Hello hello! Joining us this morning - latte art genius Georgia Ellis and social media magnate Katie Payne. Georgia stunned the coffee world with her epic free pours of bears, roosters and eagles; ranking 3rd in the Australian Latte Art Championship and 1st in the MILKLAB barista battle. Now she graces our studio all the way from Perth, sharing cafe tales and tips for aspiring artists. Plus, Katie has some wild stories of her own; from nightmare bar work to TikTok fame - and Rohan spills the tea...
Jul 15, 2024•56 min•Ep. 17
Hey you, it’s time for a Coffee Break … Grab your favourite brew and join Rohan, Kirk, and Liam for the show after the show! This Week: What are the perks of working in coffee? Kirk has travelled the world doing cafe popups, Rohan is going to Italy with La Marzocco, and Liam, well, he’s making some great soundbites (yeh boy). Plus, Rohan recounts how a work trip somehow turned into a $1000 meal at Brae (whoops!), and Kirk has some advice for aspiring cafe owners. Coffee Break is your weekly insi...
Jul 10, 2024•26 min•Ep. 16
Hey bean lovers! On today’s show: Rohan and Kirk are joined by ST. ALi CEO, Lachlan Ward. Lachlan, originally from Byron Bay, moved to Melbourne in his early twenties and fell in love with its cafe scene. Working his way up in hospitality, Lachlan now heads one of Australia’s biggest coffee groups, ST. ALi, with the brand recently opening its first overseas venue in Pererenan, Bali. But he hasn’t forgotten his Byron roots, discussing the power of mindfulness and using running as a meditative pra...
Jul 08, 2024•46 min•Ep. 15
Oh hi, come join us on our Coffee Break ! Ever wondered what we talk about when the mics are off? Coffee Break invites you behind the scenes of It’s Just Coffee! for a casual conversation; no guests, no scripts, just vibes. This week, Liam has some gifts for the listeners, Rohan recounts stories from his barista days, and Kirk is pretty much a coffee scientist (ever heard of a refractometer?). Plus, could coffee farms have the same widespread appeal as wineries? Coffee Break is your weekly insid...
Jul 03, 2024•20 min•Ep. 14
Hi there! On today’s show: the legend Jamie Thomson. For our longtime listeners, you may remember Jamie from his appearance on the show’s predecessor podcast, Sub-Zero Coffee . Now Jamie is back, and he continues to shock us with his extensive coffee knowledge. As an Australian Brewers Cup finalist, barista trainer and Rohan’s (unofficial) mentor, Jamie dives into the niche aspects of coffee - never afraid to thermometer check your milk… Plus, grab a pen! Jamie shares simple tips to help any hom...
Jul 01, 2024•51 min•Ep. 13
Heyo, we are back with another Coffee Break - the show after the show! Ever wondered what we talk about when the mics are off? Coffee Break invites you behind the scenes of It’s Just Coffee! for a casual conversation; this week between host Kirk and producer Liam. We have a lot of thoughts following the conversation with Craig Simon on Tuesday. SCAP scrapped infused coffee, sending shockwaves through the coffee world and prompting discussion of barriers in barista competitions. Plus, Kirk divulg...
Jun 26, 2024•26 min•Ep. 12
Infused coffee should NOT be considered specialty coffee The President of the Specialty Coffee Association of Panama released a very controversial statement earlier this week stating its rejection of infused coffee at the Best of Panama Competition. It goes on to say that altered coffees jeopardise the hard work of Panamanian coffee and “should be categorised separately, clearly distinguishing them from genuine Speciality Coffee” Who better to discuss this topic on ‘It’s Just Coffee!’ than Found...
Jun 24, 2024•59 min•Ep. 11
Hellooo, welcome to our new segment, Coffee Break - the show after the show! Ever wondered what we talk about when the mics are off? Coffee Break invites you behind the scenes of It’s Just Coffee! for a casual conversation between hosts Rohan and Kirk. No guests, no scripts, just vibes. Coffee Break is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on the fly barista tips, honest and unfiltered cafe reviews (eek), hospitality stories and gate kept coffee secrets. In today’s ...
Jun 19, 2024•12 min•Ep. 10
Hi coffee people! Today’s episode features Brandon and Mitch, 2 of the 3 owners of Good Measure. Good Measure is a vibey cafe on Lygon Street in Melbourne’s northside. During the day, they serve up delicious sandwiches and the very famous ‘Mont Blanc’, a lightly sweetened filter coffee topped with whipped cream and an orange nutmeg spice. At night, this space transforms into a cosy, Japanese-inspired cocktail bar. With vinyls spinning, Good Measure will serve a stunning range of sake and unique ...
Jun 17, 2024•47 min•Ep. 9
Hi coffee people! Joining us on the show this morning - the wonderful Dan Dick. Dan has an illustrious career in the industry, with five cafes across Melbourne and a budding roastery by the name of 'Born and Raised'. He is also a dedicated father, husband and all round coffee lover. Dan describes coffee as his ‘love language’, and gained publicity during the pandemic by providing free coffee to those in need. Rohan and Dan reminisce on their time working together in Melbourne cafes (does anyone ...
Jun 12, 2024•53 min•Ep. 8
What’s up! We have a very special guest on the pod today; the wildly hilarious comedian and writer, Gen Fricker. We were lucky enough to steal Gen for a chat while she was in town for the Melbourne Comedy Festival. In this episode, Gen, Kirk and Rohan discuss getting (and giving) bad reviews, Gen shares tales from the comedy scene, as well as hospo horror stories, and introduces the boys to the fat white - yum. In coffee news, Elaine from Seinfeld is making moves in the instant coffee world, the...
Jun 10, 2024•56 min•Ep. 7
Hello lovely people. Today we are joined by the coffee powerhouse, Daniel Seyoum. Daniel’s family have been growing coffee in Ethiopia for over 45 years, with Daniel himself running farms using traditional agricultural practices. He now heads two successful cafes in Melbourne. Both Ageyo and Little Ezida have grown wildly successful, with a focus on ethical and direct trade. In this conversation, Daniel provides a unique and valued perspective on coffee farming and its history; on everything fro...
Jun 05, 2024•50 min•Ep. 6
Hey everyone! Today we welcome the legendary Ross Quail to the pod. Ross has years of experience working for equipment manufacturers and specialty coffee roasters. You may recognise him from his role as Head Judge at the World Barista Championships (this man knows good coffee). Today, he is Head of Sales at the Hemro Group, constantly travelling across the world in the name of coffee! We were lucky enough to sit down with him before he jumped on a jet to Seoul. In this episode: Instant coffee pr...
Jun 03, 2024•58 min•Ep. 5
Hello hello, this one’s a cracker! On today’s show: Kirk is joined by Golden Brown co-founder Sonam Sherpa. Sonam has had an esteemed career in the coffee industry; from pouring countless lattes to the establishment of two cafes and a coffee brand, this guy’s done it all! Together, they explore the often overlooked business aspects of the coffee industry. Plus, Sonam flips the script, grilling Kirk with hard-hitting questions that uncover tales of tyrannical chefs and cold brew secrets. Also, wh...
May 29, 2024•47 min•Ep. 4
Hi guys! Today we’re sitting down with Brew Boy, also known as Park Tanpapat, the coffee artist behind Terroir Laboratory. Pac travels the world discovering, roasting and experimenting with coffee - we were lucky enough to pin him down in Melbourne for this epic chat. In this episode, Kirk and Rohan get the inside scoop on the world's best (and most controversial) coffee farms… coffee picking based on moon cycles…? Plus, the boys give their take on everything from Quentin Tarantino’s new coffee ...
May 27, 2024•58 min•Ep. 3
Hello friends! Today we are joined by one of Australia’s most prominent baristas - and runner up in the 2024 Brewers Cup - Hany Ezzat. In this chat, Hany pops Kirk and Rohan’s metaphorical coffee cherries…hmmm…and the boys pick Hany’s brain about how to prepare for the ‘Olympics of Coffee’ (how much money does his award winning brew actually cost?). Plus, Hany discusses using minerals as coffee seasoning, how cup shape can change the taste of coffee, and poses the question; can drinking specific...
May 23, 2024•46 min•Ep. 2
Whether you’re a world barista champion brewing a $150 rare coffee from the hills of Panama, or you’re stirring a spoon of instant coffee in boiling water, at the end of the day, It’s Just Coffee! It’s Just Coffee! is a podcast for all those coffee lovers out there and we're endeavouring on a journey to find the perfect cup. Not only will we be talking to the world’s best coffee makers and roasters, we’re going to be talking to athletes, comedians, celebrities and anyone that just loves a great ...
May 16, 2024•28 min•Ep. 1
