Entering the Belaroma Coffee Centre off the streets of Manly Vale, Sydney is like stepping into a different world.
The open wholesaler and café is covered with classic wooden furnishings and a world map imprinted on the floor, representing the variety of coffee’s Belaroma sources from around the globe.
The company has been a feature of the Australian coffee culture since 1968 and markets its coffees across cafés throughout Australia. Nick Chronis of Belaroma says the idea for the Belaroma Coffee Centre was born four years ago from “our desire to want to walk in our café customer’s shoes and better understand coffee”. “It doesn’t matter how our customers like their coffee, we will try to make it perfect for them every time,”.
The Belaroma Coffee Centre uses three blends, including their signature house blend Octavia, a lightly roasted blend of Arabicas that produces a rich, sweet and full bodied coffee. Nick says the most popular coffees amongst customers are milk-based espressos, however specialty single origins are also on offer.“We do substantial volumes of single origins and it actually shows and tells us our customers are more engaged and wanting to go on that coffee knowledge journey themselves,” Nick says.
The Belaroma Coffee Centre uses a Kees van der Westen Mirage Triplette Classic espresso machine, with baristas always grinding on demand and free pouring each shot. Tasting shots every half hour by the baristas also helps ensure the perfect coffee is going out to customers.
A large commercial roaster is used for roasting Belaroma’s wholesale coffee blends and a small batch roaster is also used on site to roast the specialty single origins every week. Customers can also get a hands-onexperience by roasting and blending their own coffee beans to take home.
To make your visit to the Belaroma Coffee Centre even sweeter, Nick recommends the cannoli as a great accompaniment. A fresh and delicious range of breads, sweets, savories and cakes are also available, sourced from local bakeries and producers.