglected espresso base, that has evolved for better or worse as the industry has grown. Here’s a look at some of the current trends and ‘faux pas’ that exist in cafés today, and what you can expect in the cup as a result.
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2008 Australian Barista Champs Weekend — Part 2
The biggest weekend in the Australian specialty coffee scene has just finished. With countless hours of training and preparation culminating in just one shot at success in front of the judges at the Australian Barista Championships, excitement ran high. Held on 3-4 May at the Docklands in Melbourne, the Championships are the high point of the national specialty coffee year.
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2008 Australian Barista Champs Weekend — Part 1
You can almost feel the tension in the air as the cream of Australia’s barista talent jet into Melbourne for the 2008 Australian Barista Championships. Various groups huddle in the corners of prominent cafes, discussing last minute tactics and evaluating the opposition, while nervous baristas check their competition blends are ‘peaking’ at the right time. It’s a veritable hive of activity and tension.
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Coffee in a can
We all know the feeling. You’re desperate for a cold drink and you have to get one now. But you’re not near a shop. What do you do? Find a cold drinks machine, slot in your money, listen to the satisfying ‘ker plunk’ as it hits the base of the machine and thankfully gulp the cooling liquid.
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Cawfee talk with Jen
Once it was all said and done and I stepped outside the Perth town hall, I must admit, I was absolutely stoked to have won the 2008 WA Barista Competition. I breathed a massive sigh of relief as I realised that it was all over and that I had somehow managed to execute most of what I had planned. I think it’s safe to say, with three competitions under my belt, I’m well on the way to being able to call myself a seasoned competitor.
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Divine comes to Freo
Fremantle is famous for its multitudinous cafés, but if you’re seeking outstanding coffee and a genuinely tempting menu, you can’t go past Hubbles Yard Café, which stands proudly on the corner of George and Hubble Streets in East Fremantle.
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Footy fever is back!
The siren has sounded, it’s footy season again! As Five Senses’ Footy Tipping competition ramps up, the taunts are starting to fly thick and fast between offices. Old rivalries are rearing their heads: husband against wife, neighbour against neighbour … and colleague against colleague.
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Have tamper, will travel
The Australian barista world is buzzing in the lead up to the Australian Barista Championship which will see winners from each of the State competitions battle it out for the crown of Australian Barista Champion and an opportunity to represent Australia at the World Barista Championship in Copenhagen in June.
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The singing barista
At 5 Senses we don’t usually like seeing ‘Pablo’ and ‘coffee’ in the same sentence, but for Kevin Cortez, owner of Rojo Bar and Café, we will make an exception.
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5 Senses was buzzing with interest
The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is one of the great food festivals of the world. In fact, it’s the largest of its kind anywhere in the world. The month-long festival celebrates all aspects of the food world and 5 Senses had the privilege of participating in two events this year.
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WA Barista Academy launches their new website
After a fantastic win by Jennifer Murray in the Western Australian Barista Championships the Western Australian Barista Academy has been given a facelift.
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Jennifer Murray wins the 2008 WA Barista Competition
Jennifer Murray, manager of the 5 Senses Coffee training school, the Western Australian Barista Academy, today took out the 2008 Western Australian Barista Championship held at the Perth Town Hall.
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Countdown to the barista champs
The crowd went silent and the music faded. “Welcome judges, my name is Jonny, and I’ll be your barista today.” So began the competitive barista as he started his heat. The annual Barista Championships, held around Australia and the world, have become a vehicle for the continuing drive to position coffee in the culinary sphere rather than as just another offering in the caffeinated-drink market. For many, they also represent the perfect venue for sharing ideas, techniques and inspiration with others in the specialty coffee industry. In this month’s article, I want to focus on both what happens during the competition, and the social implications of the results.
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Turning lemons into Lemon's
It sounds so easy. Find a rundown café, give it a quick refit, appoint a manager to look after it for you and watch the money pile up while you relax with a silky latté. The reality, however, is very different for owners with no hospitality experience, or those who have had a long break from the industry.
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Dean turns his hobby into a profession
Many of you would know that I moved into coffee professionally in 2000. Prior to that I was a hobbyist home roaster who was lucky enough to live in an amazing coffee growing region (Simbu Province in Papua New Guinea) and to make friends with lots of people in the coffee industry. When I arrived back in Australia (thinking I was the fount of all coffee knowledge) and decided to start a little coffee roasting operation I had absolutely no idea how little I actually knew about coffee.
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Brett gets used to home-made lunches
At lunchtime on his first day at Five Senses, Brett enquired, “What time is the chef bringing lunch today?” After scoffing and laughing at his wide-eyed naivety, we discovered that for 15 years, Brett had had restaurant meals prepared for him by chefs each day. Hmmm, more jealousy than laughter from us at that stage.
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It started as a journey
One of the things you learn as you make your way through life is that not every place you visit will serve up a decent brew. Most of you who read this article probably realise that I’m quite addicted to coffee. I hardly ever think about it. I drink coffee for a living, so I rarely start craving good coffee before I’ve actually had my first cup.
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Liar Liar delivers
It takes a lot more than guts to open a café off the main street. But Liar Liar, which opened its doors late last year in a small side street in Hawthorn, has the credentials to back the brave move. Serious (and seriously sexy) equipment, fantastic fit out and superlative staff practically guarantee its success.