James Boon

I joined Dish and Spoon towards the end of 2023, deferring a managerial role to deal with the remaining fallout from my aforementioned bout of ill health. In spite of this I have worked closely with owners Frank and Eya, embracing my passion for fine coffee, and utilizing my relationships with many truly first class Australian roasters (Manta Ray, Tin Man, Criteria to name a few), as well as a number of international roasters (Gardelli, La Cabra, Librarian) to build what I believe to be a truly noteworthy reserve coffee program.

This role has been an opportunity for me reevaluate my values as a barista, renewing my love for coffee and giving me an opportunity to build stronger, more authentic relationships with clientele; it has been a treasured experience and professional renaissance for me.

BAM Bread & Milk was a somewhat progressive concept in the Melbourne hospitality scene at it's inception. One part corner store, one part cafe, one part grocer and deli, and one part online retailer. Stocking a range of fine goods, deli meats and cheeses, as well as serving a full menu of deli sandwiches.

I was largely responsible for the front of house management, acting as stockist for the grocery, as well as developing the initial space, onboarding staff and setting up the online storefront. Initially my work involved developing wholesale relationships with suppliers (Enoteca Sileno, Savor and Grace, Calendar Cheese, Ona Coffee, and many other small independent goods producers) leading up to our grand opening, and then expanding into general service. As the business left its opening period, it became evident that a large component of our work would be managing the supply of the grocery, building personalized giftboxes and online order fulfillment. The digital storefront was fully integrated with Google, with each product being individually photographed and edited for listing.

I departed BAM and stepped away from full time employment due to a bout of ill health.

I joined Axil in a mixed role during my tertiary education, acting as a somewhat informal consultant and backup barista during their expansion period in the late twenty tens, before settling into a senior role at the Chadstone store. The requirements of this role we're of little variance due to the sheer volume of the business; moving something in the 200kg+ region during our first two Christmas'. "Arrive, spin milk for 10 hours, go home", was a running joke with staff. Nonetheless production of this scale meant a familiarity with pressure, urgency and workflow efficiency; in this way, the work was extremely engaging and invaluable.

Working with Axil gave me access to both fantastic opportunities for professional development, as well as an opportunity to work closely and develop friendships with some of the finest Baristas in the country at the time, but I ultimately departed to focus on my final year of studies.

I joined The Hatter and The Hare during their start-up period, designing the coffee bar and organizing wholesale supply from a number of roasters (Five Senses, Seven Seeds, Disciple (Then trading as Monk Bodhi Dharma). The role also required onboarding of barista staff, reserve menu construction, which has remained a mainstay of my tenure at future venues, as well as general ordering.

The initial opening period was extraordinarily busy; moving between 100+kg of coffee through the machine each week, before stabilizing as a 75-80kg account.