The Local Way Podcast

For our final, and surprise bonus episode, this week we talk to Sarah from Flourish Cafe. Flourish is New Zealand’s first training cafe, specifically to support young adults with intellectual or learning differences to become work-ready and part of the wonderful cafe and hospitality community.​ Part of local charity, Project employ, customers know they are making a real difference to the lives of trainees by visiting the cafe. Sarah shares with us some amazing stories, the challenges' they face daily and how the cafe community helps bring of all this to life. Take a break and enjoy our last episode for Season 2 of The Local Way Podcast.

This week we bring a whole lot of love and latte art! We chat with Amy Zhang, 2022 Australian Latte Art Champion, famous for her winning latte art ‘Hugga bear’ Amy is a star and prides herself on putting a smile on people’s faces when they order their coffee. She shares with us her passion for latte art, the importance of working with professionals from the start, and what it takes to perform under pressure in competitions and on the world stage.

Tune in to episode 4 where we meet Emily Briffa, from Hamlet in Tasmania. After quitting her job and tackling her passion project, she's experiencing first-hand, the power of positive change. Emily chats with us about her love of combining a great café that helps underrepresented people, with being a part of something bigger than yourself. Need inspiration? Listen to Emily. 

With a passion for helping others, and of course delicious brews, this week we chat with one of our own, Sophie Murchie! Starting young in hospitality and a small stint in corporate, and now a Territory Development Manager for The Alternative, Sophie’s passion lies with the hospitality industry and speciality coffee. Sophie loves supporting businesses in the community as a barista, shares some insights into life at The Alternative and last but not least, her inspiring journey to qualify as a CQI Q Arabica grader!

Join us on episode 2 as we chat with Ian, at Coffee Mentality in Brisbane. From planting coffee trees in community gardens to inspiring and supporting baristas in the competition space. Ian shares with us what motivates him every day in the world of cafes and coffee. Ian shares how coffee is a medium to create change for the better, sharing his ethos that it all focuses on a ripple effect of "People, Passion and Planet".

Join us for our first episode to kick off the series! Ross Quail chats with us about his journey in the world of coffee, from a Barista in Melbourne to where he is today. Ben and Ross chat through the importance of people connecting in cafes, keeping up with technology and although automation is coming, it's important to keep the "theatre of coffee alive'. Listen in!

The Local Way Podcast is back!Get ready as we rev up the engine, get our jugs at the ready and share with you some interesting stories and lessons learned from the personalities that define our café community and what makes it so special.Series 2 brings our host Ben Gleeson, mic to mic with new guests across Australia and New Zealand who are doing amazing things in their local community. We shed light on what’s happening in the café community elsewhere in the world, the importance of community and why everything starts local.

In this episode, we sit down with the incredible Lucy Ward and Emily Oak from ST. ALi, two industry powerhouses with personalities as bold as their brews. Listen in as they reveal their secrets to success, including finding mentors and faking it till you make it. We also talk about their mutual passion for sustainability and sourcing beans.

On this episode of The Local Way, get ready to hang with two total legends – Caterina Paola, Territory Development Manager from The Alternative and Melita Farraro, Senior Manager for Food & Beverage Development & Capability at The Star Entertainment Group. These ladies will be chatting on how they got started in the industry and dish on what they love most about it.  Caterina and Melita are bringing their A-game and serving up some serious inspo. We're talking about the importance of lifting each other up, creating space to grow, and witnessing people grow in the industry through training. The love for the hospitality industry can be felt all throughout this episode.