My journey into the coffee industry began in earnest after many years in the corporate world, when I recognised that it was time to pivot and try something a bit different. I knew that my interest in coffee was an opportunity worth exploring, and as I began learning the foundations it felt good to be making something tangible again. I was fortunate early on to work closely with a number of coffee roasters, and suspected that one day I would want to focus on this side of production, not just in coffee retail.
Fast forward a number of years and, with additional experience under the proverbial belt, it felt like the right time to establish something new and in early 2021 Solitude Coffee Roasters was born. I was fortunate to receive a lot of early support from established players on the Sunshine Coast who were interested in what I was trying to do and open to discussing different approaches. There is a really good community of like minded coffee professionals on the coast who enjoy trading ideas and helping each other out, rather than being protective and keeping things close to their chests, and roasting officially began by leasing time and space at an existing coffee roaster.
When a warehouse space became available in Coolum Beach it was time to start the next phase - opening a dedicated production space of our own. Solitude HQ is a bit of a hat tip to the early days of the specialty coffee scene in places like Melbourne - simple, light, pared back and without pretention. I wanted the focus of the space to be about the coffee. It is welcoming and relaxing, but there is no hiding that you are in a production facility. You can witness how it all works, smell the roasting in progress, and there is always time for a chat.
Solitude HQ currently regularly rotates between our two signature espresso blends, Wake Up Call and Dead Set, which both pair equally well with traditional dairy or alternative milks. There are dedicated grinders for showcasing carefully selected single origin coffees, and batch brew or pour over options for filter coffee drinkers.
'Solitude' was the result of my own thoughts on what I loved about coffee, apart from drinking it. It was the preparation, the process, the sensory aspects, that all come together to bring a moment of calm and balance to the start of the day, without distraction.
You can Find Your Solitude at 4/40 Dacmar Road, in the Quanda Industrial Park Coolum Beach.
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