THE HARDWORK and determination of Murwillumbah café owners Joshua and Deslie Gilson has paid off this month after their small business Re Café Nate was named the 34th best café in Australia.
The rating was provided by online coffee lovers’ website Bean Hunters, which works a lot like Tripadvisor or Booking.com in which coffee gurus rate and comment on their favourite coffees across the country and world.
Being named 34th from thousands of potential cafes is a huge tick of approval for Joshua and Deslie, who have lived in Murwillumbah for the past five years.
The Weekly caught up with the couple about the listing and what it means to their team.
“We have the most wonderful staff and they really put their heart into their work,” Joshua said.
“My wife, Deslie, does a lot of things (shopping, baking, cleaning, book work etc) behind the scenes that added all together have motivated anonymous people to take the time to review us favourably on Beanhunter.
“So, I guess it means we are achieving our goal of great coffee and a welcoming atmosphere.”
The couple moved up from Sydney after they decided to chase a lifestyle that was more nature and less concrete and congestion.
“The Tweed area is stunningly beautiful and we couldn’t be happier bringing up our children in Murwillumbah – they have awesome schools, really friendly helpful people as well as stunning beaches, mountains and creeks all in short driving distances,” Deslie said.
The couple also gave their insight into what makes an amazing coffee.
“Beans need to be fresh (under 30 days from roast date), a clean machine, the correct brewing temperature, the correct extraction time for the amount of grams you are using so that when you drink it as a short black there is no bitterness and no need to add sugar to it,” Joshua said.
“The correct grind setting and extraction time is paramount – if it’s too long it will taste astringent (sharp) but if it’s too short it will taste insipid (weak).
“It should be well balanced in flavour and acidity with a pleasant aftertaste that lingers long enough that it makes you want to have another one 10 minutes later.
“But having said that I always prefer drinking an average coffee in a friendly happy cafe than great coffee in a cold impersonal cafe.”
Aside from making amazing coffee Joshua and Deslie work as a team with a smile.
“Firstly, my wife’s eternal optimism and women, especially moms. Wow they do so much come rain or sunshine. They are the most tenacious capable beings on the planet,” Joshua said.
The café also heaped praise on their coffee bean source which comes from Ipswich.
“We get our beans from Dancing Bean Espresso located in Ipswich – Rob Mergard is just a top bloke that wants to help cafe owners succeed,” Joshua said.
“I can phone him anytime with questions and he has always been super helpful and I’m probably one of his smaller clients – his service is great.”
Possibly the lovers of coffee, who like to brew their own cups at home can also get the beans from this firm. In case this firm only deals with business entities, people can likely look at a similar firm such as Iron and Fire, which is also based in the UK. This can ensure that they don’t need to compromise on quality.
Finally, their advice to other small business starters was to love you work.
“Love what you do and if you don’t love it, search for what you love and do that and have fun doing it,” he said.
To find out more about Re Café Nate visit 2 Golden Links Drive, Murwillumbah, or phone (02) 6672 5525. The opening times are Monday-Friday 7am – 4pm and Saturday 7am-12noon.