WELL DONE JOSH RUSSELL - CUP COFFEE - WEST END

IF YOU READ THIS BLOG YOU'LL KNOW I'VE BEEN MIGHTILY IMPRESSED BY THE COFFEE, SERVICE, VIBE, ETHOS AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL AT CUP (RUSSELL ST WEST END)

OWNER, JOSH RUSSELL, HAS JUST BEEN NAMED BARISTA OF THE YEAR IN THE LATEST QLD WINE AND FOOD AWARDS (COURIER MAIL)

"You can't help but be impressed by the intensity of the coffee-making brigade at Cup Coffee, and they don't come any more focussed than owner Josh Russell. Cup Coffee has been open for less than a year but it's already a by-word for caffeine excellence. The beans which are roasted in-house on a Probat L5 are traceable to specific farms and 10 percent of coffee sales help children in coffee growing countries. The team holds regular public coffee tastings or cuppings, helping educate Brisbane's coffee community."

Cup Coffee, 85 Russell St, West End; Ph 3846 3746

CUP (THE OTHER ICED COFFEE!)

I RETURNED TO CUP AT WEST END A FEW DAYS LATER TO TRY THEIR OTHER ICED COFFEE.  THIS ONE IS A COLD DRIP FILTERED VERSION. 

AS MY JOURNEY THROUGH THE ICED COFFEE LANDSCAPE OF QLD (AND BEYOND) CONTINUES THIS IS THE SORT OF DRINK THAT'S TAKING MY FANCY. SERVED UP IN THIS STYLE I CAN FEEL THE "CONOISSEUR" COMING IN OUT IN ME.  THIS STYLE MAKES ME STOP AND CONSIDER HOW MY TASTEBUDS ARE INTERACTING WITH THE COFFEE.  LIKE A FINE WINE OR THE BEST SCOTCH SERVED ON ICE, CUP'S COLD PRESSED COFFEE STOPS YOU IN YOUR TRACKS AND ASKS YOU TO BE MINDFUL RATHER THAN SIMPLY A CONSUMER.

Rating - 9

Cup Specialty Coffee - Russell St West End (next to Suncorp)

CUP SPECIALTY COFFEE WEST END

I HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE OPENING OF THIS CAFE WITH GREAT INTEREST BECAUSE IT'S CLOSE TO THE WEST END POST OFFICE WHICH IS A DAILY DESTINATION, IT'S BEING OPENED BY A FORMER EMPLOYEE OF VENEZIANO COFFEE (AMAZING COFFEE EXPERIENCE)  AND BECAUSE THIS IS A START-UP BUSINESS BY A YOUNG PERSON (ONE OF MY PASSIONS)

I'D HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU SEEK OUT THIS LITTLE NOOK OF HEAVEN IN RUSSELL ST WEST END.  THE COFFEE IS GOOD, THE PASSION IS EVIDENT, THERE'S A BIG BIG TABLE FOR MEETINGS AND IT'S WORTH SUPPORTING NEW BUSINESSES ESPECIALLY WHEN THE RISK TAKER IS YOUNG AND DETERMINED.

THE ICED COFFEE WAS STRONG AND SMOOTH.  I LIKE THE WAY THE BARISTA ASKED ME ABOUT MY PREFERENCES RATHER THAN JUST CHURN OUT A COOKIE-CUTTER CONCOCTION.  INTERESTINGLY, HE BLENDED THE ICE CREAM INTO THE COFFEE - SOMETHING NEW FOR ME AND PLEASINGLY GOOD.  A DASH OF HONEY ALSO SET THIS COFFEE APART FROM THE REST.   I ALSO THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT THAT YOU GET A BOTTLE OF WATER AS SOON AS YOU'VE SAT DOWN.  ATTENTION TO THE CUSTOMER IS EVERYTHING.

AS I ALWAYS SAY, THE SIGN OF A GOOD BUSINESS IS ONE THAT TALKS TO THE CUSTOMER ABOUT THEIR NEEDS AND THEN EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS BY VALUE ADDING AND CREATING INDIVIDUALITY IN THE PRODUCT.

CUP HAS A LOYALTY CARD AND ALSO ANOTHER CARD THAT RECOMMENDS YOU TRY OTHER COFFEE ESTABLISHMENTS LIKE VENEZIANO, ONE DROP AND PIONEER COFFEE.
THIS REALLY STRUCK A CHORD WITH ME.  THIS IS AN AUTHENTIC ATTEMPT TO  LET CUSTOMERS KNOW WHAT YOU VALUE AND WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS WORTHY OF THEIR BUSINESS.  JUST LIKE SOCIAL NETWORKING THEN, YOU BECOME SEEN AS A KNOWLEDGABLE PLAYER IN THAT INDUSTRY.

WILL RETURN SOON TO HAVE CUP'S COLD FILTERED ICED COFFEE - SIMIAR TO VENEZIANO'S THAT I RATED SO HIGHLY.  STAY TUNED

Rating - 8

Cup Specialty Coffee
85 Russell St West End
http://www.cupcoffee.com.au/