Barista buddies @'My Mates Place' - Interview with Davina.
Our roastery backs onto 'My Mates Place Specialty Coffee' who we supply and sell exclusively to through our Kombi Blend. A perfect combination of Southern African coffee with a splash of Brazilian cacao in the finish.
We sat down with one of our favourite barista's Davina to talk about all things coffee and some of her recent exploits around the world.
Hi Davina. Tell us a little about yourself? How did you get into the coffee industry?
I'm 19 and have lived in the Coffs area my whole life. I was home-schooled for the majority of my schooling and then went to CCS the last few years. Since finishing school I've been working and travelling.
I started at My Mates Place at the beginning of 2023 alongside my other job at a bookstore and I'm still working both jobs till now. I really love working in the coffee industry and have always wanted to work in a café. I'm really grateful that I get to work with such great people and coffee. I actually also enjoy drinking coffee and working in a place that values the small details and is specific about how coffee is made. It's been a really enjoyable aspect for me. Here at MMP we have amazing customers; especially the regulars and I can say for the most part that I'm always excited to come into work.
You recently went overseas. What were some of the highlights that you saw? Any cool little coffee nooks? What stood out in the coffee industry to you while you were travelling?
I've recently come back from a seven month trip overseas. I was in Malaysia for most of the time but also went to India, Thailand, Germany and France. I really loved the whole time, getting to experience different cultures and seeing new places.
I did have the privilege of meeting a coffee roaster in the mountains of Chiang Mai in Thailand and got to try some of their homegrown and roasted coffee which was amazing. However, being overseas made me really appreciate and miss the coffee back in Australia. We have a different way of doing things over here. For the most part I'd say coffee in Australia is really advanced in its technology, but also focuses on the details of making good quality coffee. But in saying that, I may also be slightly biased because I'm so spoiled with good coffee at my job.
We put our Kombi Blend through the grinders at MMP. What are people liking about that specific blend of Brazil, Ethiopian and Honduras specialty coffee?
STOKA's Kombi Blend is the main blend that we use and we're always getting really good feedback on our coffee from our customers. It's really well rounded and great for any type of order whether hot or cold, a cappuccino or long black.
How are you guys using the Kombi Blend? If so, what do you like about it and how do you take your own homemade coffee?
Recently, we've been using STOKA coffee beans for our cold brew and have been getting really good results from it according to our customers. It's a smooth, well rounded and balanced. Perfect on milk and my favourite drink is the Kombi Lane iced latte. Perfect for those hot summer days down at the beach. During this time, it's what I end up drinking everyday.