Industry Beans
Wake up and smell Industry Beans’ 12-hour cold brew infused with wattleseed and just a touch of organic panela.
STEVE AND TREVOR Simmons’ original café roastery is still brewing up an aromatic storm in Fitzroy, and while this new CBD café shares the name, it’s a different experience altogether. Where the Fitzroy flagship is spacious, this one’s petite, with space for just a dozen. When you walk in you’ll get a smile from the young staff, who are very personable as they glide smoothly about the timber floors of this all-white, zen-like space. Then you’ll spot the La Marzocco Modbar – a sleek, modular espresso machine that will have bean boffins nerding out. For those who don’t nab a pew, a takeaway tipple is the go – there are the house espresso blend (the smooth Rose Street), batch brews, cold brew and even a bubble cup iced coffee with tapioca balls. The Fitzroy Ice is our summer coffee of choice: a straight-up, 12-hour brew mixed with milk, a little panela (whole cane sugar) and ice. It gives a cooling caffeine nudge that’s all the better for being free of ice cream and cream. There are also fresh juices, kombucha and tea. The healthfocused menu is – like the fitout – minimalist: bagels and bowl food only. The granola is one of the most pretty and intriguing cereals you’ll eat. This deconstructed brekky features crunchy granola, cubes of bright pink compressed watermelon, slices of coconut flesh, a splash of mangoand-orange puree and a cloud of white pineapple foam. Pour over the little jug of almond milk and get scooping. The raw salad is a tangled weave of shredded carrot, beetroot, cabbage and spinach topped with squiggles of creamy cashew dressing. Pepitas and almonds provide crunch, and there’s a choice of raw salmon or poached chicken for protein. Just a few sweets are available – brownies, bliss balls and a coffee cashew cheesecake. The raw cheesecake is cleverly constructed out of pecans, cashews, dates and goji berries. It’s gorgeous, with a slick of blackberry coulis and dinky baubles of ‘coffee caviar’. à 345 Little Collins St, Melbourne 3000. 03 9417 1034. industrybeans. com/pages/lt-collins. Mon-fri 7am-4.30pm; Sat, Sun 8am-4pm.