Well, it’s that time of year again. Australian Sprudge readers might think I’m about to say MICE, but what I am really excited by is the fact that Platform Australia is back! After a great inaugural year, Platform—brainchild of Hannah Hoffman (Silo Coffee), Elika Rowell (Melbourne’s Square One Coffee Roasters), Heath Cater (Coffee Supreme), and Nathan Toleman (Top Paddock & Kettle Black)—has returned for its second installment.
Last year, the lineup included the 2015 Victorian Aeropress Championship, an intensive cupping session, a Q & A discussing quality, and a dinner encompassing Mac Forbes wine and delicious food by Jesse McTavish. This year, the offering has been stripped back to solely a dinner, with a focus on quality over quantity.
Top Paddock in Richmond (658 Church St) will play host to this year’s dinner this coming Saturday the 19th of March, with a whole new cast of speakers and suppliers of delicious things. Nate Wilkins, head chef of the soon-to-open Higher Ground (a new venture from the Top Paddock/Kettle Black team), will be manning the kitchen for the evening, bringing delicious treats like black pudding and padron peppers on arrival, followed by shared plates of Bundarra rare breed pork and Tivoli Road bread. As is to be expected with a Platform dinner, the wine offerings will be delicious, with a list curated by Giorgio De Maria (of Soul For Wine & Rootstock), serving a range of wines from his ‘Giorgio de Maria Fun Wines’ company, bringing a number of delicious and interesting Italian producers to the table.
Alongside the delicious food and drink, there’s set to be an impressive talk by Felipe Croce of Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza (FAF) in Brazil. Titled “Sustainability: What Will It Take”, Croce’s talk will cover his life at origin, as well as his experience in being involved in roasting and serving FAF coffee at Isso é Café in São Paulo (profiled recently here on Sprudge). It’s a rare insight into the mind of someone who has a hand in every stage from the soil to the cup, and one that will go spectacularly well with everything else set for the evening.
Book your tickets now for Platform Australia and expect a spectacular evening of food, wine, and quality conversation–you won’t regret it.
Eileen P. Kenny is a Sprudge.com staff writer based in Melbourne. Read more Eileen P. Kenny on Sprudge.
