The coffee roasting company, Silipo Coffee, is hidden away in the light industrial area of Bailey Crescent, Southport. Local workers can refuel with excellent coffee carefully brewed by barista Richard Silipo, grab breakfast or lunch, or buy their own takeaway coffee beans.
After owning the trattoria Basilico in Southport and Oompahs in Burleigh, Richard decided to concentrate on coffee, roasting platinum blend beans from around the world, running a barista school and wholesaling his coffee from this semi-industrial site.
It’s a simple but neat café which makes no apologies for concentrating on coffee. The coffee is superb: smooth, rich and with a perfect crema, made with care and attention. Now, with a chef on board, there are simple breakfasts and lunches available and a cosy lounge and dining room where you can eat and relax with free daily papers and wifi. These two adjoining rooms also provide an area for training, barista classes and coffee roasting.
A lot of the action, however, takes place out the back in the roasting warehouse, which produces 90% of the trade as wholesale to coffee shops and businesses. Taking pride of place is “Roy”, a 15kg Has Garanti roaster named after Richard’s grandfather, Roy Ingham, who was a veteran of the café and hospitality industry. “Roy” is the symbol of this heritage; the passing down of a passion for great food and coffee.
Six years after opening, Silipo Coffee has pulled in a handful of coveted awards: two Silver Golden Bean Awards for their Nero and Decaf blends and a Bronze for their Peru Single Origin, Overall Runner-Up from 1200 entries in the 2011/2012 competition; no mean feat! They’ve also added a deck to add to patron comfort.
One of only a few Barista Training Schools on the Gold Coast, Silipo Coffee runs four courses on Tuesday nights, from Introduction to Espresso through to full certification as Barista in a café. ‘One on one’ tuition is also available as well as mentoring for work experience students.
Roy Senior would be proud to see his legacy, as grandson Richard carries on the family’s tradition of service, his open smile warming the shop front as “Roy” fires away out the back, keeping the wholesale trade running. Yes, Roy Ingham would be very happy.
3/54 Bailey Crescent, Southport Ph: 07 5528 0613