Max Brenner boycott?

We all know and love the warm, inviting chocolate bars of Max Brenner. We especially love their mocha coffee’s on a cold Monday morning. However debate has run in the last 18 months or so surrounding the owners of Max Brenner, and the possibility of our hard-earned dollars going towards the conflict in the Middle-East that has seen thousands of Palestinians civilians being killed.

Patrick Harrison is a Palestinian solidarity campaigner who calls for people to boycott Max Brenner, despite claims from the franchise that there is no link between their Australian stores and Israel. He had this to say in response to those claims:

“Max Brenner Australia’s relationship to the Strauss group is plain to see, although the company tries to hide it. In an interview in the Australian, the general manager of Max Brenner in Australia, Yael Kaminsky, said Max Brenner Australia “never got involved with the Strauss Group … we only have the franchise rights in Australia and we report to the office of Max Brenner that is based in New York”.

Yet the Strauss Group’s annual report last year said Max Brenner International in the US is wholly owned by Strauss USA, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of Strauss Group Ltd.

The report said “the [Strauss] Group operates chocolate bars” in Australia.

Boycotting Max Brenner has nothing to do with the identity of the company’s owners, just as the campaign to boycott Veolia for its operations in the occupied territories has nothing to do with the religion or race of its boss. It is about raising awareness of the Israeli government’s crimes in Palestine.

If the owners of Max Brenner are as truly independent of ties with Israeli apartheid as they claim, they can easily put an end to protests outside their stores by rebranding their store, handing back the franchise rights, and sending a signal that people of all backgrounds condemn Israel’s crimes.”

(Full article here: https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/54100)

With a Max Brenner on campus here at UNSW and such a multi-cultural student population, it’s

Protests against Max Brenner on campus in 2013

interesting to consider the implications this may have for the store based at Terraces. UNSW Against Crap Coffee is heavily against any coffee that either sources unethically or behaves questionably in a business sense. If the allegations are true, we can’t help but to condemn Max Brenner and encourage the boycott.

What do you think? If you’re a happy Max Brenner customer, let us know by commenting below.

 

And the winner is…!

Congratulations to The Coffee Cart!

Probably the only time you’ll see The Coffee Cart without it’s trademark queue!

Our recent poll gathered votes from students of UNSW to determine which is the best coffee outlet on campus.

The Coffee Cart, the crazily-efficient team up at the library lawn at Upper Campus took the poll by storm, receiving a whopping 50% of the votes. The next closest outlet received only 10%, just to put into perspective just how dominant they are in the minds of the coffee hunters.

Congratulations to the team up there, keep up the good work!

Let the people speak!

We want to hear from the people of UNSW: What’s the best coffee place on campus?

Are you drinking ethical coffee?

As you may know, there are huge ethical implications surrounding some of the worlds biggest coffee brands, primarily revolving around worker exploitation. Whilst it’s not only a human-rights issue, brands that don’t source their product ethically are also compromising the quality of coffee beans by cutting corners in farming.

A consumer ethics guide has flagged some huge names in the coffee industry, of which you may be consuming on a regular basis.

Nescafe & Nespresso, both under the Nestle company have received boycott calls from the guide. Other names implicated include Grinders and Italian brand Lavazza.

If you’re drinking any of these brands, including the popular domestic Nespresso machines, it may be worth reassessing your decisions if ethical practice is important to you.

For the full guide, click here

‘Stellini Pasta Bar’ Review

UNSW Against Crap Coffee is happy to reveal to you guys a shock player in the coffee market on campus! Stellini Pasta Bar is seldom mentioned amongst the traditional heavy weights when it comes to ‘best coffee on campus’. That conversation usually includes the likes of ‘The Coffee Cart’ up at the library lawn, ‘Coffee on Campus’ at Robert Webster or Navitas Pasta Bar just off Anzac Parade. However Stellini certainly holds its own, and for those college kids around the village, it’s a lot closer than the former mentioned.

Stellini Pasta Bar @ the village

The Terrace block includes big chains ‘Coco Cubano’ and ‘Max Brenner’ which may appear more of an attraction to coffee hunters. However it’s the small little ‘pasta bar’ opposite that takes the cake in terms of coffee in the Terrace block. A chilled out vibe surrounds the place, playing mellow tunes of the likes of Temper Trap and Chet Faker (plus points from us!), and young employees greet you with a positive attitude and smile. Honestly, it feels like Stellini is run by students rather than an older owner concerned with profit margins. As you can tell, we like the place, and we haven’t even got to the coffee yet!

Stellini source their beans from Campos (again, plus points from us), a roaster making a real name for themselves in Sydney at the moment. The extract has a rich, intense flavour to it, one of those coffees with a unique taste to it that you won’t forget. The barista’s do a great job of composing a combination with the milk to allow the espresso to reveal it’s character without overpowering the milk and coming on to strong. For those that enjoy flavour but without too much intensity, this is the one for you.

There’s a few tables at Stellini to sit down at and enjoy your coffee, however with such a small shop space don’t be disappointed if you can’t get one. Another downside is the lack of sunlight that gets into that section of the village, which makes it a little cold in the winter months.

We’re not sure why Stellini hasn’t been put on the map yet, maybe those college kids are keeping it for themselves and not letting the secret out?! Regardless, we heavily endorse Stellini!

Coffee: 4.5/5

Staff Efficiency: 4/5

Staff friendliness: 4/5

Comfort & Vibe: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

Diary of a barista…

A delicious looking flat white, crafted by Liam Hayman

Coffee first hit me whilst travelling in Italy a couple of years ago, where I quite literally thought ‘When in Rome’. Since then I’ve developed a passion not only for experiencing the different tastes of coffee, but for creating them as well through my profession as a barista.

I became a barista in 2012 after talking to a owner of a modest little cafe in Hornsby called Brewhaha. Whilst not particularly known for it’s espresso, the crew at Brewhaha taught me the basics of coffee; using the grinder, packing the grind, extracting the espresso and frothing milk. If not for Brewhaha, I could be picking up glasses at a pub or scanning items in retail.

After 2 years at Brewhaha I decided to look for another cafe to further myself as a barista. Whilst a great launch pad for my career, I needed some more regular work to help me through university. I was hired by Pattison’s Patisserie, a more frequented café who also sourced a better quality bean. They source from 4 different regions; two in Brazil, one in Colombia and one from Ethiopia.

Since working at Pattisons I’ve further developed my taste for a fine coffee. I’ve also been learning the delicate touch to Latte art, allowing me to express myself through a personal touch in my coffees. I truly believe this is one of the most fun and rewarding parts of being a barista. Every barista has their own unique style of composing a rosetta and when you give that coffee to the customer you can read their impressed thoughts on their face.

The other aspect of being a barista I love is the regular customer that comes in every morning to order their ‘usual’. This relationship is like no other in any other job as this person trusts you to start their day with a coffee each morning, and the satisfaction that you get from them is quite unexplainable. The 50 second catch ups that occur everyday about anything from the weather to my 3000 word university essay due by week’s end bring you a warm feeling. So there you have it folks, my insight into what my coffee experience has been like thus far. I have definitely enjoyed making coffee for the past three years. Who knows what the future holds for me? I do know though, that coffee will always hold a place in my heart and be a part of my life, as it always has since that first Cuppaccino in Italy.

– Liam Hayman

 

‘Coffee on Campus’ review

 

Our very first review for UNSW Against Crap Coffee is on ‘Coffee on Campus’, a small cafe at the Robert Webster building, adjacent to the main walkway. It’s a small outlet run by a team of three, two baristas and another lady serving food and other drinks.

The coffee is great. They source their beans from Toby’s Estate, a local supplier who originated not too far away in Woolloomooloo. They use a strong blend, lovely for those who enjoy a rich taste coming through the milk. Quite uniquely, Coffee on Campus make their coffee in exotic take away cups with artwork printed on them, for those that enjoy their coffee along with the simpler things in life. They also offer an extra-large sized cup, something quite hard to find on campus as most outlets generally restrict their options to regular or large. Despite generally not having quite a lot of traffic, the team are pretty efficient in getting their orders out, yet aren’t careless in making. It’s evident the two middle aged gentleman who work the machine are experienced baristas. The only thing I could fault them on is friendliness to customers. Whilst not unfriendly, if the staff could make a bit more of an effort to interact with customers it would certainly enlighten the experience there.

There’s a seating area overlooking the main walkway which is quite relaxing, however in the early mornings there’s no sunlight due to the Scientia building’s towering presence to the east, which makes it quite cold in winter. It can also be quite noisy during peak pedestrian times on the walkway, however when it quietens down in the late morning or afternoon it’s a lovely place to relax. The chairs can get a little bit uncomfortable at times, as there’s no cushions on the seat or backrest of the metal frames.

For those quite picky on their coffee tastes, yet aren’t too interested in lining up somewhere as popular as The Coffee Cart at Upper Campus, this place is a hidden gem. It’s tucked away quite snugly at the doors to the Robert Webster building, so unless you know it’s there it can be quite easy to simply walk past without noticing this gem. 

A great place to grab a good-quality coffee on the go, though it leaves a little bit desired if you’re looking to sit down.
Coffee: 4.5/5

Staff Efficiency: 4/5

Staff Friendliness: 3/5

Comfort & vibe: 3.5/5

Overall: 4/5

 

Join the Grind!

Hello fellow coffee lovers!

Today we launch UNSW Against Crap Coffee, a campaign to alert, educate and share with other coffee lovers at UNSW about all things coffee! We’ll have reviews of outlets to highlight the good and warn of the bad, blog about ethical sourcing of coffee beans from roasters, and anything else we might find interesting for the coffee lover.

Feel free to get involved and spread the word! Like, share & follow us on social media, tell your friends, spread the word!

We’re on the lookout for contributors, so if you feel like putting a good word in for your favourite cafe on campus, or putting the boot in to a terrible one, then drop us a line and let us know about it!