Commonfolk Coffee Company

You don’t come to Commonfolk by accident. It’s located on the industrial side of Mornington, among workshops and car repair services. It’s easy to mistake the inconspicuous cafe as another warehouse, especially with its roller-door entrance.

Owner Sam Keck chose it in 2010 because he wanted a space large enough to roast and serve coffee. The timber and metal fit-out isn’t flashy, but that’s the point. Commonfolk is about coffee, with a focus on seasonality and quality of origin.

You can order your espresso, filter or cold brew from the bar. Espresso is pulled through a Victoria Arduino Black Eagle, with built-in scales to weigh each extraction (as opposed to measuring the volume). The result speeds up service and ensures consistency.

Commonfolk is also ethically conscious. Twenty cents from every coffee is donated to The Cup that Counts, an initiative dedicated to developing a sustainable coffee industry. The not-for-profit was set up to prioritise the needs of coffee farmers. The current project is a program run by Ugandans for Ugandans.

Sarah Dingwall, Kate Macindoe and Emma Morgan’s art studios feature in the warehouse space. You can have a nose as they work. The outside area is decked out with tables and leads to the hidden graphic design gallery, The Snake Hole.

Our tip for food? Try the beetroot baba ganoush with feta, spiced chickpeas and poached eggs.