Hospitality has been Andrew Reay’s life since he was 15 years old. He worked as a chef in fine-dining establishments in Launceston, but when the right café location in Trevallyn popped up three years ago, Andrew knew it was time to farewell the commercial kitchen for a more relaxed cooking atmosphere.
“I wanted to merge my love for cooking into a café environment that served simple, honest food. It’s a completely different way of life than I’m used to. I would be starting at midday and working through to midnight in a commercial kitchen. My body clock has takent time to adjust to early morning starts instead. I prefer this way of life now. I’m doing something for myself.”
Working as a chef from a young age, Andrew was exposed to coffee from his days as an apprentice. “I used to be the coffee boy at the restaurant, running around and serving the chefs coffee to keep them going throughout the late nights,” he says.
That drinking culture is still very much alive, only this time it’s Andrew doing the coffee drinking. “I like my coffee short and strong, so either a short macchiato, a short black or a double-shot latte,” he says.
Café Culture serves the Doppio’s custom roast, which contains a mix of Brazilian, Indian, and Papua New Guinean beans. “It’s punchy and strong with a nice bold flavour. It’s full-bodied with quite an incredible crema. It’s great for black coffee and packs a punch in milk-based drinks, even in our 16-ounce takeaway cups,” Andrew says.
Andrew and Shane Delany of Doppio have been friends and customers for years. Andrew says the choice to work with Doppio was an easy one.
“They have been so consistent and reliable. We wanted to work with someone who could supply us with a beautiful product and still support us every step of the way,” Andrew says. “The Doppio team have been nothing but supportive in setting up our new 2015 World Barista Championship Nuova Simonelli three-group machine, and our Mazzer grinder. A team member will come in once a week and play around with our machine and grinders to make sure they’re in top working order. Support is everything.”
To match the top-notch coffee, Café Culture Trevallyn serves a full breakfast and lunch menu. Must-try breakfast items include the smashed avocado, and for lunch fresh local seafood, wraps, burgers, and “all the delicious café essentials”. Each Friday night Café Culture opens for casual dinner as well.
“The café is focused on serving customers great food and coffee in a fun team environment,” Andrew says. “If our customers leave with a smile on their face, then we do too.”
