A Third Campos Coming

Campos is a name synonymous with good coffee for people Australia wide now. Started by Will Young and Raf Bartkowski, on Missenden Rd, Newtown way back in 2002 the company has come leaps and bounds. When Campos popped up on the good coffee radar in Sydney all those years ago, the intention was just to ensure good coffee was served, and that the customer had an outstanding experience each and every time. Fast forward to 2010 when the brands second Sydney location, Don Campos opened in Alexandria. A baristas’ wet dream, it featured one of Australia’s first and highly coveted ‘Slayer’ Espresso machines and a dedicated brew bar with a broad selection of coffee for the discerning customer to choose from. Once again, Campos was at the top of its game. While Campos quietly plodded along with their two very successful stores in Sydney, as well as locations in both Melbourne and Brisbane, the wholesale side continued to grow. The signature green umbrella is equivalent to a neon ‘GOOD COFFEE HERE’ sign Australia wide.

Since 2010 however, the specialty coffee scene has exploded all over the country. Now it seems almost every man woman or child and their dog have an Aeropress coffee maker, or a home espresso machine at their disposal, and it’s becoming increasingly uncommon NOT to be able to get an outstanding cup of coffee almost anywhere. Campos in a way might have slipped off the radar, if it was not for their third Sydney flagship location. Dulwich Hill plays host to the latest from the Specialty Coffee Professionals. Launched on the 26th of November, the latest store was created by Sydney designers, Luchetti Krelle. Having previously worked on another big industry identity Single Origin Roasters, you could be sure the space would be breathtaking. And it is, a blend of textures, materials and finishes all add to the feel of the much larger than usual space, but somehow you still feel at home coming into the shop as if you were back at Newtown or Alexandria. On the evening guests were invited to try a signature Campos espresso martini made with the staple Superior Blend as well as food and an opportunity to meet the team behind Campos Coffee. When addressing the crowd Young explained the choice of location “We are almost following our original customer base as they move outwards. The original Newtown locals have all moved out to Alexandria and Dulwich Hill and we wanted to extend our reach within the inner west”. When addressing the crowd on what you can expect at Dulwich Hill, Young said “the same”. A fact he is no doubt very proud of considering the ongoing commitment to excellence in both service and product.

Coffee is finally complemented by a more substantial food offering, with a selection of sandwiches, pastries and gourmet sausage rolls available. In keeping with similar industry trends, everything is kept in house as to ensure they deliver just the right product for the market, in this case the food comes from Campos’ own bakery ‘Rosetta Stone’. On top of the usual espresso and filter offerings, Campos launched their new Affogato tasting tray and the Baby Affogato, along with a seasonal signature drink menu available across all of their flagship stores.

Words by Rob Stein
Photographs by Who is Will Williams…