Locally grown Kadilly Coffee won a bronze medal for its Cranky Pants blend at the Golden Bean Australia Coffee Roasters Competition.
Entering the world’s largest coffee roasting competition for the first time, Kadilly Coffee’s Rod Walmsley said he was proud to be recognised among some of the best coffees in the country.
“It was the first time I entered as a commercial roaster,” Rod said.
“It was a fierce competition and I understand there were 1600 entries, so I am really stoked.”
Kadilly Coffee won the bronze medal in the espresso coffee category, where a straight shot of black coffee was presented to a panel of judges in a blind tasting.
There are 11 categories and brew methods in the annual Golden Bean Australia Coffee Roasters Competition that started in 2007.
“For the small operation I have here of only 250 trees it’s nice to be up there with some of the best,” Rod said.
“I am definitely about quality over quantity.
“And to be judged by professional judges and have this result is really nice.”
Fond memories behind the Cranky Pants name
Rod said his Kadilly Coffee blends were created by blending beans from coffee plantations around the world, particularly from Columbia, Brazil, Indonesia and Guatemala with the local beans and was named after his family farm at Sharon where the coffee is grown.
“I buy in the green beans and have a key recipe with set amounts for each blend and decide on what level to roast each one,” he said.
“I mainly have two blends, Rustic Road and Cranky Pants, both related to the family farm.
“The Cranky Pants coffee blend was named after a cow my parents used to have on the farm when I was younger.
“Although it also has a double meaning when it comes to drinking coffee, I guess.”
Working as a full-time electrician, Rod said he hoped to venture more into coffee production in the future.
Rod said he never expected when he started growing coffee plants in 2014 that he would win an award for his blends or have so much support from the local community.
“I have had so much support from other small businesses here,” he said.
“One Little Farm and Cha Cha Chocolate both sell Kadilly Coffee.
“One thing just leads to another and I have had so much local support.”
- Earlier story: Kadilly Coffee grows into successful business
