Something special is happening right now in Melbourne, an innovative multi-roaster coffee service running as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Called the “Urban Coffee Farm & Brew Bar”, it’s a “world-first installation that reinterprets a terraced coffee farm, including shipping containers from Melbourne’s own port, timber pallets and packing crates,” according to MFW online.
Each day the installation features a different coffee service from some of Australia’s very best roasters, including St. Ali (March 16th), 5 Senses (today, March 13th), Seven Seeds (last week) and Proud Mary (also last week). The installation runs until March 17th, and features standard coffee service, coffee flights, and “master classes” taught by experts from across the Australian specialty coffee industry.
The terraced “farm” was built by the folks at HASSELL, a leading design firm with offices throughout Australia, Asia, and the United Kingdom. Blogger Caitlin Zaino has more, via Lost At E Minor
A small jungle of 120 coffee plants sit besides shipping containers from Melbourne’s own port and timber packing crates. The pop-up hopes to give visitors a glimpse of coffee’s story from seed to cup. As its tagline reads: “Take a journey through the farm to understand the coffee story.” Daytime finds Australia’s best baristas and Melbourne’s café heavy weights taking turns at the brew bar. Take-away coffees are on offer but why not go for a tasting flight? Or a master class even, where lucky barista-wannabes can learn about everything from roasting to cupping.
The Urban Coffee Farm & Brew Bar is on from now until March 17. And if you find yourself able to stop on by in the warm summer afternoon to sip a cup of some of the country’s best brew surrounded by coffee trees – well, frankly, I am utterly jealous.
So are we, Caitlin Zaino. So are we. And while the Urban Coffee Farm won’t be around for much longer, it’s just one more thing that’s got us beside ourselves with excitement for the upcoming World Barista Championship, happening in Melbourne this coming May 23rd-26th.
Urban Coffee Farm is located at Queensbridge Square, in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD, with hours daily until March 17th. More details here. Top photo via Lost At E Minor.
