Coffee connoisseur at Locale Espresso.
Coffee connoisseur at Locale Espresso.
He’s the guy in the know when it comes to all things coffee and for good reason. Cameron Turnbull is the QLD State Manager for Locale Coffee, a business focused on exceptional tasting coffee and (our fave) sustainable production.
We sat down for a chat with Cameron to find out the local spots Gold Coasters can taste this top notch brew and how to get your hands on some take home beans.
How long have you been a Gold Coast local?
I was born and raised on the Coast before heading up the highway to Brisbane 28 years later. Six years on, I’m still finding myself back on weekends and obviously weekdays for work.
What was your favourite thing about living here?
My favourite part of living on the Gold Coast would be the coastline. I think we take for granted how lucky we are to have such amazing beaches. I also love the amount of cafes and whiskey bars popping up. There is a real shift happening in the hospo industry with more and more opening.
Tell us about Locale Coffee?
Locale started in Melbourne in 2015 with a mission to create consistently great tasting coffee and help bridge the gap between traditional Italian-style espresso and the extremely light-roasted coffees at the other end of the spectrum. We are dedicated to sourcing the highest quality beans from farmers around the globe who share our focus for quality, sustainability and social responsibility. Yes we roast in Melbourne but you can also get your hands on locale in QLD, NSW and WA.
How is Locale unique?
We roast to order every week of the year and deliver fresh to our customers nationwide. We take our responsibility to the environment and future generations of coffee drinkers seriously too. We offset every one of our emissions by purchasing carbon credits from renewable energy programs around the globe, making all our products 100% carbon neutral. Above all, we’re about relationships. We want our café partners to run a successful business so we help them out wherever we can. From coffee training sessions through to promoting their café via our Instagram and website, we’re there for our customers all the way.
Which cafes are brewing it locally?
Wildernis Café and Bar – Palm Beach
Quade and Co – Miami
Serendipity esp. – Varsity
My Little Kitchen – Broadbeach
Lilypad – Robina
Beanaway esp. – Oxenford
Arnies – Sanctuary Cove
Can we buy Locale to take home?
Absolutely, a lot of the cafes sell the beans in 250gm or even the kilo bags for the real coffee lovers. Keep a lookout for new additions to our website so you can buy fresh coffee delivered straight to you.
What are your thoughts on the Coast’s coffee scene in general?
The coffee scene on the Coast is becoming more and more specialised. If you think back 10 years ago, cafes weren’t on every street corner and it’s the younger generation who are really driving the coffee scene here. These days to be a successful cafe on the Gold Coast you need to tick a lot of boxes and having a specialty coffee is high on that list.
Can you share your ultimate Espresso Martini recipe?
Mine is made with a spiced twist;
Shaken with ice and strained into a chilled glass.
What are Locale’s plans for the remainder of 2018?
For the final six months of 2018 we really want to keep the momentum going. The guys using Locale Coffee are loving the feedback from their customers, which is always great to hear. Later in the year we will again be participating in CafeSmart as a roaster partner. It’s a nationwide initiative bringing coffee roasters, cafes and consumers together to raise money and awareness for homelessness. Apart from that we just want to keep on roasting great coffee and ensuring our customers give the Gold Coast a consistent and tasty brew every time.
Tell us your favourites on the Coast…
Restaurant: Goccia Italian Pizzeria
Café: All of the ones that serve Locale
Beach: Mermaid Beach – Alfred Street
How does your weekend usually look?
My weekend usually starts with a trip to my local café with my daughter Audrey for a short black and a babychino for her. Then we usually hang out at our favourite parks or down at the beach before a little arvo siesta. Now a father of two, my weekend nights are a little different so a nice glass of red with my wife or my favourite single malt usually gets a run before doing it all again the next day.
