Meet 6 Bowral Baristas Brewing Up The Good Stuff
By Michelle Haines Thomas
In a town known for its fab cafe culture, you don’t have to look very hard in Bowral to find fantastic coffee, served with a lot of love.
In fact, you could just take a stroll down the main street…so we did!
We visited six cafes on Bong Bong Street to find out a bit more about the people pulling the levers behind the espresso machine.
Image Credit :: Stephanie Hunter
THE MILL CAFE
Why we love it
The Mill Cafe is part of a multipurpose site that houses a handful of offices, plus a bar out the back – haii Merrigangs! – and some hole-in-the-wall style food outlets.
As for inside the cafe, it’s spacious and warm! Sit inside on cosy chairs near the fire and admire the wall art or, if it’s not too chilly outside, relax in the outdoor space with a takeaway coffee and catch some rays.
Who we met :: Antony
Antony will brighten up your day with a smile and some good chat, which is what you’d expect from an Irishman hailing from a town he says is “just like Bowral, but by the sea”.
Antony’s been working as a barista since 1987, first in Ireland, then Sydney and now Bowral, and what he doesn’t know about pulling flavour from the beans isn’t worth knowing.
“Bowral coffee culture is surprisingly good,” he said, putting it down to good training from experienced hands such as himself.
“We’re the baristocracy!”
He just loves the buzz of the place.
“It’s the customers that push you to be better,” he said.
“We use SingleO Killer Bee coffee, and it’s spot on – we weigh every shot because that’s how you get the best flavour.”
EARLY BIRD
Why we love it
If you’re a tradie heading out on a job before dawn, you’d better have Early Bird’s number saved in your phone.
True to their name, they roll up the shutters at their little streetside counter at 5am, and there’s often a queue of workers already waiting to grab their morning pick-me-up, plus a toastie or bacon and egg roll.
Early Bird’s been operating for almost ten years, using a simple formula that’s a winner with the quick and easy crowd.
Who we met :: Brooke
Brooke only graces the coffee machine once a week these days, but she used to work full time at Early Bird.
“Now I could do it all with my eyes closed,” she said, which is how some of us might want to do it given their early starts.
But there’s no dozing on the job here.
“We usually have one person on shots and whoever’s on the till doing the milk because a lot of people text their orders through – our aim here is to have everything ready when they get here. It’s quick, fast, get in, get out.”
When Brooke started at Early Bird she was mostly in the kitchen, but was soon thrown on the machine and learnt on the job.
Now she’s quite the connoisseur, especially when it comes to her own order.
“I like a small, double shot, lactose-free latte, three quarters full, warm,” she said.
“Luckily my boss Matt Hili makes a good one.”
LES GOURMANDISES
Why we love it
Ummm, authentic French pastries – what’s not to love?
If you like a little creamy, gooey, flaky deliciousness [and let’s be honest, who doesn’t], get along to Les Gourmandises rapidement!
These goodies are the real deal, with owners Gerald [he’s French!] and Mia bringing a taste of Paris to Bong Bong Street.
Of course, when you eat a pastry, you need a caffeine hit to go along with the sugar rush, right?
Who we met :: Dilu
Dilu’s only been grinding the beans for the last month at Les Gourmandises, but was trained in a Sydney cafe before making the move to the Highlands.
Originally from Nepal, she’s been in Australia since 2019.
“I enjoy working here,” she said.
“I have my regulars and I like knowing what they want.”
As well as locals getting their daily caffeine hit, the shop attracts regulars from the big smoke, with many making Les Gourmandises a stop on their visits to town, where they can stock up on sweet treats and grab a coffee.
Dilu’s favourite pastries are the tarts that come in lemon/lime or passionfruit – “a little sweet, a little tangy” – washed down with a long black.
BARE BITES, BOWLS & BREW
Why we love it
While you can get top-notch coffee at this plant-based cafe, it’s the ayurvedic medicinal lattes that will really knock your socks off.
Made lovingly from scratch from ground herbs and spices, and featuring combinations such as mushroom and cacao, or matcha and lavender, you can almost feel them doing you good.
It’s all part of a philosophy that focuses on medicinal purpose and internal health, developed initially for the Bare Body Beauty Co sister store on the other side of the High Street Arcade.
Who we met :: Linden
At 18, Linden’s only been behind the espresso machine for two and a half years, since his mum Donna first opened the cafe in its previous location at The Mill.
But he took a barista course at Rush to gain some technical skills, and has been cranking out the coffees ever since.
“We had another barista there at the time and she taught me,” Linden said.
“She didn’t let me serve up a coffee to a customer until it was absolutely right.”
He is allll about the medicinal lattes, which have their own following among customers, but he also loves the Byron Bay Coffee they serve.
“It’s my favourite,” he said.
“We were in Byron Bay choosing a site for our Bare Body Beauty store up there, and this was the coffee I liked the best.”
NICK’S BOWRAL
Why we love it
Nick’s opened just before Sydney went into lockdown last year, but they’re proud to say that they never missed a day.
They even open on Christmas, so you’ll always be able to get your fix in town.
And you won’t find many cooler places to get it.
Nick’s doubles as a little art gallery, with work from artists such as Melbourne painter Christopher Jewitt and ceramicist Millie Dent available in the store.
There’s a little bench outside the window and there’s almost always someone there having a chat – Nick’s has just got that sort of friendly, relaxed vibe.
Who we met :: Taylor
You’ll catch Taylor making coffee almost every day at Nick’s. She’s the resident coffee expert, having been a barista for a decade.
“I taught Nick everything he knows,” she jokes, having given the owner a crash course in coffee after they opened last year and found the cafe aspect of the business quickly overtaking the art and retail side.
“He’s only been doing it a year and I’d put him among the best in town.”
Taylor has owned two cafes herself, most recently the one attached to The Milk Gallery, so art and coffee are inextricably connected for her.
She learned her skills at ONA in Canberra, before moving back to the Highlands with all the wisdom of the bean.
“Here we use Sow and Criteria, two very small Melbourne roasters,” she said.
“That’s something Nick does – support young businesses.”
THE PRESS SHOP
Why we love it
In one of the most charming locations in town, The Press Shop fills its iconic corner building with happy customers tucking into some of the best cafe food around.
It’s a lovely, sunny spot to eat, whether you’re getting some vitamin D at the tables on the footpath or inside in the light, bright space.
The fresh, seasonal food is complemented by Gabriel coffee from Sydney.
Who we met :: Christy
Christy started off as a casual and now works full-time behind the espresso machine after she fell in love with the process.
“I’m really passionate about coffee, and take so much pride in making it well,” she said.
“I’m just fascinated by the roasting side of things – I could talk about it all day.
“Honestly – being able to extract the perfect shot and seeing the happiness of the customers is the best.
“It’s good to be that person that can give everyone what they need.”
She adores working at The Press Shop which is “like a family”
“It’s a really amazing place to work, and you can’t say that about a lot of jobs,” she said.
Of course, there’s more than one street in Bowral and beyond – we’ll branch off into the side streets, hit more cafes on Bong Bong and chat with more baristas across the Highlands just as soon as we can.
[Editor’s note :: And poor Michelle wouldn’t be able to sleep for days if we asked her to knock them all off in one go!!]
In the meantime, take a look at our cafe guide for more tips on where to find the elixir that is delicious coffee here in the Southern Highlands.
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