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Canberra: A city of coffee snobs, survey finds

Primrose Riordan
Primrose Riordan

Caity Reynolds, head barista at The Cupping Room in Civic, serving customers.
Caity Reynolds, head barista at The Cupping Room in Civic, serving customers.Rohan Thomson

Canberra's coffee culture is among the most advanced in the country, new research has revealed.

The Roy Morgan Research report found people in the ACT are more likely to choose beans over instant coffee and more likely to go to a cafe to get our fix than any other major capital.

The news comes as no surprise to Canberra's vanguard cafes, including one which has even gone post-latte, insisting customers instead order based on the blend of the beans.

'There is no doubt that the nation's fondness for fresh coffee is growing and our taste for instant coffee is waning.'
'There is no doubt that the nation's fondness for fresh coffee is growing and our taste for instant coffee is waning.'Rohan Thomson
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The survey found a huge 68 per cent of Canberrans had visited a cafe for coffee or tea at least once in an average three months.

This was ahead of major capital latte leaders, Melbourne, Hobart and Sydney where 63 per cent, 62.7 per cent and 61 per cent had been to a cafe in same period respectively.

The ACT - the jurisdiction researchers measured rather than just Canberra - led the country in cafe patronage even further when the 68 per cent figure was compared to other whole states and territories over the three months the surveyed covered.

Best in Australia: Director of Ona Coffee in Fyshwick Sasa Sestic recently won the national title as best barista.
Best in Australia: Director of Ona Coffee in Fyshwick Sasa Sestic recently won the national title as best barista.Jeffrey Chan

In second place, Victoria had just 61 per cent at a cafe in the same stretch, and NSW came in third place with 57 per cent.

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Owners of Civic cafe The Cupping Room have made the unconventional decision to rule out cappuccino, lattes and flat whites, and instead offer "white" or "black" coffee from a number of bean blends.

Co-owner Jack Scheeren said the new report did not come as a "huge surprise" and the speed in which Canberrans had gotten used to the change was testament to the thriving culture.

Where to get coffee over the Easter long weekend?
Where to get coffee over the Easter long weekend?Supplied

"There is a really positive thing happening, with cafes progressing and getting better. You can't get away with being average here anymore," Mr Scheeren said.

With home - and office - coffee machines on the rise, Canberrans are also turning up their noses at tinned Java more than other capitals.

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Over 52 per cent of territorians bought fresh coffee in the last four weeks, while just 44 percent had bought instant coffee.

Caity Reynolds, head barista at The Cupping Room in Civic, tastes coffee for flavour.
Caity Reynolds, head barista at The Cupping Room in Civic, tastes coffee for flavour.Rohan Thomson

This compares to just 43.7 per cent of Sydneysiders who had bought fresh beans in the same period, with Melburnians taking third place with 42 per cent.

Again, when compared with other state and territory figures, at least 10 per cent more ACT residents had bought beans in the four week period than any other jurisdiction.

The next runner up, NSW, had just 40 per cent buying the real deal in the same length of time.

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The ACT also had the least amount of people picking up instant coffee at major supermarkets of the states and territories, according to the report.

Researchers have warned the sample size of 264 Canberrans surveyed, while still statistically significant, was smaller than other states and cities.

The report follows Canberra barista Sasa Sestic taking out the Australian Barista Championship earlier in March.

Australian coffee addiction on the rise

Hardly surprisingly, the report found coffee snobbery to be on the rise nationwide.

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"There is no doubt that the nation's fondness for fresh coffee is growing and our taste for instant coffee is waning," the report said.

38 per cent of Australian bought fresh coffee in any given four weeks last year, up from 36 per cent in 2010.

More of us also make up the latte set than ever before

The number of Australians over 14 years of age who have been out to a cafe in an average three months rose from nearly 54 per cent to nearly 57 per cent between 2010 and 2014.

In the same four years, ownership of coffee machines increased from 28.2 per cent of households to 36.9 per cent.

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Surprisingly the trends are yet to hit the tin-toting multinationals.

"Instant-coffee brands Moccona and Robert Timms are actually bucking this downward trend, with higher purchase rates in 2014 than in 2010," Angela Smith, Group Account Director, Roy Morgan Research said.

Primrose RiordanPrimrose Riordan covers breaking political news from The Australian Financial Review's Canberra newsroom.

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