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Awards and media features

We’re here for delicious coffee, not hype or praise. But when someone gives us public credit, of course, we feel extra thankful and confident about our everyday mission. It’s the cherry on top.




Awards

2018 - CRS Roasters Smackdown People’s Choice
2018 - CRS Roasters Smackdown Industry Award
2014 - Good Food Best Barista Award




Media features: articles, podcasts, and videos

2025

Man Of Many - 20 Best Specialty Coffee Shops in Sydney

Australian Traveller - Here’s where to get the best coffee in Sydney

Broadsheet - The Best Home Coffee Machines, According to Local Roasters and Baristas

GQ Australia - The best specialty coffee roasters to visit in Sydney


2024

Homes To Love - The best at-home coffee machines for your café experience

The Age - Espresso-meets-cocktail bars, high-tech tools at home: 10 coffee trends to tap into, right now

Broadsheet - The Best Coffee in Sydney


2023

The Coffeevine - Sample Coffee: roasting great coffee in the heart of Sydney

Time Out - The top Sydney roasters who deliver the best beans

Ordermentum - Epic night! Beyond the Bar with Sample Coffee


2022

Barista Magazine - What It’s Like To Be a B Corp: Sample Coffee Roasters

The Producers Podcast - Dani Valent chats with Reuben about sourcing, brewing and ethical production:


2021

Restaurant And Cafe Magazine - Meet the roaster: John Kaye, Sample Coffee

Concrete Playground - Sample Coffee Surry Hills: What this hole-in-the-wall joint lacks in size it makes up for in coffee expertise.


2020

Prospa - Marketing strategies during COVID-19

Time Out - One of Sydney’s best coffee roasters has turned into a gourmet grocer

Concrete Playground - Best Australian online coffee subscriptions

B Local Sydney - Best Practices: Certified B Corporations™ and COVID-19

Broadsheet - Old Gold First Look: A Sydney Coffee Roaster Opens a Cafe in a Former Chocolate Factory

To Plate - Dan Puskas (Sixpenny) chats with Reuben (our founder) about why he chose to serve Sample Coffee in his Enmore restaurant:


2019

Gourmet Traveller - The Green Issue

Inside Out - Our guide to the best domestic machines on the market

Nichigo Press - St Peters Pro Shop and cafe feature

Urban Village - Sample’s move to transparency


2018

The Upsider - Interview with Reuben Mardan

CRS Podcast - Interview with Reuben after his Roasters Smackdown competition double victory:


2017

MelbCSS Conference - Simon Wright presents ‘Caffeinated design’ or how he built the pillars of Sample Coffee’s identity and print logistics:


2015

Time Out - Sample Coffee Pro Shop

Broadsheet - Sample Coffee Opens in St. Peters: A paired-back St. Peters warehouse space that’s worth the hunt.

Time Out - Step into a coffee Narnia in the centre of Surry Hills

Big Review TV - A testament of our beginnings, featuring who would become our current head roaster at the end:


2014

Australian Bartender - All about 3rd wave coffee, batch brew and more by Sam Baygrave

Good Food - Good Food Awards 2014: Reuben Mardan gets the “Best Barista” Award


2013

Coffee Guide Sydney 6th Edition - Sample Coffee Surry Hills

Sydney Morning Herald- No skim, no soy: filter coffee back on cafe menu


2012

Broadsheet - Black Saturdays at Sample Coffee


2011

Broadsheet - Surry Hills Sample Coffee Here