Toby’s Estate: Bay Street Café and Coffee Trails Book Launch

On a double shot Tuesday, Toby’s Estate Founder and Director Toby Smith launched his first book Coffee Trails and the opening of his newest café at 80 Bay St, Broadway.

The café  is located in the former Reader’s Digest building across from the Broadway Westfield shopping centre. The décor retains some of the features of the original building and boasts sepia/coffee coloured tones, a high ceiling and a long zinc-topped bar that give it a chic retro feel in tune with the old Broadway locale.

The event doubled as the soft launch of Toby’s first book, Coffee Trails, due for release in September.

Espresso Martini

Guests were welcomed on arrival with an Espresso Martini made with a fresh shot of Toby’s Estate coffee and canapés were served.

(Photos courtesy of Liquid Ideas)

Toby’s Estate General Manager Andrew Low addressed the guests and in his introduction to the café, he highlighted the brew bar with its siphon and chemexes. He announced that coffees will be served in a 6 ounce cup instead of the usual 8 ounce cup, to maximize the coffee flavour and give a better coffee to milk ratio.

Andrew also introduced Toby Smith, whose successful business venture began in his mum’s garage in 1998, and he took guests through his old school slide night with images from the book.

Coffee machine

Aged mirrors

Due to a previous engagement, Gourmatic arrived later in the evening after all the formalities. But it didn’t stop us from capturing a less crowded view of the café and have the opportunity to chat with Toby , and meet Laura Baxter, the book designer and Garrett Robinson the book’s photographer.

Garrett Robinson, Laura Baxter and Toby Smith

Coffee Trails, a part travel book part coffee guide, traces the history, personalities and character of the bean through eleven countries including Ethiopia, Yemen, Indonesia, Brazil and Costa Rica. Beautifully designed by Laura Baxter, who explained to Gourmantic that the illustrations of the countries was done by using the coffee beans of that country. Laura soaked the beans for three  days and with the resulting dye she created her illustrations.

Garrett and Toby

Laura and Toby

Coffee grinders

Counter

Direct coffee

Coffee bean tea lights

Wall of photographs

Coffee Trails

Coffee Trails is available from 19 September online and from Toby’s Estate cafés.

Gourmantic attended the Toby’s Estate Bay Street Café and Coffee Trails Book Launch on Tuesday 24 August 2011 as media guests.

Toby’s Estate Café
80 Bay Street,
Broadway Sydney
Weekdays 7am to 5pm
Weekends 8am to 4pm.
www.tobysestate.com.au

Photography by @MrGourmantic