our coffee
our coffee
We’re a Melbourne-based specialty coffee roaster with a focus on community and the environment. We are passionate about sourcing & roasting some of the best coffees from around the world.
Fresh roasted blends & single origins, big espressos & dreamy filters, plus a range of specialty capsules – we’ve got you covered. All ethically & sustainably sourced, so you can feel good knowing the people at the heart of producing your daily brew are being looked after too.
our blends.
We have 4 different blends to suit any flavour preference!
Ultimate Wingman: a bold, full-bodied coffee with notes of caramel, dark choc, and hazelnut.
Original Gangsta: an easy-drinking, versatile blend that tastes just like drinking a fruit ‘n’ nut choccy bar.
Eco Warrior: an organic, med-light roast with notes of choc orange, sweet spice, berries & warm hugs. It has a direct impact at origin through environmental & animal conservation, as well as at home with links to local charities.
The Real MVP: a lighter-style, fruitier blend that changes seasonally. It’s superb through milk, but truly shines as an espresso.
microlots.
For the coffee curious, we have a range of rotating single origin microlots. These are 85+ coffees that are typically sourced from a single farm, or in some countries, where farms have smaller yields, we’ll source from the washing station where the coffees are processed.
At any given time, we have a minimum of two origins roasted for Espresso & two for Filter for you to choose from. Available in 200g (retail tins) & 500g bags.
For our Singles program, we love to source microlots that allow the producers to shine, showcasing interesting varietals, processing methods, and techniques that bring out the best in each coffee.
Check out our current lineup here: Singles
specialty beans.
We source specialty grade arabica beans across our entire operation. ‘Specialty’ refers to the grading quality of the green coffee. To be classified as specialty, a coffee needs to receive an independent cup score of 80 and above.
While the majority of coffees that make up our blends are 84+ and could easily make a great single origin, don’t be surprised if you see an 88+ microlot in our standard rotation.
Anything over 90 is quite rare & typically an auction coffee. For context, the Elida Gesha from that episode of ‘Billions’ scored 95.25 & sold for US$1029 per pound (almost $3500 per kg!)
Quality is obviously super important, but the cupping score is just one part of the sourcing equation…
from the source.
It’s extremely important to us that the farmer is able to earn a living wage & receives the best possible price for their coffee. We don’t negotiate the price down, we accept the price set by the farm.
We also aim for direct relationships whenever we can (especially for our blend coffees), but accept this is not always going to be possible (or best from an environmental standpoint). Where we can’t source direct from the farm, we work with reputable brokers who have ongoing relationships at the origin.
On top of this, we’re also ensuring transparency – down to the farm or washing station, sustainable farming practices & that all workers are treated well.
in good hands.
We’re extremely lucky to have the infamous Ben Toovey heading up our roasting crew. Ben was crowned 2018 Australian Coffee Roasting Champion and went on to represent Australia at the World Coffee Roasting Championship in Italy later that same year, finishing 4th in the world.
He loves the challenge of coffee, that it’s dynamic, complex and requires his constant attention.
Ben has been with the Genovese Coffee family for nearly 15 years and we are so grateful to have his knowledge & experience behind Locale’s coffee program.
quality control.
Our quality control processes are second to none. Ben is a certified Q Grader & he and the QC team are constantly cupping and assessing the quality of our coffees at every stage. They cup samples before & after we buy a coffee and again once it’s landed at our roastery.
The team are using the latest technology to track colour, water activity, moisture & density throughout the life of the coffee.
Our coffees are roasted individually to get the very best out of each origin. They’re cupped again afterwards to assess the roast profile then any last minute tweaks are made from there, if needed.
All of this helps us to ensure we’re serving up only the very best, every time.
our ethos
our ethos
Coffee for the People means so many things to us, namely that people throughout the entire coffee supply chain should benefit from the way we do business. Our coffee is ethically & sustainably sourced, ensuring the people at the heart of producing our beans are being looked after too.
Below is our manifesto, our guiding principles. It’s written on our wholesale boxes as a constant reminder of who we are, what we stand for & how we make decisions as a company.
We believe in the power of community. Our goal is to make specialty coffee approachable and accessible to bring people together over our favourite brew.
Our intention is to conduct our business based on our own ethical & sustainable principles to ensure we’re limiting or reversing our footprint. We continuously re-evaluate our practices to find the best solutions that support our vision to leave the industry, and the earth, in a better place than we found it.
We seek to add value to others where we can. We are very conscious of the impact we can have financially, from the farmer through to the consumer and the communities they live in. We want to challenge the status quo and continually question what we do and how we do it. We don’t believe in taking shortcuts or looking for the quick wins. We always work towards genuine, organic growth.
We like to stay in our own lane and actively choose not to compare or compete. We march to the beat of our own drum, stay true to ourselves and to our brand. Each decision is made collaboratively with integrity and thought.
We have a thirst for knowledge and we’re always looking to continue learning and honing our craft. We don’t assume we have all the answers or that the answers will be the same as they were yesterday. We love any opportunity to share our knowledge. Our doors are always open to those who want to learn.
We provide an inclusive workplace culture, one which creates the framework to support the personal and professional growth of our people. Empathy, honesty and authenticity are key values we ourselves hold and look for in those we work alongside.
Teaming up with like-minded partners to create real, long-lasting relationships makes this all possible; whether it’s the farms we source from, the cafes we partner with, or the suppliers we choose.
Above all, we love what we do! We love coffee, like a lot. We are extremely grateful to be able to share our passion, knowledge, beans and the stories they carry, with all of you.
Thanks for coming along for the ride!
sustainability
doin' our bit
At Locale, we’re passionate about people & the planet. Running our business ethically, responsibly & sustainably. After all, we know we couldn’t do what we do without taking the Earth’s natural resources. We’re equally conscious to give back whenever we can.
It’s not about greenwashing or virtue signalling; we just want to do better business.
We’re mindful of both the environmental & ethical impacts of our industry and aim to be a positive force in the coffee community & beyond. It’s always been our goal to leave the industry, and the Earth in a better position than we found it. It’s a values-led approach that starts at the top & is embedded into the fibre of our culture.
We care about the people all throughout the coffee supply chain, from the farmer through to the barista & believe in paying a fair & equitable price for the coffees we source. Not all coffees are created equally – much the same as wine. We’re big believers in paying more to know you’re getting a top-quality, traceable & sustainably sourced product and ensuring the farmer at the heart of producing your daily brew is being looked after too.
Sustainability is something we consider in every decision we make. We’re always looking to do our bit for the planet & the people we work alongside. It’s a constant balancing act between purpose & profit – we believe the two can & should go hand-in-hand.
Below you’ll find our key sustainable actions including our carbon neutral certification, sourcing guidelines, community initiatives & more. Click into each for more info.
This is an ongoing journey for us. You can check back here for updates on our progress or drop us a line with any suggestions.
community initiatives
We donate 5% of sales from Eco Warrior beans & merch back to the community. We'd love to introduce you to the organisations we support...
responsible packaging
We sourced packaging materials we felt would have the least impact on the environment & most aligned with our core values.
we’re carbon neutral
Our roastery is solar powered & we’re proud to be a certified carbon neutral business…we even have the fancy certificate to prove it!
orangutan coffee project
The Orangutan Coffee Project is a 360-degree program that connects rainforest & wildlife conservation with sustainable, organic coffee cultivation.
ethical sourcing
Our in-house guidelines for sourcing green coffee, thoughts on transparency & building ongoing relationships with the farms we buy from.
recycleme™ cups
We converted to Detpak's award-winning RecycleMe program. The first takeaway cup on the market that can be properly recycled.
meet the crew
meet our crew
Our team are an incredibly dedicated bunch of coffee experts & enthusiasts with years of experience throughout all levels of hospo. From baristas to venue owners, sales, marketing, roasting & tech support, we’ve done it all. Our team are united by a deep love of coffee & a passion to create a sustainable future for everyone.
Could one of these legends be your new best friend? Reach out below for more on joining the Locale fam.
josh jackson.
GROUP GENERAL MANAGER
Pace to his mates. He’s the glue here at Locale, holding everything together. He has recently taken on a group GM role across the Locale & Genovese businesses, as well as running Loveramics & working closely with Ben in developing Locale’s coffee program.
He’s worked in the hospo industry his entire working career from cheffing through to sales & management roles & everything in between.
Pace steers the ship here & loves a cheeky filter coffee while he’s doing it.
ben toovey.
HEAD ROASTER
Ben’s origin story is barista-turned-renowned-roaster, since taking out the Australian Roasting Championship in 2018 & going on to place 4th at Worlds. He loves the challenge of coffee, that it’s dynamic, complex & requires constant attention. Ben has been with the Genovese coffee family for nearly 15 years & we’re so grateful to have his knowledge & experience behind Locale’s coffee program.
Ben drinks his coffee black & starts the day with a double espresso followed by loads of cupping. He also enjoys a pour over on the weekends.
kristin jackson.
MARKETING MANAGER
KJ has worked in Sales & Marketing roles across a range of industries including food, wine & coffee. She’s been with Locale from the early days & was the creative mind behind the re-brand in 2020.
KJ is super passionate about the environment & the ability for businesses to create positive change, driving Locale’s sustainable & community-based initiatives.
She starts the day with an oat milk flatty & prefers a batch brew in the arvo.
paul solway.
NATIONAL SALES MANAGER
Beginning his coffee journey as a barista at a small cafe, Pauly realised he had a deep love for coffee & the industry, a drive to help people succeed and the ability to make you buy whatever he’s selling!
He’s been an integral part of Locale since the very beginning & the main reason behind the success we’ve seen in WA.
Now managing the sales team nationally & showing mad love for the cold brew, Pauly is the best friend you never knew you needed.
rach commander.
WA STATE MANAGER
Since scoring her first coffee gig at 15, Rach knew that she wanted to learn everything there was to know about creating the perfect cup. After a good 12 years, both in the Tassie and Melbs coffee scene, including owning her own cafe, she brings a wealth of knowledge to our sales team. A woman of many talents, Rach has some mad barber skills & has even danced professionally as a go go girl! Her favourite thing about coffee is the people – a perfect fit for Locale.
Rach’s go-to coffee order is a soy flatty – “a hug in a mug”.
sage wilson.
VIC STATE MANAGER
Originally from sunny California, Sage fell in love with the barista life as soon as they moved to Melbourne. A foodie and lover of all manner of fancy beverages, Sage has been working in coffee for over 6 years now, and hospo even longer. They scored their first roasting gig a few years ago & the rest is history.
Sage loves the nuance of flavour from different origins and the ritual of making and sharing a cuppa!
They’re a huge filter fiend or like to kick of the morning with an espresso.
pat dwyer.
QLD BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Since Pat’s brother-in-law first taught him to make coffee in his music-themed cafe in Surfers, he hasn’t looked back! He comes to us with over 10 years in the coffee industry & loves getting lost in the endless rabbit hole of knowledge, flavour & technique.
On top of being a qualified Sound Engineer and all round lovely human, we have high hopes for what he can bring to our QLD customer base.
Pat says an oat flat white in the morning always goes down a treat!
These superstars are backed up by awesome tech & training support staff, as well as a killer back-of-house team working out of Coburg in VIC.
Hit the button below to get in touch…we always love a chat! Or for more on wholesale/cafe supply, head over to our wholesale page.
