Where The Monster Sat

A big broken chair hanging from the ceiling is one way of making children think that a monster lives at this Stanmore café.

But for those who prefer a more logical explanation, Head Barista Alfie Fuller has a more believable tale.

“The story goes that [Co-Owner] Ralph Monserrat’s aunt was teased at school because the kids couldn’t say her surname Monserrat, so instead they would say: ‘Where the monster sat.’ It’s ended up being a great café name.”

The family-operated venue is situated in the West of Sydney, in a booming area right next to the café hub of Newtown.

“Stanmore is growing at a really fast pace. When we started there were fewer cafés compared to what’s popped up now,” Alfie says. “We’re different to the others because we’re quite quirky, we serve great coffee and food, and have fun along the way.”

The café’s refurbishment has seen the shop transformed into a “home away from home”, with the use of wooden crates and old recycled timber turned into functional tables and seats.

“We don’t have a particular style, but our regular customers tell us it reminds them of going to the family home. It’s a very relaxed space that has plenty of comfy couches to recline in,” Alfie says.

Customers can also sit in the summer sun and relax in one of the 30 outdoor seats – a perfect way to enjoy one of the Monster’s favourite iced coffees.

Where the Monster Sat was one of the first cafés in Sydney to use Zest Specialty Coffee. Zest now roasts nearby in Marrickville, but Alfie says it was quite exciting to launch the brand to its customers. It serves Zest Specialty Coffee’s Forte Blend on its shiny red La Marzocco machine.

“This blend is really smooth but still quite strong. It’s delicious as an espresso but also great in milk-based coffees or in our iced coffee,” Alfie says.

As espresso, this blend from three continents exudes dark cocoa and orange marmalade, with hints of peanut brittle. 

After working his whole career as a chef, Ralph has put a slight twist on the all-day breakfast and lunch menu. “Right from 8am on a Saturday we have people lining up to enjoy our Monsters’ breakfast nachos, which are really popular, as are our potato kale balls,” Alfie says.

The café makes its own pies on site. Alfie recommends the pulled pork and apple pie, and for something indulgent, the Monster cheeseburger.

“When you’re surrounded by all the things you love, this job doesn’t feel like work at all,” Alfie says. “I love talking to people, working hard, but also having fun. I hope this place continues to thrive.”
Judging by the ‘monster’ crowds this café attracts on the weekends, it already is.

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Journeymen Coffee Roasters

When passersby peer through the roller door and smell the rich roasting aroma of coffee, their inquisitiveness often gets the better of them: “What’s going on?” they ask. “We’re a coffee roaster and café. Come in and try some coffee,” Mel Maksic invites.

Like the name suggests, Co-Owners and friends Mel, Anne Newberry, and Liam Christian have embarked on their own journey to start their first roasting business.

Mel and Anne first met while making coffee together at Queensland’s Alen’s Espresso.

Liam was a regular customer and a welcome addition to the Journeymen team, whose experience in roasting involves many practice sessions on his Behmor home roaster.

Mel has worked in Melbourne with Veneziano Coffee Roasters, and Anne at Toby’s Estate’s in Toowoomba, both experiences giving the keen baristas hands-on training and customer experience.

“Mel and I have always had a passion and curiosity for the coffee industry. Seeing the success of these larger businesses inspired us to start our own roastery. We went to the Melbourne International Coffee Expo in 2013 and that experienced opened our eyes. It taught us that coffee was much more than just pumping out latte after latte. It taught us to focus on the bean, its origin and processing,” Anne says.

That hunger for knowledge resulted in Mel and Anne joining the Women in Coffee Australian Chapter formation where they were fortunate to visit some of Australia’s own coffee farms in the Tweed Valley.

“We made so many valuable connections. The group is a great way to celebrate the importance of women in the industry from seed to cup,” Mel says.

As such, the three have harnessed all their experience to start Journeymen Coffee Roasters, and happily get up at 4.30am each day to spend time perfecting their roast and daily pours.

“When you visit a farmer’s market you always see how much care and respect the growers have for their produce, and we want to have that same effect on our coffee,” Anne says.

Liam works his magic on a 15-kilogram Has Garanti roaster to create the Journey blend. It’s a seasonal mix of beans that at the time of print included Nicaraguan, Colombian, and Guatemalan beans.

“It embraces everything we love in a good blend: chocolate, sweet tones from the Nicaraguan beans – the main player in this blend – body and juicy flavours from the Guatemalan beans, and brightness and complexity thanks to the Colombian beans,” Anne says.

A range of “exotic” rotating single origins are also available, including favourites from Kenya, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, at the time of print.

Alternative brew methods are just a pour over or AeroPress away, but Mel says the MoccaMaster batch brewer is fast becoming a firm favourite.

Coffee remains the number one focus at Journeymen, but for peckish customers, locally baked salted chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies are a daily winner.

The small warehouse space embraces an industrial feel with an espresso bar at the front, and roaster at the back.

“People love looking at the roaster. They know coffee gets roasted but they don’t often see it in practice, so it’s a great way for people to understand the process of coffee production a bit more,” Mel says.

Journeymen is located in the light industrial neighbourhood of Miami. It attracts early birds after their morning surf, and a strong local following of coffee lovers throughout the day.

“When people come to Journeymen we want them to feel comfortable to come inside and be curious. So many times we’ve been cupping and customers hear us slurping and ask: ‘What are you doing?’ We tell them: ‘This is cupping, come in, grab a spoon and give it a go,’” Mel says.

If it’s not already obvious, Anne and Mel say the best parts of their day are spent interacting with their customers.

“We love meeting new people and being responsible for the smiles on our customer’s faces,” Mel says. “When they say, ‘That’s the best coffee I’ve had’, it gives us a buzz and a real sense of pride. Come in and enjoy the journey with us.”

Burwood Bench

Newly opened Burwood Bench is a family affair combining a passion for baking and coffee making.

Co-Owner Kellie Francis operates Burwood Bench with husband Josh Francis, her sister Jodie Blatchford, and her partner Deb Thompson.

“We all work together really well. I’m a passionate home cook so I do the baking, my sister Jodie is the café manager and along with Deb, they make all the tasty salads,” she says.

Since the café opened in October 2015, Kellie says the reaction from customers has been extremely positive.

“They love the variety of choice we offer. We want our customers to feel refreshed after their visit, enjoy the range of healthy food, and fresh coffee,” she says.

That diversity includes a range of coffees supplied from Australian International Coffee Awards winner MFC Roasters. Both its Capital Roast and Organic Roast are served from the café’s white La Marzocco FB70.

“The Capital blend has a really nice caramel-fruit flavour along with an edgy acidity that provides great milk cut-through. And we love the Organic Blend for its chocolate tones and smoothness,” she says.

Burwood Bench is the first NSW-based café to serve MFC Roasters’ blends.

“MFC’s rise in the industry has been really impressive. Justin Mellors’ coffees are at the forefront of the specialty industry at the moment, and I’m learning a great deal from working with him,” Kellie says. “The city has really leaped forward in terms of its coffee quality in the past 12 months so we want to be at the top of the pack in terms of our coffee offering, and with MFC coffee I think we are.”

To cater to the surrounding business district, Burwood Bench also encourages batch-brewed coffee, which can be ordered for corporate meetings.

Kellie says it’s been a real hit with neighbouring offices keen to offer something a bit more special than an instant mix of coffee granules.

“Customers can take the coffee airpot at 11am, return it six hours later, and it will have barely dropped in temperature. It’s quite remarkable,” Kellie says.

Fresh food items are prepared and served daily, with a mix of sandwiches and savoury treats on offer.

Previously working as a former print manager, Kellie says the welcome sea change has been really motivating.

“I’m happy to get up at 4.30am each morning to turn the oven on to start baking,” she says.