{"id":38925,"date":"2016-04-28T05:09:26","date_gmt":"2016-04-27T19:09:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.easyweddings.com\/au\/articles\/latte-love-bringing-art-coffee-weddings\/"},"modified":"2021-11-10T04:48:22","modified_gmt":"2021-11-09T17:48:22","slug":"latte-love-bringing-art-coffee-weddings","status":"publish","type":"au-article","link":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/articles\/latte-love-bringing-art-coffee-weddings\/","title":{"rendered":"Latte love: bringing the art of coffee to weddings"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Coffee\"
Andrew doing what he does best, making delicious coffee. Image: Cart Specialty Coffee.<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Confessed ‘coffee nerd’ Andrew Condolean is on a mission to bring the best of his favourite beverage to Australian weddings – and he’s doing it one reception\u00a0at a time.<\/p>\n

The Sydney-based barista, who estimates he’s brewed more than 1 million coffees in his 15 years working in cafes, says over that time, he’s seen Australia grow into a nation of\u00a0“very sophisticated coffee drinkers who definitely know the difference – and appreciate the difference – between an\u00a0instant coffee and a loving-brewed drop.”<\/p>\n

“We truly enjoy sipping a well-made\u00a0coffee – and not just when we’re sitting at\u00a0a cafe,” he adds.<\/p>\n

It is this significant cultural shift that inspired him to quit his beloved career and start\u00a0Cart Speciality Coffee<\/a>, a mobile cafe that specialises in high-quality coffee (and specialty teas) at events and, in the five\u00a0months it’s been running, weddings now make up the majority\u00a0of his business.<\/p>\n

But, says Andrew,\u00a0Cart Speciality Coffee<\/a>\u00a0is not\u00a0just about sharing his love of coffee with fellow coffee lovers, it’s also about allowing him to give\u00a0something of himself “to every single person who picks up a coffee made by me.”<\/p>\n

\"Andrew
Andrew behind his trusty coffee machine. Image: Cart Specialty Coffee<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“About 12 years ago, while working at a Bondi Junction caf\u00e9, a young woman entered,\u00a0eyes downcast and obviously sad, barely looking up to order her hot-chocolate-to-go,” he recalls.<\/p>\n

In that moment, Andrew\u00a0resolved to brighten her day with the best hot chocolate he\u00a0could\u00a0craft before she left and took her first sip in the street.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom a distance she turned around and smiled,” says Andrew<\/a>. “I realised it was more than a\u00a0transaction,\u201d Andrew says. \u201cFrom that moment I put more care into the craft – and I try to do that same thing with every single tea or coffee made by my hands.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a result of that\u00a0powerful experience, Andrew learned as much as he could about the art of making coffee, training both as a\u00a0barista and a coffee salesman – and it shows in his new business.<\/p>\n

\"Cart
The coffee machine with a lovely backdrop of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Image: Cart Specialty Coffee<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Andrew’s\u00a0Cart Speciality Coffee<\/a>\u00a0has garnered him five-star reviews and a reputation as a business that’s “cool and a little bit hipster, but always, always professional,” he says.<\/p>\n

Depending on which package couples choose, professional baristas serve coffees and\/or tea to wedding guests, however, Andrew is also working on plans to allow his\u00a0clients to match\u00a0the cart\u2019s look to their wedding theme, with options ranging from contemporary with edgy graffiti art to warm with timber panelling and flowing blooms.<\/p>\n

Andrew says coffee quality and professional service – as well as genuine hospitality – are essential for any great caf\u00e9\u00a0but a visually pleasing aesthetic is also crucial and he aims to provide this caf\u00e9\u00a0experience at\u00a0weddings.<\/p>\n

\"The
Cart Specialty Coffee cater to weddings in the Sydney area. Image: Cart Specialty Coffee<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Andrew describes himself, rather proudly, as a \u201cfull coffee nerd\u201d who also works a coffee machine\u00a0technician and barista trainer.\u00a0\u201cI know the origin of every bean,\u201d he declares.<\/p>\n

Andrew <\/a>saw a niche in the wedding market for a pop-up caf\u00e9 when his coffee-loving neighbours\u00a0were struggling to find a coffee cart for their wedding.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey love coffee and wanted only great coffee served at their wedding,\u201d he says. “They were looking in the right places but no one wanted to cater for them on the\u00a0shores of Balmain.”<\/p>\n

\"Cart
Cart Coffee at Brad and Keira’s wedding. Image: Cart Specialty Coffee<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He seized that chance to bring his experience to their function and loved being part of\u00a0their celebration – as much as his neighbours’ guests who savoured being served a quality brew at the reception.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone was on a high. There was such a buzz,\u201d he says. “The most common response from guests was relief\u00a0that they could enjoy\u00a0a decent cup of coffee with a piece of wedding cake.<\/p>\n

“It was a really wonderful way to\u00a0to round off an equally wonderful party.”<\/p>\n

\"Coffee
It’s all about the coffee beans! Image: Cart Specialty Coffee\u00a0<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Andrew says he’s seen couples spend countless hours worrying about getting their food and\u00a0alcohol perfect at their receptions – but, too often, overlook great quality coffee and teas to end the party.<\/p>\n

“Lukewarm, insipid or murky coffees are no way to end your wedding reception,”he says, “especially not in our\u00a0flourishing coffee culture.”<\/p>\n

Andrew\u2019s cart offers all the standard caf\u00e9 options, from espressos and flat whites to\u00a0piccolos and macchiatos.<\/p>\n

There are also cold brewed filtered options and a range of Tea Drop teas. Andrew\u00a0provides three event packages. The most basic option includes one professional\u00a0barista and up to 100 beverages while the more upmarket deal includes two baristas\u00a0and 400 beverages.<\/p>\n

With such experience\u00a0working in cafes and the coffee sector, Andrew says he has\u00a0the skills to help brides and grooms create memories on their wedding.\u00a0But his core aim remains the same – to make his customers smile with a great drink\u00a0and warm hospitality.<\/p>\n

\"The
The Cart Specialty Coffee team. Image: Cart Specialty Coffee<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Cart
The Cart \u00a0Specialty Coffee cart, ready to cater for wedding guests. Image: Cart Specialty Coffee<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38926,"template":"","au_article_tag":[352],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/au-article\/38925"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/au-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/au-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/au-article\/38925\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"au_article_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/au_article_tag?post=38925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}