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Lonsdale Street, the Hague

Alistair Evans and his Lonsdale Street Roasters could be going international soon
Alistair Evans and his Lonsdale Street Roasters could be going international soonGraham Tidy

When we say Lonsdale Street Roasters are expanding, it’s pretty much an understatement. Co-owner Alistair Evans returned from Europe last month where he was looking at opening ‘‘pop-up roasters’’, in Holland and elsewhere, since coffee in Europe, he says, is so bad everywhere but Italy. He’s not working entirely in the dark. Evans’ partner is Dutch and his brother has a bunch of restaurants and cafes in Holland, so Evans is looking first to the Hague, where he hopes to have a roasting house open some time next year. He says it’s not as odd as it sounds, given that it’s easier to launch this kind of project as an Australian than as someone from a neighbouring European country.

Lonsdale Street Roasters is owned by the trio of Evans, Paul Hutt and Alan Smith. Smith is setting about his own grand plans, opening a roaster and shop in Downer and looking at direct importing of beans from Papua New Guinea.

Lonsdale Street launches a Centenary blend coffee on August 16. It’s a blend of three single-origin beans from Brazil, Costa Rica and Columbia, and is a smooth, mild blend, manager Nathan Frost says, which makes it good for spring. Think spicy berries, butterscotch and floral tones.

It’s an odd thing, this plethora of centenary products. Lonsdale Street is a ‘‘centenary champion’’, which means it’s featured on the official Centenary page (canberra100.com.au) and has a branded product. It doesn’t cost them anything and the government promotes the brand for them. Win-win.

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