Shop 3-4, 162 Rokeby Road, Subiaco
KS2.5, 562 Wellington Street, Perth
www.brew-ha.com.au
Coffee institution causing a hubbub
Most days at Brew-Ha in Subiaco begin around 6.30am with the early morning joggers and lycra-clad milling around in the alfresco area in anticipation of their first caffeine hit. Commuters on their way to work shortly follow before the mums arrive, looking for a slice of serenity after school dropoff. Casually chatting semi-retired locals and mid-morning business meetings are usually wrapped-up in time for the lunchtime rush followed by the baby cappuccino crowd.
An institution, Subiaco’s Brew-Ha has been instrumental in Perth’s coffee and tea culture for the past 20 years. Although the small roasting machine on display can no longer accommodate the volume of beans roasted in-house, it’s a reminder of how far Brew-Ha and Perth’s coffee scene has come.
Reminiscent of the grand coffee houses of Europe, albeit a more relaxed version, Brew-Ha is more than a café, but a community where efficient service and great coffee are a given. Complementing the coffee, food offerings include crunchy baguettes, quiches, frittatas, vegetarian wraps, fruit salads, muffins and pastries.
The staff don’t even need name tags, so natural is their rapport with their regulars. Those relationships haven’t only been cultivatedbetween the staff and their customers, but also between the regulars themselves and many a friendship has been formed within Brew-Ha’s inviting walls.
James Cockroft, who is a chef by trade, has been with Brew-Ha for
over 14 years. The flow of traffic both for sit-down service and takeaways is constant, and James said, “The lines outside the window for takeaway coffee quickly disperse as we usually have our regulars’ coffee ready by the time they’ve put away their wallets.” That’s impressive considering Brew-Ha makes as many as 300 coffees an hour, and sometimes two or three a day for their most zealous coffee aficionados.
Using 100% Arabica coffee beans and working closely with specialty roasters, James has developed a special six-bean blend from Colombia, Costa Rica, Brazil, Papua New Guinea, India and Ethiopia. Brew-Ha co-owner Grant Johnston said about James’ dedication and work ethic, “He has a good heart, which shows through with the culture and passionate staff.” A range of blended and single origin coffees are also available to purchase as whole beans or ground to suit.
While the Subiaco café has stood the test of time within Perth’s ever-changing dining landscape, Brew-Ha made an exciting addition to the family.
Brew-Ha Ritual opened in 2016 in the city’s KingsSquare and is surrounded by several other eateries, a child care centre, a gym, gardens and art installations within the urban enclave. The precinct is well-placed to service the city’s apartments, offices, hotels and train station, including extensive end-of-trip facilities catering to cyclists.
With easy access to the many attractions of the city and Northbridge, such as the Perth Arena, Perth Cultural Centre, Forest Chase, King Street,and the Hay and Murray Street Malls, Brew-Ha Ritual had a bit of breathing space to perfect its offerings during the construction of the surrounding precincts. Unless you were already one of their loyal regulars such as the cyclists, suits and shoppers seeking out their favourite coffee, a dose of Vitamin D and speedy service in the city.
Following the same winning formula as its mothership, the menu has been crafted around the coffee, thanks to the creative talents of Chef Gabriele Canini. With most of the food made in-house, Brew-Ha Ritual manager Tye Short said of the food:“Gabriele understands the essential pairings of flavours when preparing our dishes.”
The vegan curry, house-made granola, green smoothies, quiches,and classic ham and cheese croissants are
constant crowd pleasers, and Gabriele shines with his salads. “His tasty kale, broad bean and tomato salad served with a grilled panini at $12.90 appeals to our value-driven audience,” said Grant. Sweet offerings such as the homemade carrot cake with pepitas and cookie crumble icing have kept many a business meeting and morning tea satiated.
While Subiaco has a well established coffee culture, Brew-Ha Ritual plugs into the city’s dynamic energy. Drawing on the elements of its urban location, architect Eva Sue from Woods Bagot Architects has taken advantage of the lofty spaces to create a chic, light filled, urban oasis. No wonder it’s a hit with the office and retail workers craving a respite from the daily grind for a slice of Perth sunshine.
Committed to reducing waste by using environmentally friendly products, discounts are given to those bringing refillable cups. Live performances, raffles, fundraising, gift cards, take home bags of beans and ground coffee plus a range of coffee related products are all part of Brew-Ha’s community ethos.
Brew-Ha was one of the first cafes in Perth to roast their own coffee, a novel concept for the ‘90s, where it was rare even to find freshly ground beans. Now around 100 coffee roasters cater to Perth’s café culture. The competition is lively, and yet Brew-Ha not only continues to serve its loyal following but has added a new inner city community to its family.
Deriving its name from brouhaha, meaning commotion, add in the ritual of coffee and you’ve got Brew-Ha; a café community causing a hubbub.
By Carmen Jenner
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