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Australia’s best coffee revealed – and it isn’t where you think it is

Emily Murphy Emily Murphy
The judges have spoken, and the flavours taking top honours are ones you’ll want to try.

Australia’s obsession with coffee has reached new heights with the country’s best brew officially crowned at the 2025 Sydney Royal Fine Food Show. After a blind tasting process that saw judges work their way through hundreds of entries, Brisbane’s Coffee Mentality has taken home the prestigious Champion Coffee title.

For a nation that prides itself on its caffeine culture, the result is as much a victory for local Brisbane coffee producers as it is for the daily coffee drinkers who demand nothing but the best.

The blend that impressed the judges

Coffee being poured by man with tattoos.
Coffee Mentality’s Auditory blend was crowned Champion Coffee. (Image: Nathan Dumlao / Unsplash)

Judges described the winning coffee as rich, complex and beautifully balanced, the kind of brew that lingers long after the last sip. Coffee Mentality’s Auditory blend stood out from a field of more than 1600 entries across 72 classes, a reminder that great coffee is as much about craftsmanship as it is about beans.

The Sydney Royal Fine Food Show is known for its rigorous standards and has become one of the most respected platforms for producers to prove their worth. To take out the top coffee prize is to declare yourself the leader of a nation that lives and breathes cafe culture.

Unlike international competitions, where beans can be sourced from anywhere, the Sydney Royal awards put a strong focus on Australian produce. All entries must contain at least 85 per cent Australian ingredients. Coffee Mentality’s win is therefore not just about flavour, but also about the rise of locally grown beans and the roasters who are finding new ways to showcase them.

Other winners worth celebrating

Coffee being poured with latte art
All entries must contain at least 85 per cent Australian ingredients. (Image: Fahmi Fakhrudin / Unsplash)

While coffee took the headline, it was just one part of a showcase that celebrated the diversity of Australian food and drink. Rice Culture was named Champion Drink for its Organic Black Koji Amazake, a fermented rice drink that reflects the growing popularity of craft non-alcoholic beverages.

Slowbreads Roseville impressed again with its Fig, Cranberry and Walnut Sourdough, taking home the Champion Sourdough title. The PieFather in Rosebery made headlines of its own by winning Champion Pie with the quirky but delicious MickTaco pie. Mandolé Orchard continued its dominance in the Champion Plant-Based Product category with its Honey Almond Butter, showing that nut spreads can be every bit as decadent as traditional dairy.

Meat lovers were also well represented. Stockyard Beef was declared Grand Champion Beef Exhibit for its Stockyard Black, while Millin’s Free Range Butcher won Champion Fresh Sausage with its beef Philly cheesesteak sausages. These winners highlight the breadth of Australia’s food scene, from boutique producers experimenting with new flavours to established names pushing boundaries in traditional categories.

So, while a humble cup of coffee might be the headline act, the bigger story is the creativity, dedication and innovation running through every part of Australia’s food industry. Whether you are chasing the perfect morning brew, hunting down sourdough with a twist or curious enough to try a pie inspired by tacos, the 2025 Sydney Royal Fine Food Show has made one thing clear. The best flavours of Australia are being created right now, and they are worth every sip and every bite.

Emily Murphy
Emily Murphy is Australian Traveller's Email & Social Editor, and in her time at the company she has been instrumental in shaping its social media and email presence, and crafting compelling narratives that inspire others to explore Australia's vast landscapes. Her previous role was a journalist at Prime Creative Media and before that she was freelancing in publishing, content creation and digital marketing. When she's not creating scroll-stopping travel content, Em is a devoted 'bun mum' and enjoys spending her spare time by the sea, reading, binge-watching a good TV show and exploring Sydney's vibrant dining scene. Next on her Aussie travel wish list? Tasmania and The Kimberley.
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Mornington Peninsula’s storied past: war, shipwrecks and a runaway convict 

    Kellie Floyd Kellie Floyd
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    The Mornington Peninsula is a coastline of contrasts, where convict and military history meets shipwrecks, wild seas and adventures above and below the surface.

    The Mornington Peninsula can be the kind of place where salt-tangled hair feels like a badge of honour – proof you’ve been somewhere wild, raw and real. Peel back the layers and you’ll discover stories that anchor this region to something other than its famed food and wine.

    This land is the traditional Sea Country of the Bunurong/Boon Wurrung people. Long before grapevines were planted and artisanal goods were crafted, the Bunurong Traditional Owners lived in deep connection with the land and sea. Today, places such as Mushroom Reef Marine Sanctuary echo that tradition, with families exploring its rockpools in search of colourful sea stars and crabs at low tide and learning how these fragile ecosystems have been cared for across countless generations.

    a group of people visiting the Port Nepean National Park
    Take in the rugged coastal landscape at Port Nepean National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    A visit to Point Nepean National Park feels like stepping back through time. The fort, built in 1882, protected the narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay until the end of the Second World War. It was here that the first Allied shot of the First World War was fired – at a German cargo ship trying to escape just hours after war was declared. Nearby, the old Quarantine Station, one of Australia’s first permanent quarantine facilities, established in 1852, still stands. Walking through the hospital and disinfecting complex evokes stories of those who arrived from faraway shores.

    Not far from here is a story of survival that inspired the Aussie phrase ‘you’ve got Buckley’s chance’. In 1803, escaped convict William Buckley vanished into the bush near what’s now Sorrento. Everyone thought he had no hope of surviving, but he reappeared 32 years later, having lived with local Aboriginal people.

    Even the waters here hold history. The infamous stretch known as The Rip, just three kilometres wide at the entrance of Port Phillip Bay, is among the most treacherous waterways. Countless ships were lost here in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and in 1967, Australia’s own Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming off the coast, never to be found.

    a seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay
    A seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    But for all its danger, the sea here also holds extraordinary beauty. Dolphins are often seen near Sorrento’s cliffs, while below the surface, seagrass meadows and rocky reefs teem with life. Marine tours offer a viewing to this underwater wonderland, while back on terra firma, walking trails lead along beaches, through coastal scrub, and over rock pools.

    And if you think you’ll forget about the Mornington Peninsula once you’ve left? You’ve got Buckley’s chance.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    the suite interior at InterContinental Sorrento
    Luxury interiors at the historic InterContinental Sorrento. (Image: Greg Elms)

    Point Nepean Discovery Tents is immersive glamping beside the historic Quarantine Station. Or upgrade to luxury at the 1875-built InterContinental Sorrento.

    Playing there

    an aerial view of Cape Schanck Lighthouse
    Make your way to the Cape Schanck Lighthouse. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    Bayplay Adventure Tours offer eco-adventures from snorkelling with sea dragons to kayaking with dolphins and cycling Point Nepean. Cape Schanck Lighthouse is fascinating to explore on a guided tour, which takes you into the lighthouse and keeper’s cottage.

    Eating there

    Portsea Hotel is a beautifully restored 1876 Tudor-style pub right on the beach, serving seasonal local fare.