When I was growing up, the kettle was always boiling, especially in the holiday season – people dropped in for a cup of tea, friends came over for playdates, and I assume mum and dad drank their fair share of coffee to deal with our school holiday enthusiasm. Cups of tea and mugs of coffee brought people together over dining room tables and kitchen benches and patio couches, and not much has changed when I go home for Christmas as an adult. Whether you are looking for a gift for a cuppa-lover or just need a boost to finish your Christmas shopping, Brisbane’s leaf lovers and caffeine fiends can sort you out.
Coffee
26 Wellington Rd, East Brisbane
This Woolloongabba café have great staff and great coffee, and I’ve bought their ground beans a few times. They roast exclusively using the Allpress Hot Air Roast Method, which supposedly dissipates the smoky, burnt taste caused by traditional drum roasting. Pick up your beans or grind from their lovely light-filled shop on the corner, or buy online.
15 Pedder Street, Albion (in Albion Fine Trades)
The Neighbourhood Roastery team are trained in advanced coffee preparation from espresso, filter and other popular brewing methods, and there is plenty of retail coffee to take home and a large range of brewing equipment and accessories for home coffee enthusiasts. They also offer a subscription service for your home, work, or as a gift – weekly, fortnightly or monthly delivered to your door, and you save $$ as well.
44 Thomas St, West End (cafe, open 7 days)
3/62 Didsbury St, East Brisbane (roastery, by appointment only)
A team of talented coffee professionals roasting and brewing in Brisbane since 2007. You can buy coffee, brewing equipment, and coffee subscriptions via their website, or visit them in person. Plus, every kilo of coffee sold contributes to planting 3 trees via Trees.org and Landcare Australia!
40 Fox St, Albion
Fonzie Abbott has been a Brisbane-based specialty coffee roaster and wholesaler since 2010, and over the years has grown to include a brewery and distillery, making it a “one-stop libation shop”. All Fonzie Abbott beverages are brewed and distilled on site at their Fox Street headquarters
A family-run business built on a passion for quality, sustainable, easy coffee, Ezicaf Solutions is the Australia and New Zealand importer and distributor for the Coffee-for-One Gold Filter – the environmentally-friendly alternative to the coffee capsule (pod) and paper coffee filters.
I have a gold filter and I love it – two simple pieces (three including the lid), super quick brew time, great coffee every time, and the easiest clean-up: just rinse it and pop it on the sink to dry. Would definitely recommend as a gift for those who love a good filter coffee but aren’t big on mess, or fiddling around with complicated devices.
44 Wolverhampton St, Stafford
Q Roasters sources coffee from producers that endorse Organic, Fair Trade Organic and Rainforest Alliance practices, or from Estates which support sustainable agriculture. Their commitment to purchasing these green coffees reinforces their dedication to the environment and the farmers whilst providing customers with a superior quality coffee.
You can purchase coffee, tea, and brewing equipment via the website, or visit their roastery and café in Stafford.
In 2015 Andrew Foster & Harrison Black launched their first hole-in-the-wall espresso bar in Maroochydore. Now, they are brewing specialty coffee in many locations across South East Queensland and interstate (see their website for all locations). I’ve found their staff to be super knowledgeable and friendly, if you’re not quite sure what you’re after or you’re looking to try something new.
You can also buy coffee, brewing gear, grinders, and accessories via their website.
2/66 McLachlan Street, Fortitude Valley
Opening in late 2013, Bear Bones have a range of blends (roasted individually, blended and packaged on-site) and single origins, sourcing their green beans from around the world to their roastery and café in Fortitude Valley. You can buy online, or direct from the experienced staff on location.
Unit 121/193 South Pine Rd, Brendale
Established in 2008, Cleanskin is a roaster, espresso bar and coffee destination now roasting in both Brisbane and Sydney. They source green coffee direct from ethical and sustainable farms around the globe, roast them to develop their complex flavours, and cup the coffee for quality control and consistency before it reaches their customers. You can purchase coffee, not-coffee (tea, chocolate, syrups, etc), equipment, and merchandise via their website. They also offer subscriptions.
Tea
Shop B, 88 Merthyr Road, New Farm
A loose leaf tea emporium in New Farm run by sisters Amy and Hannah. Dedicated to improving sustainability in the tea industry, Tour de Tea is the first tea store to offer zero waste options for customers, and reusable tasting cups instore. Tour de Tea offers over 60 varieties of artisanal tea, each hand packaged by Amy and Hannah with its own specific story, many drawing upon familiar aspects of Brisbane’s scenery and culture. The store itself is built from recycled materials including the doors and windows of an old Queenslander home.
Small batch and hand-blended in Byron Bay, Tea Tribe uses 100% certified organic tea and herbs from micro to medium farms and packaging that is 100% is recyclable and biodegradable, and also from Byron. They have green, black, chai, and herbal teas as well as tea ware, with a focus on aligning flavour with restorative properties.
Founded by Kym Cooper, The Steepery is a Brisbane tea retailer and wholesaler curating a selection of pure leaf teas from a variety of the regions around the world. You can find The Steepery through a number of Brisbane partners as well as online.
Stocking lots of cute tea cups, pots, and other accessories in addition to their variety of loose-leaf tea, The Tea Centre have been serving Aussie tea lovers since 1993. With a commitment to responsible sourcing, they carry ethically sourced teas that empower small farmers in tea producing regions and encourage sustainable and organic farming practices by supporting worker-owned plantations. You can purchase on their website or at one of their local stores – located in Brisbane Arcade on Queen Street Mall, Westfield Chermside, Westfield Carindale, and Robina Shopping Centre.
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