Maker Coffee began with John and Stephanie Vroom, two hospitality professionals whose first venue, Ora in Kew, opened in 2011. John roasted small batches at night on Bessie, their one-kilogram roaster, while Stephanie shaped a service style “built on warmth, clarity and attention to detail”. Maker Coffee opened in Richmond in 2015 and more venues followed. There are now five shops: Richmond, South Yarra, Prahran and two in the CBD. The tagline is “Roasted in Melbourne. Served with care.”

Roasting is on a Probat UG22, and every roast is cupped under internal protocols and adjusted when required. Sourcing goes through importers, among them Caravela and Cafe Imports, and the ethos is “purist at heart”: Maker does not work with co-fermented coffees or coffees enhanced with additives. The shops are meant to feel “warm, approachable and considered”, and questions about new coffees and brewing methods are welcome at any of them.

The retail range is divided into espresso roasts and filter roasts, with two house espressos, two seasonal filters, a decaf and a rotation of single origins. Bags come in 250 g and 1 kg, with a Returnr reusable container option for pick-up, and there are subscriptions, brewing guides and a news blog that announces each new lot. The current retail range is listed below with the roaster’s own tasting notes.

Coffee on the shelf

Photograph: Maker Coffee