BY JESSICA ROUSE
Sidecar Roasters is what happens when three creatives find a hobby during a pandemic. Ben Greenslade-Stanton, Mike Raper and Marty Farrugia come from musical, creative and education backgrounds which is exactly what you see when you walk into Sidecar Roasters in Branxton.
Sidecar Roasters originally started roasting in Sydney in 2021, and it wasn’t until 2025 when Ben moved to the Hunter Valley with his family that he walked past a building in Branxton that looked like the perfect fit.
“We knew there was a café operating there once upon a time on Maitland Street. When we moved here at the start of 2025 we drove past and there was a sign in the window saying it had closed.
“There was nothing much inside, so I did some sleuthing to find out who owned the building and got in touch. The building was set up as a roastery and café so it was perfect.
“It was designed by globally acclaimed architecture firm Snøhetta and the owner has a strong involvement and passion for contemporary Australian art – he’s on the board of the MCA in Sydney and the Art Gallery of NSW and has his own art collection.”
The coffee itself matches the vibe.
“We’re not just a run-of-the-mill dark roast Italian style coffee, that’s not us. Our house blend Enigma was our first fore into an all-rounder coffee, it has multiple single origins based on the three we started with, a Brazil, Ethiopia and a Columbia.
“Our Single Origins allow us to delve into more specific flavour profiles and experiment with what we like.
“Marty loves an espresso, I love Aeropress, Filter and Pour Over coffee and then there’s Mike who drinks it all,” laughed Ben.
When you walk into Sidecar Roasters you’ll find photography on the walls, soon to be Australian Photographer & Educator Sam Ferris’ Coffee Meets Art exhibition, a curated playlist, coffee roasting out the back, a vibe that is intentional. It’s a place to hang out, work, sometimes it’s busy and sometimes it’s quiet.
“We have a small tight food menu, which we try to focus on locally sourced foods. Often you go to some restaurants and the menu is massive, and there’s just too much choice.
“Authenticity is a strong value for us and I think that ties into what we’re trying to offer. I won’t put any food on the menu that we don’t like or wouldn’t enjoy. The menu has condensed a little over the time we’ve been here. Some of that is a business decision but a lot of it is just what we do – coffee is the champion here.”
If the coffee is the champion for you, you can take it home with you – a bag of beans, grounds for your machine and soon Nespresso Compatable Compostable Coffee Pods.
