Homebody Union Fitzroy: the new Melbourne venue from 2022 World Barista Champion Anthony Douglas – BeanScene

The 2022 World Barista Champion Anthony Douglas and designer Sooyeon Shin are set to open the first physical venue for their specialty coffee brand Homebody Union in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy.

Located at 93 Moor Street, the new café will open to the public on 5 November and has been designed as a coffee-focused experience bar where customers can explore different expressions of coffee before taking that experience home.

Anthony, who previously served as Coffee Training Manager at Axil Coffee Roasters, competed in the Australian Barista Championship for seven years before winning both the national and world titles in 2022. He now leads coffee quality and roasting at Homebody Union.

He co-founded the Melbourne-based brand with Sooyeon, Homebody Union’s Creative Director, who leads its branding, visual identity and product design, as well as the creative direction of the Fitzroy café.

Homebody Union was founded on the belief that specialty coffee should be approachable and easier for people to understand, enjoy and brew at home. Its Fitzroy venue is designed to bring that idea into a physical setting for the first time.

The coffee offering will centre on three flavour profiles: Familiar, Vibrant and Expressive, ranging from classic and comforting coffees to brighter and more distinctive expressions. Espresso, milk and filter coffees will be available across the three profiles, with reserve and rare coffees rotating through the menu.

The venue will also offer the “Champion Set”, a guided format designed to allow customers to experience coffee in more than one expression. Homebody Union says the broader concept is to allow guests to taste coffee in the space, discover what they like and then take it home to enjoy in their preferred way.

Homebody Union’s range extends beyond the café to coffee, drip bags and instant products, which the company says are roasted for consistency between the café and at-home experience. Desserts at the Fitzroy venue will be supplied by The Flour.

The new Homebody Union venue is located at 93 Moor Street, Fitzroy, Victoria, and will operate from 8am to 3pm.