Flavour specialist MONIN has launched a new space in Melbourne to help baristas and café owners take their creativity to the next level.
Signature drinks are the talk of the coffee industry right now, with creative innovations adding excitement to café menus across the country. Yet for busy baristas, keeping up with trends can be tough, let alone finding the time to road-test novel drinks and perfect up-and-coming techniques.
Eager to support the industry and collaborate with like-minded baristas, MONIN has created a new space in Melbourne where people in the industry can gather to learn, share ideas, and be part of a community of experimental coffee folk.
“We’ve had a research and development studio in Sydney for the past five years that’s been hugely successful, so we decided it was time to introduce one in Melbourne too,” says John Davidson, Advocacy and Innovation Manager at Stuart Alexander, Australian distributor of MONIN syrups.
“We get so many different people through our doors in Sydney, from huge multinational chains to mum-and-pop shops, and we take each of them through a bespoke journey of flavour discovery. We already work with so many great businesses in Melbourne that it was time to have a dedicated space in the city where we could get together regularly to create, collaborate, and see what we can come up with.”
The new venue is based in the former Victoria Arduino showroom in Brunswick, so many in the industry will already be familiar with the space. The MONIN team have transformed it into a multifunctional studio, decked out with every piece of equipment that could possibly be required to fashion a seriously impressive drink.
“We’ve got nitro machines, centrifuges, sous vide baths – we have everything you could need to make drinks at a very high level,” says John.
“The space has been specifically designed in a modular way so it’s always changing and adapting to the clients we’re working with. It also means it can be used for all kind of events, from competitions and meetings to impromptu parties.”
While John and the team have grand plans for the many events that will take place over the coming months, the core focus of the project was to curate an environment where creativity and innovation can flourish.
“As a global company, we do a huge amount of research into trending menu items. We know the latest drink people can’t get enough of in South Korea and the specialty coffee innovations coming out of Bangkok,” says John.
“We want to share these insights with baristas and bartenders in Australia, and work with them to capitalise on these trends. Whether that’s developing a unique milkshake menu for a sandwich shop or aiming for something super high-level for a specialty coffee shop, our door is always open and we’re always ready to have some fun.”
To ensure the studio features all the equipment a barista might need in their arsenal to create showstopping signature drinks, MONIN has teamed up with espresso machine and grinder specialists Unic, Slayer, and San Remo. The equipment has not only been chosen for their functionalities but also to blend into the slick space, which features polished concrete floors, Victorian Ash wood, and black stone. According to John it’s “annoyingly expensive but unbelievably chic”.
“Being in Brunswick, we’re in the spiritual heartland of espresso. As much as this is place to work and do business, it’s also a spot for baristas to chill out, have a coffee, or a natural wine,” says John.
“Our soon-to-be-announced MONIN brand ambassador for Melbourne has grand plans for some super fun industry events here. While our Sydney Ambassador is rooted in fine cocktail service, our new Melbourne team member is firmly in the world of hot water and beans.”
As part of the easy-going atmosphere John and the MONIN team have created, they’ve opened the space to anyone who wants to collaborate. They don’t need to be a MONIN client, they just need to be open to a little creative inspiration.
“You can come in and play around with some ideas you already have or get guidance to create a menu from scratch. Our team is very knowledgeable and everyone is welcome,” says John.
“Those who don’t have the number of one of the Melbourne sales team can find their details on our website and shoot them a message or an email to arrange a time to have the studio to themselves and our creative team’s full attention.”
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This article appears in the October/November 2024 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
