White Owl Coffee has won the inaugural Australia’s Favourite Coffee Award at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE).
“It’s a real honour to be a part of the show and rub shoulders with the best in the business. We’re very lucky to be a part of an amazing community of roasters that all came by and shared their time and experience. We’re so grateful to the whole coffee community for coming by our stand and trying our coffee,” says Joe Perry, White Owl Coffee’s Head of Coffee.
This was White Owl Coffee’s first time exhibiting at MICE, which Joe says was a surreal experience.
“From coming to MICE as a guest for so many years to now exhibiting for the first time and winning an award in the same year, it’s just been amazing,” he says.
Australia’s Favourite Coffee Award is the first competition in Australian history solely judged by consumers and café owners, allowing them to live the life of a coffee judge for a day.
The competition was open to all roaster exhibitors, with any category of coffee eligible to enter.
Visitors voted for their favourite coffee throughout the event from 12 to 14 May at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. White Owl Coffee was the roaster with the highest number of public votes via the MICE app, or through QR codes at its stand.
“We showcased our Nest Blend, which is our house blend, as well as out Hometown Blend, which is a nod to our home where we roast coffee in Rutherglen, Victoria,” Joe says.
White Owl Coffee’s Nest Blend consists of Colombian and Brazilian beans roasted medium to dark to caramelise the sugars in the bean that creates a rich, deep flavour when extracted as an espresso. The blend features notes of raspberry, chocolate, hazelnut, and cocoa. The Hometown Blend is the roaster’s newest addition and includes fruit flavours of cherry and plum with hints of toasted almond and chocolate.
“I think our Nest Blend really resonated with people because it’s got a classic coffee profile. That, along with our story as a family-owned business, I think pulls at people’s heartstrings a bit,” Joe says.
“I’d like to thank my mother and sister who have been with me at the show the whole time promoting our business. As a small-time roaster, we are really eager to get our name out there.”
The awards ran in addition to the annual MICE Product Innovation Awards, which celebrate innovation, and products that make a positive impact to the growth of the industry.
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