After four years leading La Marzocco Australia, Tom Beaumont has been appointed general manager of Red Star Roasters.
“It was an honour to launch La Marzocco in Australia and hugely rewarding to see it become one of the company’s biggest global distributors,” Tom says.
“That experience – working with over 200 commercial coffee roasters – taught me not only about espresso equipment but also trends in coffee wholesaling. I’m excited to join a creative business and work directly with coffee again.”
Nestled in Port Melbourne, Red Star Roasters has been batch-roasting and wholesaling coffee for more than a decade. Tom is set to revitalise the roaster and its commitment to sustainability. Red Star shares ownership with businesses working on game-changing environmental innovations, urban food production and sustainable living practices.
“We will be drawing on the expertise of our sister companies to give cafés tangible solutions to tread a lighter carbon footprint, as well as great tasting coffee. We’ll do that by reducing wastage, rethinking equipment and repurposing byproducts,” Tom says, adding that more details will be revealed in coming months.
Tom’s career began more than 20 years ago in hotels and training before running his own cafés. Prior to La Marzocco, Tom was a national barista competition judge and Q grader, and is highly regarded for his work in quality improvement and management with companies including Grinders Coffee and Five Senses Coffee. As well as supporting CafeSmart and FareShare via his previous roles, he is a regular volunteer on FareShare’s Clayton South kitchen garden roster – helping to grow and harvest food to help those in need.
“I grew up around farming and horticulture,” Tom explains. “Gardening and the outdoors have always been driving interests of mine – that’s partly what drew me to the coffee industry in the first place. Now I’m working with a talented team to bring together our passion and knowledge to contribute to a more sustainable future.”
For more information, visit www.redstarcoffee.com.au
