Q Roasters - Roasting hot on sustainability!
Q Roasters Cafe Stafford,Brisbane
LOCATION
Brisbane , Australia
VENUE
Cafe and Coffee Roaster
TREND
Sustainability
MAPPING
Hospitality, Food & Beverage, Coffee, Sustainability
On the road to a sustainable future
For Australians, the morning coffee has become one of the most loved daily rituals. But as we sip our latte it can be easy to ignore the fact; that our lust for coffee has placed enormous pressure on the environment. To understand this impact more; we need to look further afield than our local cafe. Around the world there has been an ever increasing demand for coffee beans and this has lead to production pressures that has caused social issues and environmental challenges, such as excessive use of fertilisers and deforestation.
This cycle of degradation is in full swing and one that is difficult to stop. One organisation; the Rainforest Alliance (RFA) is trying to make an impact. They support farmers in coffee producing regions to develop sustainable farming practices that maintains their environment, maintains their livelihoods and ultimately supports their community. It's important for us as teachers to understand these issues and promote an awareness with our learners, so the hospitality leaders of tomorrow can embrace sustainability and respect the bean, and make the right choice when sourcing their beans.
Welcome to Q Roasters
Q Roasters is a family run business built around a passion for coffee. Their coffee roasting facility and cafe is located on the banks of Kedron Brook in Stafford on the north side of Brisbane. Q Roasters pride themselves on their commitment to sourcing coffee beans from organic and Rainforest Alliance (RFA) suppliers, as well as coffee estates that support sustainable agriculture.
Visiting Q Roasters was a laid back affair! The cafe is located in one end of their warehouse, and it was an interesting space with knick knacks strategically placed around the cafe. The first thing I saw was a bicycle suspended above the barista! There was a large communal table at the entrance that encouraged customers to sit and chat over coffee. The cafe offered a selection of cakes and slices however on this visit; home made scones caught my eye. Along the walls of the cafe, shelves display coffee equipment and the must haves for the home barista. There's also a water station near the entrance for customers to help themselves. Outside the venue I found plentiful undercover seating with a high bench with stools, with views out to the overgrown creek. But overgrown or not, it's more pleasant to look at nature rather than concrete!
Small, large and mug, are the sizes to choose from. I loved this display of cups to show the cup size and the number of shots.
I ordered a flat white that was served with a beautiful layer of foam, the crema was full of flavour, the scones were a prefect match.
"Cold brew is one of the most sustainable ways to brew coffee by steeping grounds in water for 12 to 18 hours. This method does not require heat or pressure to brew"
Source: Consciouskitchen.org
ROASTED
Q Roasters roast and sell, a variety of Fair Trade Organic (FTO) sustainably sourced coffee beans, from locations such as Papua New Guinea, Timor, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Costa Rica, just to name a few. FTO identifies that the agricultural practices used to grow and harvest the coffee beans are sustainable. By purchasing coffee beans from sustainable producers, Q Roasters contribute to protecting rainforests and encourage sustainable agriculture while also ensure the workers are paid fairly. The coffee on the right is Huli coffee, Q Roasters explain they purposely purchased these beans from Timor in an effort to create a new market to support Timorese farmers.
9.5B
Kilograms of coffee produced around the world each year
2.7m
Take away cups thrown away each day in Australia
5.4M
Espresso coffees consumed each day in Australia
Stephen's Take
Unit of Competency Mapping
Content in this article relates to the following units of competency
Serve food and beverage
Prepare and serve espresso coffee
Participate in sustainable work practices
Source and use information on the hospitality industry
Please note; the purpose of this article is to introduce current hospitality trends. The content broadly applies to the units of competency listed. It is not intended that all content in this article maps directly to all performance evidence and knowledge evidence in the unit of competency.
Article and photos original by Stephen Duncan