Rich Adams was first introduced to coffee while working as a dishwater in a small Melbourne cafe.
As a self-proclaimed nerd, he quickly became obsessed with coffee and wanted to learn all the ins and outs of the craft. Adams decided to pester the cafe's head barista to teach him everything they knew. Six months later, he was working full time on the coffee machine.
Now, Adams is the manager and head barista at Queenstown's Yonder, a crowd favourite spot that serves specialty coffee and an extensive menu inspired by travel with plenty of dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options.
Although he has accumulated a swathe of experience in the hospitality industry since his dishwashing days, Adams says that there is still so much to learn about coffee.
"I've been taking an 'every day is a school day' approach to coffee, even after six years, I still feel like I've barely scratched the surface. I don't think I'll ever learn it all, but I can try."
For Adams, a great coffee boils down to the clarity of flavour. In particular, he really enjoys a brew that has distinct tasting notes and can be properly differentiated from the wide array of house blends on the market.
"My go-to coffee is batched brewed filter coffee. Specifically a delicate floral single origin that is served black."
He encourages everyone to experiment and try out different blends.
"Be brave. Try a new coffee, you might just blow your own mind."
When Adams is not making delicious coffee or managing the vibrant venue that is Yonder, he loves hanging out with his mates and partaking in outdoor activities like snowboarding, hiking and skating.
