Add Category
Updated
Newcastle is taunting Melbourne ahead of the A-League grand final this weekend by pouring water on the southerners' crown jewels, its coffee.
"We all know Newcastle's got better coffee than @cityofmelbourne and this weekend we find out who's got better footballers," Newcastle City Council tweeted.
The NSW city, affectionately known as 'Newy' to its locals, is basking in grand final fever, with the Newcastle Jets preparing to take on Melbourne Victory this Saturday in a sell-out home game.
Authorities are not letting any opportunity slip by.
Their audacious coffee claim, likely to spark the ire of many a hipster Melburnian, is being backed by Newcastle's deputy mayor who does not believe the Victorian capital has the right to its reputation as the king of coffee.
"Melbourne pretends to have coffee culture, but we know Newcastle is where it's at for coffee culture," Councillor Declan Clausen said.
"Melbourne might have trendy little laneways, but we've got the unique coffee culture of the east end, of Darby Street, of Beaumont Street. The ability to have a great coffee at the beach. You simply can't do that in Melbourne."
Novocastrian baristas, naturally, agree.
"The Newcastle coffee scene has grown immensely in the last 18 months and I think that with that has come a lot of baristas that are just finding that we are a lot better suited to making coffee than the Melbourne baristas," cafe owner Ken Blackman said.
"We have a better atmosphere up here, better culture up here, and our coffee is just second to none."
Newy rulz
But it is not just Melbourne's beloved coffee that is copping a beating.
"We've got better beaches, we've got more sunshine, and at the end of the day we're just a nicer, relaxed culture," Mr Blackman said.
Perhaps Melbourne does have Newcastle on fashion — more than one outfit a day is mandatory with such abrupt changes in Melbourne's weather — but Newy's deputy mayor does not seem to care.
"We've got the trendy, surfy lifestyle in Newcastle. I don't think we need the hype of Melbourne fashion," Cr Clausen said.
"And regardless, we know that Newcastle is just a short hour and a half plane trip from Melbourne. If you want to go in and get the fashion, you can, without any dramas."
The ABC contacted Melbourne's council for a response, but its acting lord mayor was unable to stick up for its reputation as it is in caretaker mode.
That honour was left to Melbourne barista Emma Primrose, who defended her city's cafe culture as second to none … and its coffee as number one.
"The cafe that I'm working at, we own our own roastery so we have full control over the product from start to finish and I guess a lot of the cafes have that, where we all roast our own coffee.
"You've got a meeting of some of the best baristas in the world who all come from overseas to work here, and the international events as well, we hold the international coffee expo once a year."
Daring to add that perhaps with a little more graffiti, Newcastle could start to catch up to its cooler climate brethren.
But what about the sport?
Cappuccinos and piccolos aside, this weekend is all about the sport and its spirit.
Jets coach Ernie Merrick has said Victory will be welcomed to the city.
"You have to respect any team that are playing in the grand final. There's a reason why they're in the grand final. And Victory are a very good team," Merrick said.
"We respect Melbourne Victory. We'll be the perfect hosts. We'll certainly welcome them here."
And perhaps show them a good cup of coffee.
Topics: food-and-beverage, tourism, lifestyle-and-leisure, newcastle-2300, melbourne-3000, nsw, vic, australia
First posted