Even the weather was festive - the sun was out, the sky clear and blue,Through it all wafted the irresistible smell of freshly made coffee. Spirits were high.   And why wouldn’t they be?
After all this was a coffee fest and most people - after a cup or two of coffee - were on a natural high. Coffee contains caffeine, a mild central nervous stimulant (CNS) which is rapidly absorbed by the body when taken in beverage form. As you’ve probably noticed, it makes you feel brighter and more alert within a few minutes and can help postpone feelings of fatigue for up to four hours. The fourth Aroma Coffee Festival held at The Rocks in Sydney is indicative of the explosive interest in coffee which has taken place over the past five years in Australia. This year over 100,000 people swarmed to the Harbour foreshores to taste coffee from all over the world  - well over double the numbers who attended the first Aroma Festival four years ago. They had come not just to taste various blends and brews but to learn more about the finer aspects of roasting,
grinding  and  making  the  perfect  cup  at  home.  Nineteen  gourmet coffee  roasters  were  present  and  thousands  of  cups  of  coffee were sold.

According to Gary Trye, one of the organisers, the Aroma Festival is the largest coffee festival in the world and the only one of its kind nationally. “The heart and soul of the festival is the boutique roaster,” he said.“They’ve been springing up all over the place over the past few years as have single origin or estate roasters. They’re very passionate about their craft and have definite ideas about what they consider to be the best roast and the best blend.” Toby’s Estate Coffee, Forsyth Coffee & Tea, Karmee, Café Hernandez and  Caffe  Bianchi  were  just  some  of  the  boutique  roasters  who participated.    Major  players  like  Andronicus (who  sponsored  the event), Segafredo and Vittoria were also present.

Café culture has become very much part of the modern Australian lifestyle. Our cities and suburbs are spilling over with cafes on virtually every  street  corner.  Coffee  has  become  a  gourmet  product  and  a fashion statement and like wine, discerning consumers now want to know where the coffee they drink has come from, what blend of beans is being used and how they were roasted and ground. However, there are still many people paying a lot of money for poor quality brews made from low-grade coffee beans. According  to  Les  Schirato,  managing  director  of  Vittoria  Coffee, the importance of good quality coffee is still vastly underestimated. “Taste, quality and freshness of the beans should guide consumers in their choice of coffee,” he said.  “While this is a very individual thing,in general good coffee should have a strong rich taste and should never be bitter or leave a stale aftertaste.” You can rest assured that little or no evidence of a stale aftertaste could be detected at this year’s Aroma Coffee Festival.