Alastair’s Aussie ambitions

Alastair McLeod still boasts a strong Irish accent after calling Brisbane home for the past 22 years, but in that time he’s adopted a love for all things quintessentially Australian: Vegemite toast, mangos, and coffee.

“I can still see my mummy and daddy in Belfast drinking instant coffee. My dad worked in cafes in Ireland and in restaurants throughout school, but Belfast wasn’t a discerning coffee culture growing up. It was in its formative years. They were serving instant coffee in the cafes,” Alastair says.

“Coming to Australia I could immediately see a difference and the sophistication of its coffee culture. There’s definitely no-one else more discerning about coffee than the Aussies. The fact that a publication called BeanScene can exist is a reflection of that.”

Alastair learned to make coffee long before he decided to start