beanscenemag.com.au 21Christine Manfield, one of Australia’s most celebrated chefs and
culinary ambassadors, speaks to BeanScene about her fascination
with flavour and the importance of being brave.
C
hristine Manfield believes
there are some things
that should be enjoyed
in their most natural
form, and coffee is one
of them. Mention of latte alternatives
such as matcha, chai, broccoli, turmeric
or cauliflower spark strong resistance
from Christine, with the culinary icon
questioning the interest and purpose
in such fads.
“Sometimes we just need to take a leaf
out of the Italians’ book. Go to Italy and
get an education on how coffee should
be served. It’s not to be drunk in large
volumes, or with new-age alternatives.
Coffee is coffee and milk is milk. I’m a
purist when it comes to coffee. I find it
offensive and so Americanised when
it’s served as anything else,” Christine
tells BeanScene.
Rather, Christine credits Australia’s
European population for helping
develop our coffee culture.
“We’ve been lucky. Italian
immigration, which largely began in
Melbourne, has had a really positive
effect on Australian food, wine, and
coffee culture. Because of the country’s
immigrant history, we’ve been able to
share great food and traditions with so
many people,” Christine says.
Her own coffee tradition starts with
a piccolo each morning, or a macchiato
with a little extra milk on the side, which
she caps at two by midday.
“I look for delicious flavour and
texture, and nothing too acidic or
astringent. Everyone’s palate is
different. Some like it a bit more acidic
and some like it more fruity, so it’s not
definitive,” Christine says. “I don’t ever
settle for second best, and that extends
to good coffee. Life’s too short to
drink crap.”
Christine admits she did abandon
coffee for six years to alkalise her diet,
a decision to help reduce coffee’s effect
on arthritis and her gut health. While
Christine says the impact was immediate,
some things had to give, including her
favourite vegetable eggplant and coffee,
which she’s reintroduced to her diet.
When she’s not using her Nespressocapsule machine at home, a device
Christine says “delivers consistency”
and “takes the brainwork out of coffee
making”, she enjoys visiting her local
Sydney cafés. This includes Room 10
and Zinc Café in Potts Point, Latteria
in Darlinghurst, and Brother Baba
Budan and Patricia Coffee Brewers
when in Melbourne.
“There’s so much good stuff in
Melbourne. Sydney has gotten a lot
better but if I had to say it, Melbourne
still has the upper edge,” Christine says.
“What’s happened in the
Australian coffee industry in the
past five to 10 years has been pretty
extraordinary, especially in terms of
coffee roasting, which has gone through
the roof. It’s pretty exciting. We can now
offer a fresher product without having to
rely on imported brands that have sat on
a ship for four months and lost some of
its freshness, vitality, and viscosity.”
Across the North Pacific Ocean
into the United States, Christine still
finds the coffee culture disappointing,
and similarly in India, which despite
its many coffee farms has “gone
down the Starbucks, American
chain route”. She does, however,
commend London as one of the most
progressive coffee cities.
“Lots of Australians have gone over
there and spread good coffee culture and
awareness. London now has a flourishing
barista scene – check out Pavilion Café &
Bakery on Broadway Market – and that’s
the good thing about coffee in general,it’s flourishing,” Christine says.
That extends to Cape Town in South
Africa where Christine spent half the day
at Truth Coffee Roasting with Owner
David Donde, and Tribe Coffee Roasting
& Café, both employing Melbourne-
trained baristas.
Beyond the café walls, Christine
has also travelled to origin to experience
coffee production in Bhutan, India,
Vietnam, Colombia, Kenya, and
Ecuador.
“It’s always good to see where things
originate. Coffee appreciation has
definitely evolved in the past 10 years
from chefs and consumers. A lot of
work is going into education and public
awareness. More and more, we want to
focus on the provenance of food source,
minimise food miles, and eat healthier.
Coffee is part and parcel with that,”
Christine says.
“I’m a firm believer that everything
has to be sustainable and free trade –
the automatic markers we should be
considering for everything we buy in our
food chain, not just coffee.”
Christine describes her culinary
career as “a never ending story”. She
started out working as a hairdresser
then a teacher, both of which she
pursued for seven years. Christine
turned to commercial kitchens in the
1980s with no formal training but a
fascination for flavour and the origins
of different cuisines. It’s this curiosity
that’s led Christine to a fruitful career
as a restaurateur at the helm of highly“SOMETIMES WE JUST NEED TO TAKE
A LEAF OUT OF THE ITALIANS’ BOOK.
GO TO ITALY AND GET AN EDUCATION
ON HOW COFFEE SHOULD BE
SERVED. IT’S NOT TO BE DRUNK IN
LARGE VOLUMES, OR WITH NEW-AGE
ALTERNATIVES. COFFEE IS COFFEE.”
beanscenemag.com.au 21Christine Manfield, one of Australia’s most celebrated chefs and
culinary ambassadors, speaks to BeanScene about her fascination
with flavour and the importance of being brave.
C
hristineManfieldbelieves
therearesomethings
thatshouldbeenjoyed
in theirmostnatural
form,andcoffeeis one
of them.Mentionof lattealternatives
suchasmatcha,chai,broccoli,turmeric
orcauliflowersparkstrongresistance
fromChristine,withtheculinaryicon
questioningtheinterestandpurpose
insuchfads.
“Sometimeswejustneedto takea leaf
outof theItalians’book.Goto Italyand
getaneducationonhowcoffeeshould
beserved.It’snotto bedrunkin large
volumes,orwithnew-agealternatives.
Coffeeis coffeeandmilkis milk.I’ma
puristwhenit comesto coffee.I findit
offensiveandsoAmericanisedwhen
it’sservedasanythingelse,”Christine
tellsBeanScene.
Rather,ChristinecreditsAustralia’s
Europeanpopulationforhelping
developourcoffeeculture.
“We’vebeenlucky.Italian
immigration,whichlargelybeganin
Melbourne,hashada reallypositive
effectonAustralianfood,wine,and
coffeeculture.Becauseof thecountry’s
immigranthistory,we’vebeenableto
sharegreatfoodandtraditionswithso
manypeople,”Christinesays.
Herowncoffeetraditionstartswith
a piccoloeachmorning,ora macchiato
witha littleextramilkontheside,which
shecapsat twobymidday.
“I lookfordeliciousflavourand
texture,andnothingtooacidicor
astringent.Everyone’spalateis
different.Somelikeit a bitmoreacidic
andsomelikeit morefruity,soit’snot
definitive,”Christinesays.“I don’tever
settleforsecondbest,andthatextends
to goodcoffee.Life’stooshortto
drinkcrap.”
Christineadmitsshedidabandon
coffeeforsixyearsto alkaliseherdiet,
a decisionto helpreducecoffee’seffect
onarthritisandherguthealth.While
Christinesaystheimpactwasimmediate,
somethingshadto give,includingher
favouritevegetableeggplantandcoffee,
whichshe’sreintroducedto herdiet.
When she’s not using her Nespresso
capsulemachineat home,a device
Christinesays“deliversconsistency”
and“takesthebrainworkoutof coffee
making”,sheenjoysvisitingherlocal
Sydneycafés.ThisincludesRoom 10
andZincCaféin PottsPoint,Latteria
in Darlinghurst,andBrotherBaba
BudanandPatriciaCoffeeBrewers
whenin Melbourne.
“There’ssomuchgoodstuffin
Melbourne.Sydneyhasgottena lot
betterbutif I hadto sayit, Melbourne
stillhastheupperedge,”Christinesays.
“What’shappenedin the
Australiancoffeeindustryin the
pastfiveto 10yearshasbeenpretty
extraordinary,especiallyin termsof
coffeeroasting,whichhasgonethrough
theroof.It’sprettyexciting.Wecannow
offera fresherproductwithouthavingto
relyonimportedbrandsthathavesaton
a shipforfourmonthsandlostsomeof
itsfreshness,vitality,andviscosity.”
AcrosstheNorthPacificOcean
intotheUnitedStates,Christinestill
findsthecoffeeculturedisappointing,
andsimilarlyin India,whichdespite
itsmanycoffeefarmshas“gone
downtheStarbucks,American
chainroute”.Shedoes,however,
commendLondonasoneof themost
progressivecoffeecities.
“Lotsof Australianshavegoneover
thereandspreadgoodcoffeecultureand
awareness.Londonnowhasa flourishing
baristascene– checkoutPavilionCafé&
BakeryonBroadwayMarket– andthat’s
the good thing about coffee in general,it’sflourishing,”Christinesays.
Thatextendsto CapeTownin South
AfricawhereChristinespenthalftheday
at TruthCoffeeRoastingwithOwner
DavidDonde,andTribeCoffeeRoasting
& Café,bothemployingMelbourne-
trainedbaristas.
Beyondthecaféwalls,Christine
hasalsotravelledto originto experience
coffeeproductionin Bhutan,India,
Vietnam,Colombia,Kenya,and
Ecuador.
“It’salwaysgoodto seewherethings
originate.Coffeeappreciationhas
definitelyevolvedin thepast 10 years
fromchefsandconsumers.A lotof
workis goingintoeducationandpublic
awareness.Moreandmore,wewantto
focusontheprovenanceof foodsource,
minimisefoodmiles,andeathealthier.
Coffeeis partandparcelwiththat,”
Christinesays.
“I’ma firmbelieverthateverything
hasto besustainableandfreetrade–
theautomaticmarkersweshouldbe
consideringforeverythingwebuyin our
foodchain,notjustcoffee.”
Christinedescribesherculinary
careeras“aneverendingstory”.She
startedoutworkingasa hairdresser
thena teacher,bothof whichshe
pursuedforsevenyears.Christine
turnedto commercialkitchensin the
1980swithnoformaltrainingbuta
fascinationforflavourandtheorigins
of differentcuisines.It’sthiscuriosity
that’sledChristineto a fruitfulcareer
as a restaurateur at the helm of highly“SOMETIMES WE JUST NEED TO TAKE
A LEAF OUT OF THE ITALIANS’ BOOK.
GO TO ITALY AND GET AN EDUCATION
ON HOW COFFEE SHOULD BE
SERVED. IT’S NOT TO BE DRUNK IN
LARGE VOLUMES, OR WITH NEW-AGE
ALTERNATIVES. COFFEE IS COFFEE.”