The Mackay region's first coffee competition is happening this weekend and will involve a massive afternoon of family fun.
The Grounded Festival makes its debut in Sarina tomorrow with a day of markets, live music, good food and, of course, good coffee.
The team at Third Ground Coffee House initially conceptualised the idea at the start of the year when a staff member’s family were affected by floods in the Lismore area, inspiring them to donate to local the SES.
“We were like, ‘What if we just do a fundraiser and donate it to them, because they’re local and they do so much for our community,’” said Third Ground Coffee House’s Skye Bailey.
“Then we were like, ‘What kind of festival could we get happening? Well, we’re good at coffee,’ and there’s so many other great cafes in the region.”
Some of the region’s most popular cafes, including Primal and Ninth Lane Grind, have since jumped on board.
Visitors can expect a relaxed vibe similar to Eat Street with different coffee and food vans, market stalls, live independent music and plenty of family fun.
The festival will feature Battle of the Beans, a competition pitting the region’s best cafes and baristas against each other in a variety of challenges including latte art, identifying different milks from their smell, coffee composition and a good old-fashioned egg and spoon race with coffees instead.
“We’re really trying to bring a fancy element to it but also have a lot of fun,” said Skye.
“I’m so excited to see most of our team get behind it and see how well they do.
“We’re hoping for some healthy competition and to get everybody else’s passion sparking too.”
The guest coffee tasting judges include Mackay Regional Council Mayor Greg Williamson, redhotblue’s Jody Euler and Channel 7’s Rebekah Jensen.
“It’s just going to be good family fun; a nice, relaxed weekend session with a very entertaining competition,” said Skye.
“We really want to bring a little bit more of a coffee culture because we have so many people passionate about coffee.”
Third Ground Coffee House has been operating for seven years with Skye and her siblings managing it for the last five.
“I’ve been a barista for about eight years and went to the Gold Coast for a year and did some heavy barista training so that’s what started the passion for me,” she said.
“I’d done it on and off and was like, ‘Alright, let’s do this for real.’”
The festival will double as a farewell to the café’s Central Street location before they move to Broad Street later in the year.
WHAT: The Grounded Festival
WHERE: Third Ground Coffee House Backyard, 28 Central Street, Sarina
WHEN: Saturday, October 1 from 4:00pm
TICKETS: Eventbrite
Publishers Indemnity. Any individual or entity that places advertising, supplies copy material, or submits editorial content to Core Life Publishing agrees and undertakes to ensure that all such material:- Does not infringe upon any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights;- Is free from any content that could be considered defamatory, libelous, or slanderous;- Does not infringe upon any rights related to privacy or breach of confidence;- Contains no obscene, indecent, or otherwise unlawful material;- Complies fully with the Trade Practices Act and all other applicable laws, regulations, or statutes.Furthermore, by submitting or placing such material, these individuals or entities agree to indemnify and hold harmless the publisher, Core Publishing and Events Pty Ltd, and/or its agents from and against any and all investigations, claims, demands, liabilities, damages, costs, or judgments arising out of or in connection with the material provided. All material is believed to be accurate at the time of printing and remains the copyright of Core Publishing and Events Pty Ltd.
© 2024 Mackay and Whitsunday Life Pty Ltd.
