green park dining, carlton north

i was recently invited to a coffee tasting afternoon at green park dining in carlton north. the event was a co-organised effort by the guys at green park dining and zomato (formerly urbanspoon), who are working hard to bring together fellow-foodies in melbourne through their regular #zomatomeetup’s.

upon arrival we were greeted by an amazing aroma of fresh flowers, as the venue was busy preparing for a wedding (their first) being held in the venue that evening – it was stunning! the venue is quite large with tall ceilings, open spaces and gorgeous windows slid open to let the beautiful spring weather in. outside is an equally impressive courtyard area overlooking a child’s playground. given the cafe is also right alongside one of melbourne’s busiest bike-paths, i can see mums with kids + prams, and cyclists alike giving this place a huge thumbs up!

this particular afternoon, we were lucky enough to be sampling a seasonal capital coffee seasonal roast called el pilar. what made this batch so special is that it is the very first from this small micro lot in guatemala… and literally just freshly roasted!

i love the philosophy behind this small batch coffee – workers each receive a piece of land and are responsible for cultivating and harvesting the coffee on the lot. in return, they are able to live on the land – providing them and their family with a home. in a country where it is estimated that up to 7 out of 10 of the indigenous rural population live below the poverty line (source: ruralpovertyglobal), this has a huge impact on the living standards of these families. i highly recommend you read the incredible story behind how this amazing single-origin bean found it’s way to melbourne and the amazing farmer behind this property in guatemala.

green park’s head barista took us through the techniques of making filter coffee vs. espresso pour vs. cold dip vs. latte – and we were lucky enough to get a taste of each kind to compare the different flavour profiles. we were definitely buzzing for the afternoon ahead after that!

the cafe also put on a beautiful spread of delicious cakes and treats for us, which made for a lovely perfect way to spend a leisurely saturday afternoon. thanks so much for having us guys!