We love delicious coffee and everything that happens around it
We’re a Gadigal land / Sydney-based specialty coffee company established in 2011, with a unique focus on rotating single origins, uncompromised quality, honest ethical sourcing, and homebrewing accessibility.
What first brought us to business is a simple love for coffee. It can be nuanced, complex, and exciting; also, consistent and comforting. It can be so many things, but for us, it’s never boring.
Then, we started to enjoy the moments, discoveries, and connections created through it: a nice morning ritual, alone or in company; a reason to take a break or keep going; an excuse to leave the house, or stay in it; a source of learning and a bonding with other people and cultures…
Today, we still feel the same.
We’re here to explore the world of delicious coffee and share it with those who—like us—enjoy its taste as much as everything that happens around it. Or, actually, because of it.
Sample Coffee Surry Hills espresso bar circa 2012
Our story: sampling and sharing the coffee world since 2011
We opened our tiny Surry Hills espresso bar in 2011 with a simple goal: to let our customers taste (sample) delicious and diverse coffees from around the world. We focused particularly on rotating single origins and black coffee brewing styles, something not so popular back then.
In 2014, we opened our roastery and second cafe in St Peters. This space allowed us to curate and share the coffee menu of our dreams: a generous, weekly changing list of exceptional single origins, smooth espresso blends, and respectable decaf.
Over a decade later, slowly and organically, we’ve grown a community of locals, homebrewers and wholesale partners that love and respect our coffees and way of doing business.
We still are and do things small, by choice. This helps us stay nimble, flexible and hyperconnected with every part of the coffee journey.
Explore our story and brand life
Why “Sample”?
sample (verb)
(1) to taste a small amount of food or drink to decide if you like it
(2) to experience a place or an activity, often for the first time
We called ourselves Sample Coffee because we wanted to be a ‘place’ for people to try delicious, diverse and exceptional coffees from around the world.
A place where anyone could experience the beauty, nuance and stories behind each cup.
A place where everyone, from first-timers to coffee nerds, could equally enjoy and fall in love with the different rituals around this drink.
A place to, well, Sample Coffee.
Our approach: quality, consistency, transparency, respect (and a little bit of fun)
What is delicious coffee? What makes it exceptional? For us, it starts with transparent, high-quality sourcing. Then comes the consistent roasting and brewing.
And that’s not enough: we run the non-coffee side of our business with the same integrity, creating a respectful, generous, and thoughtful experience for everyone involved.
This is some of what we do to turn these words into action:
We source only high-quality lots through ethical importers that pay above Fair Trade and C-price
Our roasting style seeks clarity of flavour, building upon each origin’s own character
We practice full transparency and accountability: we’re a certified B Corporation
Our packaging is ABA certified home compostable
We donate $0.20 per coffee bag sold (all year round) to social and environmental nonprofits
We take the time to share our knowledge: we believe everyone can make and enjoy delicious coffee
Learn everything about our coffee philosophy and business approach
What we do:
- Source and roast specialty coffee in our St Peters warehouse
- Brew, serve and sell our coffee beans and brewing gear through our cafes, online store and subscriptions
- Share our knowledge openly through online resources and community events
- Supply other cafes, restaurants, gyms and businesses through our wholesale service
- Produce co-branded coffee products, thoughtful swag, merch and group gifts
- Organise coffee carts for event catering and contract roasting
Our community includes homebrewers and businesses in Australia (with the core in Sydney and Brisbane areas), Asia-Pacific (Vietnam, Thailand, Japan) and beyond (Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands).
Check our current coffee lineup, subscription plans or wholesale offer
What people say about us
OK, we’ve already talked a lot about ourselves! Head to our awards and media features and our customer reviews to know what others have to say about our coffee, service and people.
Our locations
If you’re ever around Sydney, make sure you come say hi to our cafes and roastery in Surry Hills and St Peters.
Contact
You can always write to us at [email protected]. Also, stay in touch via newsletter, Instagram and YouTube.
