The pioneers

Georges — an Odyssey in every cup

Georges, on Victoria Street, has deep roots in the suburb’s past. Like a good Greek epic, it began with the odyssey of Platon Theophanis. Born in the Greek island of Samos in 1912, Platon took to the seas to find work after the war. He worked in China for a while, where he learnt to roast coffee. He then moved to Japan, where he opened a souvenir shop and started a family, including his son, George.

Thanks to family connections, Platon moved to Melbourne in 1954 and, with his brother, Byron, organised the import of a roaster and grinder from Japan. While Byron started an alternative roaster, Oasis, in Balwyn, Platon established Negrita, specialising in finely ground coffee for Greek- and Turkish-style coffee. Here, the journey ended. Like Ulysses returning to Ithaca, Negrita was on the same street as the Pan-Samian Brotherhood Hall, home to Platon’s compatriots.

Platon’s grandson Matthew continues the story:

“He wanted to start a business but wasn’t sure if he could stand on his own two feet,” says Platon’s grandson, Matthew.

“So, he started the coffee business here. In the room next door, there was a fish and chip shop, and he used the money from that to supplement the coffee business until it was stable.

“Once he knew the coffee business could sustain itself, they closed down the fish and chip shop.”

Platon passed on the business to George, who rebranded the company as Georges Gourmet Coffee in 2015, “trying to get the younger people into the area because the demographics of the area were changing so much”.

While they no longer specifically brand their coffee as Greek, they continue their culture’s romantic tradition associated with coffee.

The key to a good Greek coffee is Kaimaki (καϊμάκι), the cream that sits on top. A thick layer of foam is a sign of hospitality when offered to a guest. A bubble on the kaimaki (“Big eye”, mεγάλο μάτι) is a sign that someone envies you.

George helped develop their core story: “Mystery in a Cup”:

While you sleep or ponder the mysteries of life, Georges is working hard to bring you an encapsulated answer. Wake up to gourmet quality freshness trapped deep within the bean. Georges is no ordinary coffee; it’s the king of beans and excellence that stimulates, arousing you from your slumber and firing your creative impulses. Georges understands the mystery of the bean, understands your need for quality and provides far more than just a wild caffeine hit. Georges provides you with food for thought and is… Mystery in a Cup!

For George, this “mystery” was underpinned by an interest in esoteric philosophy. Over time, he even named his blends after philosophers such as Gurdjieff and Ouspensky (still available).

In the way of old Brunswick, they are now a third-generation business. George’s son Matthew now oversees the roasting.

“I do everything the old-fashioned way,” he says. “You need to understand how much heat the roaster should have so the beans don’t cook too quickly. Also, when the beans reach the right colour, you must remove them and cool them down immediately.”

When you enter Georges, you’ll find a wide range of coffees, but little information about their origin. Instead, you choose between blends such as “George’s Secret”, “Premium” and “Supremo”.

As the Delphic oracle says, Εὔφημος ἴσθι. (Eúphēmos ísthi): “Be silent in the presence of the sacred.”

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Coffex — Abruzzo, Inc.

From next door in the Mediterranean, Coffex Roasters was established in Coburg in 1959 by Antonio Crivelli and his family. The Crivellis arrived from Sant’Eufemia, Pescara in the Abzuzzo region of Italy (the Abruzzo Club in Lygon Street is a Brunswick icon).

Melbourne’s new espresso bars of the 1960s helped build the Coffex business. The roastery relocated to Brunswick and was acquired by the Bean Alliance group in 1995. The coffee is now roasted in Reservoir. They have expanded their exports to Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and China.

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Padre — the coffee crusade

Padre began in 2007 as The Brunswick East Project in Lygon Street. It was founded by Marinus Jansen, of Dutch background, with experience in the corporate sector. He’d worked as a software engineer, with degrees in music and nuclear physics.

Padre was one of the first Brunswick establishments to combine a roastery and café. Their focus is on fostering ethical relationships with their supply chain, ensuring the quality of beans and sustainable prices for growers. They were also one of the first partners with Reground, which distributes coffee waste for free to community gardens.

In the meantime, Padre has grown beyond the café, with outlets in South Melbourne and Noosa. Liverpool Partners, a Sydney-based private equity firm, has since taken them over.