Specialty Coffee Meets Lavender in the Hunter Valley

Some of the best ideas begin with curiosity... and a little creativity. That's certainly true for the team at Sidecar Roasters. With backgrounds in music, education and art, they are transforming their Branxton roastery into one of the Hunter Valley's most creative coffee destinations. It was this shared spirit of experimentation that led to a collaboration with Wine Country Lavender, creating a Lavender Latte that surprises people for all the right reasons - delicately floral, beautifully balanced and unlike anything most people have tasted before.

When the team behind Sidecar Roasters started experimenting with lavender, the goal wasn't to create a novelty drink. It was to see whether two carefully crafted local products - specialty coffee and culinary lavender - could work together in a way that felt balanced, authentic and genuinely delicious. The answer became a Lavender Latte: a drink that remains true to exceptional coffee while introducing a subtle floral note. But the story goes far beyond what's in the cup.

Built with Soul

This is a story where craftsmanship, design and community are valued as highly as the coffee itself. We caught up with Ben from Sidecar Roasters to talk about the journey behind the café, the inspiration for the Lavender Latte, and the surprising parallels between our two businesses. Like Wine Country Lavender, Sidecar began as a passion project during the uncertainty of the COVID years - built from curiosity, a willingness to learn from scratch, and a desire to create something meaningful.

"Sidecar Roasters (the cafe-roastery) started because we wanted to build something that actually felt like us, and through a little luck the space became available to us. Coffee, music, art, good design, good people, a bit of chaos, and the belief that regional towns deserve interesting things too. We never wanted a cookie-cutter café. The vision was always a roastery first, with a café wrapped around it. Our coffee had to be the centre of it. The whole idea was to create a place with some soul, where the coffee is serious but the space still feels warm, creative and with a little attitude."

"As a roastery, we began like so many other small businesses during the covid-era, finding an opportunity for the three of us (musicians/educators/artists) to have a project outside of the industries we were working in at the time to counteract the unknowns of the time. We learnt from the ground up how to roast and develop our profiles and opportunities."

Designing More Than a Café

Design and atmosphere is integral in shaping the experience at Sidecar Roasters. "People feel a space before they think about it. For us, design is not about looking fancy. It’s about creating a mood. The light, the timber, the concrete, the music playlists, the roaster sitting right there in the back room, the artwork, the smell of coffee roasting or brewing. It all matters. The Scandinavian influence gives it that clean, modern, open feeling through its architecture and consideration to build quality and materials. We want it to feel calm but alive. Considered. A place where you can sit with a coffee, can experience it and feel like someone gave a damn about the details."

Why Lavender?

Coffee and lavender aren't a combination most people would expect - but it works! "The idea came from wanting to create something, collaboratively, that connected to the region without being lazy, obvious or gimmicky. Coffee already has floral notes. Some origins naturally lean that way. So it wasn’t about forcing lavender into coffee. It was about finding a way for it to sit properly inside a coffee based drink. Lavender has such a strong sensory pull. It’s floral, calming, aromatic, and instantly connected to place, especially in a region like the Hunter where people are already tuned into flavour, produce and experience. That being said, it is not a common flavour in Australian culinary spaces. It is definitely a niche combination, but, why not? Experimentation and creativity is simply fun, and we want to create for the people who are open to new tastes and experiences, just like we are!"

I want them to take a sip and realise it makes sense. Lavender Latte sounds like it could be a gimmick, or just a weird experience - but the goal is the opposite. It should taste like coffee first, with the lavender sitting underneath it: soft, floral, aromatic, and a little unexpected. Not loud. Not sweet for the sake of it. Just enough to shift the mood of the drink. The surprise is that it feels calm and natural. It has this gentle lift to it, and the experience on the palate will differ for everyone. That’s the sweet spot for me: something curious and local, but still genuinely delicious.

Developing a new coffee creation often involves plenty of trial and error - and the process of crafting the lavender coffee was no different and finding the right balance of flavours when creating a Lavender Latte required lot of small adjustments. "It is a one-size coffee, not something to serve in a large 16oz cup. It is refined. Lavender has a beautiful aroma, but it needs to be handled carefully so it supports the coffee rather than taking over. The hard part was keeping the coffee in charge. We’re a roastery, so the espresso has to lead. The lavender needs to lift the drink, add aroma, add a little floral edge, then get out of the way. We knew it was right when people took a sip and the reaction became, “Actually, that works.” That’s the moment. When it still tastes like proper coffee, but there’s something unexpected sitting underneath it. It is also iterative, in that slight adjustments will continue to develop, and further integrations into other coffee and coffee-adjacent menu items."

We have of course tried it… and yes, we might be a little biased, but the Lavender Latte at Sidecar Roasters is genuinely delicious. The coffee still shines through beautifully, with the rich flavour you expect from a great cup, followed by a delicate hint of lavender that gently lingers on the palate. It’s subtle, aromatic and surprisingly balanced - not a lavender drink pretending to be coffee, but a beautiful coffee experience with a touch of Hunter Valley creativity. Think we’re biased? Maybe! The only way to know is to go and try one for yourself.

Coffee, Creativity and Community

Coffee isn't the only creative outlet shaping Sidecar's identity. Ben's background in photography, music and storytelling influences everything from the café's atmosphere to the way customers experience the brand. Photography has become a natural extension of the Sidecar story. Ben's love of photography has influenced the way he approaches coffee, storytelling, and the Sidecar brand. "Photography has changed how I see things. It’s trained me to notice small details: light, movement, texture, and fleeting moments. I’m drawn to the imperfect bits: the grit, the blur, the in-between. In many ways, it’s the same mindset that shaped my music career. Whether I’m writing, performing, photographing, or making coffee, I’m interested in feeling, atmosphere, creativity and authenticity. Coffee is similar. It’s sensory, instinctive, and shaped by small decisions. Like music, it’s built on craft and repetition, but the goal is always to create an experience. The smallest adjustment can change the outcome."

"With Sidecar Roasters, photography has helped me shape how the brand feels, not just how it looks. Mike, Marty and my own backgrounds across music and education also influence that too. I think about storytelling, mood, and connection. Through the Caffeine+Contrast Photography Series & PROJECTION, we support new connections. Bringing artists and creators to a new audience, a different space for an audience to experience modern work as opposed to a more formal gallery or art venue. It becomes even more accessible: a physical experience with the work, rather than simply engaging individually on a backlit phone or laptop. It is a physical presence. Sensory again."

Looking to the Future

While still fully settling in and finding 'their place' in the Hunter Valley, Ben and his team care about contributing something worthwhile to the local community. "We believe firmly in collaboration. We want to continue to engage and operate with awesome local independent businesses not simply as a token gesture, rather to be proud together of what our region has to offer and what we can create together. The region already has a strong food and wine identity, and we know coffee deserves to sit in that conversation too. Not as an afterthought at the end of a meal, but as something with its own craft, story and reason to visit."

Fast Five with Ben

1. First coffee of the day or last coffee of the day? I'm all about the first coffee of the day!

2. Sweet, savoury or spicy? All of them. Depends on the time of day!

3. Flat white, espresso, or filter? All of them. Depends on the time of day, and what coffee beans I have available or want to try.

4. Best coffee you've had overseas? Japan - there are so many amazing coffee roasteries and cafes. All practitioners of coffee as an artform. The respect for their product and the craft is immense. (I have a massive list of wonderful cafes and roasteries there if anyone is planning to visit - reach out and I can share my recommendations).

5. Lavender in one word? Sensory.

Talking with Ben, one thing became clear: the Lavender Latte was not just about creating a novelty. It was about respecting two crafts - specialty coffee and culinary lavender - and finding a way for them to complement one another without compromise. Whether you're a coffee enthusiast, a lavender lover, or simply someone who enjoys discovering thoughtful local experiences, the Lavender Latte is worth trying for yourself. Visit Sidecar Roasters, take that first sip, and you might just find yourself saying exactly what so many others have:

"Actually... that works."

Because sometimes the best ideas don't shout. They simply make perfect sense.

Check out Sidecar Roasters Menu and more here. Browse Wine Country Lavender culinary lavender products here including our farm-grown dried lavender buds and herbal tea blends, and read more about culinary lavender in our blog.