For those of you who don’t know your bible stories, The Promised Land was a covenant between God and Abraham, first mentioned in the book of Genesis. It would take a great journey and the ability to overcome adversity for his people to eventually settle there. It was to be a place of security and hope and somewhere to build a nation. So when husband and wife Jonathon and Erin Sciola – who both pastored a church in the Northern suburbs – decided to start their coffee business, they knew exactly what they wanted to call it.
The name is representative of their journey, one that has its own challenges in a saturated market. It is a quest to provide cafes with exceptional quality and service in order to create a good life for themselves and their children.
Sciola had been working at St Ali as an account manager, looking after 50 venues across the brand’s portfolio, training baristas, running cupping sessions and working in the roastery. He also helped set up a number of cafes which gave him an insight into what the owners actually needed.
According to Sciola, specialty coffee can’t stand alone; it’s the product of many things. Like life, the journey from crop to cup has many speed bumps along the way and while there may be a plan, things can go wrong. Baristas want to create the perfect coffee, but if they aren’t using the right equipment or have a lack of support, the end result will be sub-standard.
Understanding coffee with a crazy amount of knowledge of the science behind coffee and the technical aspects required to produce it, Sciola delivers a level of customer service and product knowledge that is very rare in the industry.
Promised Land has already made a name for themselves with their delivery service, bringing airpots filled with fresh filter coffee to workplaces and cafes each day, now adding espresso options for those wanting the full package.
Roasting is done three days a week and the coffee is micro-lot, truly specialty and always aged eight days. Because the grinder requires far less adjustment, the customers experience an unparalleled consistency in their cup. Their Hawk blend is predominantly comprised of a natural Honduras with some washed Colombian, resulting in a balanced brew with a sweet citrus acidity. It’s bright enough to get your taste buds tingling, but still rich and smooth with a medium-caramel body.
Wanting to buck the trend of dark-roasted, Italian-style coffee in tourist-driven Degraves Street, the owners of Mock Turtle wanted to offer a blend that was more relevant to Melbourne’s coffee drinkers – and Hawk suits them perfectly. They choose to prepare it on a La Marzocco for consistency and reliability.
With an eye on current trends and promoting themselves as a healthy cafe with raw, gluten free and vegan options, Mock Turtle operates in a very busy Melbourne laneway, so knowing they have Sciola’s support and expertise any time of day is very reassuring.
We have the privilege of being inhabitants of the world’s most liveable city, and know that Australia is an amazing place to call home. This is our promised land, and we deserve to drink only the best coffee. Thanks to passionate people like Jonathon and Erin Sciola, we always have that opportunity.
The Hawk blend is available at:
Mock Turtle – 34 Degraves St CBD
Edamama – 727 Collins Street Docklands
The Village Food Store – 126A Canterbury Rd Heathmont