Sample Coffee opens Old Gold, a new cafe in a converted heritage chocolate factory in Chippendale
Sample Coffee has just opened its third store in a former chocolate factory in the heart of Chippendale. They’ve named it Old Gold.
The building originally housed MacRobertson’s Confectionery, creators of Cherry Ripe, Freddo Frog and those Old Gold chocolate blocks. It’s golden on the inside, too. A gold-wrapped custom La Marzocco KB90 espresso machine sits in the middle of the ground-floor cafe; there’s a rotating selection of single origins coffees, and the house blend “Sweet Tooth” is used for the milk coffees. All the coffee beans are roasted every week in Sample’s St Peters roastery. Shea Mcenallay, ex-Mecca and part of the Sample crew for a few years now, explains the different notes and nuances of each coffee to curious locals who are keen to dive into the specialty world.
A straightforward but complete food menu caters for everyday breakfast and food, and it will change to accommodate seasonal produce and keep locals excited. With Graeme Alexander (former owner of Camperdown’s Little Lord cafe) leading the kitchen wing, there is a strong focus on plant-based and locally sourced options for breakfast and lunch. Suppliers include The Vege Box (fresh produce), Penny Fours (croissants) and ThoroughBread (sourdough baguettes and bagels).
Old Gold is Sample Coffee’s third store, joining its current Sample cafes in Surry Hills and St Peters. The owners of the Chippendale building approached Sample Coffee’s owner Reuben Mardan to bring some life (and coffee) to the ground floor of the new, almost-empty office building. This wasn’t his first rodeo; he’d already done so with the opening of Sample Coffee Pro Shop and Roastery in St Peters’ Precinct 75 in 2014. First comes the coffee, then the tenants.
The Old Gold look balances heritage and contemporary, and draws on the building’s sweet history: fine brass, dark timber and curved shapes synchronise with the pre-existing rough brick and concrete floors. It’s the result of a creative collaboration between Reuben; his partner, designer-architect Ainhoa Martinez; and local building company Green Anvil. The fit-out includes touches from local mates such as Jonathan West (author of the 10-seat custom-made table set in the building foyer), Inartisan (plant pots), Sweet Pea & Honey Bee and The Wilds (dry flower details). Incidentally, all are neighbours to Sample’s St Peters shop.
The fact that so many local small businesses work with Sample is no coincidence. It underpins Sample’s philosophy that business can be a force for good. Sample is one of the few cafes-coffee roasters in Australia to receive the B Corporation certification – it’s a trusted stamp of Sample’s commitment to sustainable and ethical practices throughout its supply chain.
KEY INFO
Old Gold
1 Dangar Street, Chippendale
(Also accessed through 140 Cleveland Street)
0414 703 005
Opening hours: Mon to Fri 7 am – 3.30 pm.
