I am always amazed where our quest for great coffee takes us and to what extent the threads that bind us are coffee flavoured. David Southwick and I became friends when I first started lecturing at RMIT in 06.
He’s been a member of Parliament (member for Caulfield) for about 10 months, so I thought I would collar him for a coffee and see how things were going in the world of state politics. I think the last time we had done a coffee we were in AIX café in Centre Way in 2007 and he was telling me of his wish to enter state politics.
Clearly I think David is one of the good guys (no apologies for that), so if you want to know about him click here; but what got me was that when we met, I thought we would dash up Bourke Street somewhere for a coffee, but he took me through to the State Parliament Public Restaurant (and café so it turns out).
The restaurant is open to the public at certain times, and is effectively a teleporter into yesteryear in terms of decor and ambiance. A ‘high tea’ type of place where many relationships are forged between the members, hands are shaken and coffee’s had. It’s truly beautiful in there, as with the outside world of business, Coffee fuses relationships and results in actions.
I took a chance and ordered my standard long macchiato, and was delighted to receive, Crivelli (as I discovered) made very well, temperate and smooth. Someone knows what they are doing behind the machine. I guess I was doubly surprised because restaurants (as I have crowed about before) rarely do a descent coffee.
As we chatted, I posed the question to David,.. “Politics and Coffee? what’s the connection?” he said that “many political discussions are held in a Cafe over a good cup of coffee. Before the battle of minds begin for MP’s most of us prepare with a coffee in the Parliament Cafe in Strangers corridor, a place where people from all backgrounds and political persuasions meet.”
He also said “I am lucky as the coffee culture dominates my electorate in Caulfield. I have 3 Cafes that all sell great coffee in walking distance from my office and are across the road from Caulfield Park- Uffizi, Kinch and The Spot. ”
I love it,… the coffee bean is deeply within the fiber of our state politicians (A good thing I say)! I also met a couple of the members who were eager to talk about great cafes and coffee (in their electorates I guess).
If you can get into parliaments little coffee gem, do it. It’s a great venue, but you may want to wear a jacket!
