FROM CROP TO CUP

Some people take their first sip of coffee and simply enjoy it. Others fall headfirst into the world of single origins, roasting methods and tasting notes. In Queensland and Northern New South Wales, the subtropical climate has proven ideal for growing coffee beans, deepening the region’s connection to the brew we love.

WRITTEN BY LISETTE DREW

Zentveld

Australians are coffee-obsessed, and the world knows it. But our love affair with the brew began long before the flat white became a national staple. Coffee culture took off after World War II, when European immigrants brought espresso machines and cafe traditions with them. Yet Australia’s relationship with coffee stretches even further back.

Coffee seeds and plants were transported to Australia on the First Fleet in 1788, having been collected in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The plants failed to thrive in Sydney’s climate, but further north, things were different. Department of Agriculture records show coffee was successfully grown in the Northern Rivers from the 1890s through to around the 1920s.

Those same records note that Australian-grown coffee was already making its mark, winning awards in Europe for its “excellent” quality.

It was this history that gave the Zentveld family the confidence to establish coffee production on their farm in Newrybar.

More than 30 years on, Rebecca Zentveld has become one of the region’s most influential figures in home-grown coffee.

After honing her palate in Melbourne’s cafe scene, she moved north to her in-laws’ coffee farm and, at just 23, founded Zentveld’s Coffee.

She often jokes she learnt to drink coffee in Melbourne but learnt to roast it in the hills behind Byron Bay.

“I first started back in the early ’90s, when there were hardly any women in coffee roasting. I pretty much knew all the coffee roasters in Melbourne back then. You couldn’t say that today because there are so many!” she says.

Despite the boom in cafes and roasters across the country, Australian-grown coffee remains a very small market.

“Our farm is our true connection to the land, so we can offer that point of difference,” she says.

That connection is something Rebecca shares through farm tours, giving visitors a firsthand look at the journey from crop to cup.

“I’ll take you out and really show you how we feed the coffee trees naturally through biological farming. You can get your hands in the compost and meet our worms. We’ll show you what the different beans look like, and at the roastery you’ll discover which colour roast might best suit your taste buds.”

While Rebecca’s focus remains local, other roasters take a more global approach.

Before Willy’s Beans, founder Jayson Mathiou was travelling the world as a physiotherapist working with elite athletes. It was during his time in Colombia that coffee shifted from something he simply enjoyed to something he wanted to truly understand. He fell in love not only with Colombian coffee, but with the people who grew it and the stories behind each harvest.

That experience eventually led to the launch of Willy’s Beans in Burleigh, where he now oversees everything from sourcing to roasting, working directly with a single family-owned farm in Colombia.

“I can tell buyers about the soil, where the crop was planted, how it was harvested and when. I have all that information because I’m there every three months. I’m fully involved.”

At first, Jayson only planned to sell beans, but quickly realised a cafe was an opportunity to tell the story behind the coffee. When the chance arose to acquire one of his favourite Gold Coast cafes, Good Day Coffee in Tugun, he jumped at it. Now he can chat directly with customers, sharing how many people are involved in producing each cup and why some coffees cost more than others.

“If people are paying more for a coffee, they should be able to ask why,” he says. “Is it the farmer? The harvesting process? An experimental method? What’s adding value?”

For Jayson, coffee appreciation is universal, and he believes the industry has a unique ability to bring people together.

He recently attended a global gathering of coffee professionals at the Colombian farm Manantiales del Frontino, with attendees from countries including Russia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan.

“They all came together, putting political differences aside, and shared cups of coffee. And I just thought, isn’t that beautiful? Coffee genuinely pushes boundaries.”

Jayson believes even one cup of coffee can change the world.

“I want people from all walks of life, including diplomats and politicians, to come together over a cup of coffee and to be able to have uncomfortable conversations so we can progress,” he says.

We often talk about supporting local cafes, but behind every good cafe is a roaster, and behind every roaster is a farm. When you start to learn the stories behind coffee, it becomes a conversation in every cup. Whether the beans come from down the road or across the world, many hands have shaped what ends up in yours.

From crop to cup, coffee really is liquid gold.

LOCAL ROASTERS TO KNOW

OLD QUARTER COFFEE MERCHANTS

OLD QUARTER COFFEE MERCHANTS

Australia’s only specialty coffee company sourcing, roasting and serving 100% Southeast Asian coffee directly from smallholder farmers. Their approach highlights skilled ethnic minority coffee growers from Myanmar to Sumatra. Murwillumbah, Coolangatta, Southport oldquartercoffee.com.au

BLACKBOARD COFFEE ROASTERS

With almost a decade under their belt, Blackboard Coffee Roasters has become one of the region’s best-known specialty coffee producers, constantly experimenting and innovating, from biodegradable coffee capsules to high-grade instant coffee that actually tastes good. Burleigh Heads blackboardcoffee.com.au

GROUND CONTROL

At Ground Control Coffee Roasters, great coffee starts with a passionate, down-to-earth crew. From ethically sourcing beans to championing sustainability across the supply chain, their approach is grounded in a genuine love for quality coffee. Tweed Heads South groundcontrolcoffee.com.au

BEAM COFFEE ROASTERS

Husband-and-wife duo Reece and Stacey Cooper swapped Sydney cafes for the Byron Bay dream, bringing years of roasting, sourcing and coffee expertise with them. Beam is all about ethical sourcing, with full transparency for each batch listed on their website. Byron Bay beamcoffee.net

LOMA

LOMA

Loma is the vision of Dan and Nikki, the team behind Byron Bay’s Bayleaf Cafe, created to bring hospitality and specialty coffee closer together. Working with farmers in southern Huila, Colombia, Loma focuses on long-term partnerships that support growers and quality production. Byron Bay lomacoffee.co

BUN COFFEE

BUN COFFEE

Bun Coffee began as a love story with coffee in 2005, when founder David took a leap of faith and started roasting in Byron Bay. It has since grown into a boutique specialty roaster known for high-quality blends with sustainability at the heart of the business.

Byron Bay buncoffee.com.au

KWILA COFFEE

Kwila Coffee has a deep connection to Papua New Guinea, sparked by family ties and a mission to connect Australia with its closest coffee-growing neighbour. Kwila sources beans directly from ecologically and socially responsible producers, building relationships that support farmers and reduce coffee miles.

Lismore kwila.coffee