36TH PARALLEL TO LAUNCH AT MICE2019
MICE is excited to announce that 36th Parallel – a brand new roaster that has not officially started trading yet – is coordinating their launch to take place at MICE in 2019! We recently caught up with one of the trainers at 36th Parallel, Alex Djeri, to find out more about the inception of the brand and what coffee means to him.
Q: How did 36th Parallel first start out?
A: 36th Parallel started out in Coburg North, backed by the knowledge and experience of a diverse group of individuals from all aspects of the industry getting together to create a coffee that can be enjoyed by everyone. Using responsibly sourced beans and drawing on years of industry experience we believe we’ve ended up with a damn fine coffee.
Q: Which city makes the best coffee in the world?
A: This will always be a point of contention amongst the crew. Trying to decide between the vast array of coffees on offer in Melbourne or harking back to memories of the last time we were able to travel around the north of Italy always gets us off topic. Personally, I believe Melbourne has the best coffee, sitting on an absolute myriad of roasters, micro roasters and boutique coffees we’re positively spoilt for choice.
Q: All time favourite coffee experience?
A: It’s impossible to narrow it down to a single experience or interaction. One of my favourite experiences would have to be my first interaction with a real coffee machine, learning to pull shots on an ancient black and burgundy La Marzocco using pre-ground coffee from our local IGA. I’ve come a long way as a barista since then but that will always remember that fondly.
Q: Favourite holiday destination when not busy with roasting?
A: A few years ago I was lucky enough to head to South America. I spent time exploring Brazil, Costa Rica and Panama and the incredible landscape and culture. This gave me an insight into where our coffee comes from and how life, on a much larger scale, revolves around coffee as a commodity and a way to develop communities.
Q: If you could drink a cup of coffee with one famous person past or present, who would it be?
A: I would love the opportunity to sit down and have a coffee with Frank Lloyd Wright. He believed in creating harmony between humanity and its environment. I think that’s something very easy to translate to our industry. We face a lot issues both with the environment and sustainability as we move toward the future of the coffee industry, I think we could benefit from learning and understanding how to better harmonise with our environment.
Catch Alex and the rest of the team behind 36th Parallel at their launch at MICE next year – early bird tickets are selling fast, click here to get yours now!
