After working in some of Brisbane’s finest food establishments over the years, Alex Ridgway has accumulated a vast amount of knowledge about what makes a cafe or restaurant successful. After running his own cafe for a few years, Alex began Neighbourhood Coffee Roasters as a way to teach himself more about coffee, thus the idea for a specialist coffee haunt and cafe was born. After setting up a coffee roaster operation in Sumner, Alex came across the old Rainworth General Store in Bardon and was hit by a wave of inspiration. Seizing the opportunity to make the building his own, he set about overhauling the space to make it an instantly welcoming and comfortable haunt, made extra charming by the recycled elements of the building’s previous life. Through renovating the building Alex uncovered a plethora of vintage signage and hidden bits and pieces to reuse, recycling as much as possible to keep the old-school charm. The spacious back yard has been transformed into a vegetable garden, from which Alex hopes to source a good portion of the produce used in the kitchen. Neighbourhood coffee roasters also use top of the line coffee equipment including the innovative Juggler Milk Tap system from Six Simple Machines.

The main offering at Neighbourhood Coffee Roasters is, of course, the java. The cafe boasts two sublime blends – the smooth Storekeepers Blend and the Organic Farmers Blend – as well as come cold-brew varieties and V60 pour over-style offerings. Neighbourhood’s take home coffee is growing in popularity as customers are encouraged to buy whole bean so they can experience the best flavour from the farms that the beans were sourced from. Those looking for a snack can enjoy breakfast options including toasted muesli, Japanese cheese on toast and avocado on Turkish with pomegranate and coriander salsa. Lunch options range from pork floss, miso, kimchi and cheese toasties, chicken roasted on the bone tacos with coriander slaw, barbecue Chinese roast duck salad and green tea soba noodle salad. Patrons can also take shelter from the heat and enjoy a cold-pressed juice from Press’d Organic or a fizzy drink from Six Barrel Soda Company. For operating hours and contact details, head to the Stumble Guide.

Want more? Peek inside Neighbourhood Coffee Roasters with The Street Photographer