Here at Bay Coffee, we’re eternally in awe of the humble coffee bean. It brings pleasure to the lives of millions of Australians each day and we couldn’t be happier to be the ones bringing this happiness to our customers, both in our café and the wholesale clients who buy our beans. In a recent blog post, we talked about what makes Australian coffee so good but now we want to dig a bit deeper into the history of coffee in Australia and share this with our blog readers!

 

Introduction

Only a few years after Captain Cook set foot on Australian shores, coffee joined him with the arrival of the First Fleet. However, this wasn’t the smooth, rich coffee we enjoy today. The coffee had been collected in Rio De Janeiro but failed to really thrive when planted in Australia at Government House. It was imported from then on, but it was mixed with other ingredients to make it go further which drastically affected the taste in a negative way.

 

Evolution

For well over a century, sub-par coffee was the norm in Australia until the arrival of European migrants between the two World Wars, particularly the Italians and Greeks. These migrants brought coffee paraphernalia such as stove-top espresso makers with them, along with their expertise in brewing great coffee.

 

Home-Grown

In the 1800s, coffee was grown in parts of Queensland and Northern NSW however the cost of production and transport of the beans etc made it unfeasible for the coffee farmers. Over a century later, in the 1980s, these coffee farms were planted once again with the introduction of the mechanical coffee harvester and continue to thrive today.

 

The Future

The future of coffee in Australia is bright. The advances in technology and home-brewing coffee machines will continue to increase the quality and taste of our beloved caffeinated beverages. Social media has also led to an increase in coffee consumption among a younger demographic and this is likely to continue. Speciality coffees will also become increasingly popular in the coming years as Australians coffee palates continue to evolve with people willing to pay more for a better taste and coffee experience overall.

 

Bay Coffee is a café, roaster and shop selling coffee beans to retail and wholesale businesses. We are based in Neutral Bay, North Sydney and have clients all over Australia!