The cyclists worked it out a long time ago – the runners are now catching on by making exercise more social and frequenting cafes in groups. In many cases, the post session coffee is now as important as the exercise itself.
Parkrun has been a key driver in café engagement for runners, with over 200 events being held across each Australia each Saturday morning. parkrun is essentially a FREE timed 5 km event, with participation ranging from 20 to over 500 at some events.
Smart café operators have connected with local parkrun events and welcomed the runners with exclusive offers following the Saturday morning events. This has been a WIN-WIN for all involved.
The social running culture in Australia is exploding, with hundreds of regional and national groups … and the love of sweet brews is fuelling the growth of coffees served out of home.
“The post run coffee for me is the best part of any run, from the amount of new friends I’ve made to the passing through tourist I’ve met from the other side of the world and still continue to follow through social media. I love it!”
Michael Sharpe, Event Director, The Beaches parkrun.
Taking the runners’ coffee experience to a new level, I recently held a series of coffee tasting events for the Plodders Running Group at the Australasian Café School. The aim was to showcase amazing coffees – how good coffee can be, educate, showcase how the coffee industry works and ascertain whether a higher price can be charged for an amazing fine coffee experience.
The first of two sessions featured an amazing line up Golden Bean award winning coffees:
Di Bella Coffee
• Stompd On – Gold Medal Espresso 2016
• Exclusives – Silver Medal Milk Based 2016
• Don Pepe Panama Geisha – Silver Medal Filter 2016
Coffee Brothers
• Seasonal Blend – Gold Medal Milk Based 2016
• Organic Panama Geisha – Gold Medal Organic Espresso 2016
Peak Coffee
• Methods about Madness – Silver Medal Espresso 2016
Tulip Shi
• Nectar Coffee House Blend – Gold Medal Chain Milk Based 2016
The participants appraised and tasted the coffee under the parameters utilised at the Golden Bean event. A calibration session was held, and we then got into tasting these amazing coffees. The feedback was incredible, with the group working together in pairs to evaluate the flavour profiles of the tasty brews.
Flavour Descriptors included: Floral – Clean – Smooth – Tea Like – Honeycomb – Velvet Blossom – Chocolatey – Caramel – Early Sweetness, Bright & Tart – Citrus – Polished and … YUMMMMMMMM.
Scoring of these coffees was very much in line with the results from the Golden Bean Roasters Competition. A great achievement for both the roaster to get consumer acknowledgement and for the consumer to see just how good coffee can be – just like fine wines.
The following week, the Plodders Running Group were taken through a traditional cupping session featuring coffees from India, South American and Africa, hosted by Dr Ainsley Harrison of Peak Coffee.
In many cases, these coffees are not made available to consumers due to limited volume and commercial viability. The general feedback on price was that $5 – $6 for a higher quality cup would be acceptable for these amazing coffees … This might make it a little more attractive for roasters to extend these offerings within their wholesale café customer bases.
FEEDBACK:
Rebecca Bovey Mendez
I really enjoyed the coffee tasting, especially the filtered experience. For a good coffee (that reminds me of home) I will pay $6 for a small cup, just to enjoy the experience. At times I just go to my favourite coffee place and sit and sip the warm experience – love it. I am a little more knowledgeable regarding how the bitterness of the roasting affects its flavour – quite impressed by the range and the diversity that exists.
Tracy Crichton
I enjoyed the coffee tasting. I usually drink a soy latte, but was surprised that I actually liked the filtered coffee. I probably wouldn’t pay more than $5 for a coffee though.
Rod Packer
Generally drink plunger coffee at home and enjoy a cappuccino or piccolo latte at cafés. I think $4 is reasonable for a standard coffee. Really enjoyed the cupping ceremony – it was interesting going through the process from start to finish and seeing how beans are assessed.
Chris Brown
It certainly opened my eyes to different coffee that I’m not used to drinking. The old Nescafe instant … I didn’t realise that instant coffee is so far from reality! I was amazed at Ainsley’s coffee knowledge. I usually buy a cappuccino, $4 – $5 each is about what I’d usually pay.
Clarissa Morris
I definitely prefer a milk based coffee – a cappuccino (creamy and not full of bubbles of air!) if I’m to order from a café, though was pleasantly surprised by the geisha filtered coffee when I joined in on the cupping session. Loved the sweet scents in the taste and would quite happily enjoy again and again. Would normally pay up to $6 for a “good” coffee; can’t say I’ve been anywhere that charges more. I’ve definitely learnt a lot more about coffee and feel like I’m turning into a bit of a coffee snob!
Amy Packer
I love a piccolo latte or a double ristretto soy cap! I am happy to pay $5 for a good coffee! I appreciated the taste of a straight espresso so much more. I really enjoy a good strong coffee. I loved hearing about how coffee is made and sampling all the different ways with the Geisha coffee! Amazing stuff!
Matt Bell
I usually go for a flat white or piccolo, both at home with the espresso machine or out. These are mostly blended coffees. Sometimes a macchiato or espresso, if I’m getting something a bit different like a single origin. The cupping session was a taste-bud opening experience and only served to deepen my appreciation of how coffee is purchased and presented to the customer. I’d be keen to try different methods of coffee brewing. Usually I’d pay up to $5, but perhaps more for a “special” bean.
Matthew Connors
Love a cappuccino; the tastings opened my eyes to the extremely different tastes available and the level of detail going into the whole process. I personally prefer the blends and thus wouldn’t pay much more than the standard. I guess it’s an acquired palate that I have not developed. To me, the price of a coffee is more to do with the location and people. I’d pay more in a great location with people I want to have a coffee and chat with …
Ben Husk
I usually have a flat white or perhaps a piccolo latte if I’m wanting a coffee with less milk. I’d pay around $5 for a really good coffee. My experience at the Australian Café School really changed my perception on how much effort goes into the process of selecting great coffee. I really enjoyed experiencing that process; it was a surprise to find how much different smell can be from taste! A fantastic day; one I would happily do again.
Thanks, Plodders, for getting involved in these experimental coffee tasting sessions. We look forward to further engaging caffeinated runner groups and furthering their understanding of good coffee. If you are looking for ways to increase patronage at your café, you don’t need to look too far. Connect with local community groups and ascertain ways that you can support the social side of their exercise.
It may be worth checking out whether there is a parkrun event in your local area as a starting point at:
www.parkrun.com.au
