An adventure-loving couple who set out to see Australia in a vintage campervan are also on a mission to make great coffee available wherever they go.
Meet Jess Davidson, 32 and Andy Hoffman, 36, from Melbourne, a barista and graphic designer who stepped away from the daily grind for life on the road nine months ago.
'On trips away, we found it hard to get a good coffee, like a really good one and we weren't alone,' Ms Davidson told FEMAIL.
'Many travellers told us how they hadn't had a decent cup in weeks, so we wanted to change this.'
Jess Davidson (pictured left) and Andy Hoffman (pictured right) are a pair of travelling baristas who bring great coffee to the most remote places in Australia
The entrepreneurial duo set off in December 2017 in a 1983 Toyota Hiace - fondly nicknamed Saffy - that belonged to Ms Davidson's parents.
And trundling along behind them is their coffee caravan - one that's fully fitted out to make cafe-style espresso for those they meet along the way.
Ms Davidson said months of planning went into creating a layout that would suit their needs and revealed the pair spent $17,000 creating the caravan of their dreams - not including equipment.
The pair spent $17,000 on a custom caravan that comes fitted out with everything needed to make cafe-style espresso
The couple (who plan to be on the road for at least two years) also made sure the name they gave their business captured the spirit of what they set out to do.
Ms Davidson said lyrics from a song by the Brisbane band The Go Betweens provided inspiration for their brand - Round and Round Coffee.
'Their lyrics "Round and Round, up and down, through the streets of your town" really fit with what we wanted to do, as well as going round and round the country.'
So far the couple have been on the road for nine months and they've set up cafes in more than 35 locations around the country
So far the pair have clocked up close to 19,000 kilometres and have set up pop-up cafes in more than 35 locations across the country.
Far-flung destinations include Katherine in the Northern Territory, Cairns, Cooktown and Port Douglas just to name a few.
Bookings are also lined up for 2019 on Australia's West Coast.
The duo live in a vintage Toyota Hiace that used to belong to Ms Davidson's family
'Currently, we are in a small town of Nebo, in Queensland. It has a population of about 900 people and no cafe!,' Ms Davidson said.
To make this situation work means the baristas have set up shop at the back of the local pub. Good, strong coffee is on sale to workers and town locals from 4am.
'We try to go to towns like this because it's great to see the locals come down and experience our coffee.'
Ms Davidson said the places they visit are researched in advance to make sure their cafe doesn't 'step on the toes' of local cafe owners.
'We've never had any negative backlash from locals and have built good relationships with the other operators by notifying them of our stay,' she said.
Their set up involves arranging chairs and tables, umbrellas, dog bowls and kids games and it can't be done in a rush
Part of the couple's success, Ms Davidson revealed, lay in spending a reasonable amount of time in each place. On average they will stay for at least seven days in one spot.
Their set up involves arranging chairs and tables, umbrellas, dog bowls and kids games - something that can't be done in a rush, Ms Davidson said.
And she said spending a little longer in a place allowed them to take in the sights as well as meet and serve coffee to as many people as possible.
'We love going to towns where there are no cafes or remote areas. It's a real treat for locals to come down and try something new in their town,' she said.
Many travellers told us how they hadn't had a decent cup in weeks, so we wanted to change this,' Ms Davidson said
As well as enjoying the fun that comes from a carefree life away from the hustle of the city, the pair also uses their coffee caravan to fund their travels.
But this doesn't always mean a steady flow of cash.
'Sometimes we're busy and make enough to get by, other times it's quiet and we get down to our last five cents,' Ms Davidson said.
Life on the road comes with plenty of perks including time to string up a hammock and relax in the sun
The occasional tricky moment might see the pair 'scrounging around for $2 stuck to the side of the coffee machine' to afford ice for their esky - but this doesn't deter their enthusiasm for life on the road in the slightest.
If anything, Ms Davidson said it's taught them to prioritise their spending and think about more creative ways to make extra cash such as blogging or selling merchandise.
'Luckily Andy does some freelance work when it's quiet,' she said.
'And we also have an online store where Andy creates travel-inspired apparel and Round & Round merchandise.'
The places they visit are researched in advance to make sure their cafe doesn't 'step on the toes' of local cafe owners
The van-lifers say they've become used to a transient existence, despite the fact they've had their share of challenges along the way.
Ms Davidson said although living and working together has been tough at times it's taught them both how to be more patient.
And there's the added benefit of really learning how to appreciate life at a slower pace:
'We enjoy the simple things and have realised we can live with very little. And we've learned to live cheaply,' she said.
'We've gotten used to a transient lifestyle so when we do finally decide to settle down somewhere, it could be an interesting adjustment'
'We'd now rather cook a meal on the campfire than go out for dinner in a restaurant and we've learned to drink budget beer and wine.'
And as far as what the future holds?
'We've gotten used to a transient lifestyle so when we do finally decide to settle down somewhere, it could be an interesting adjustment.
'We are excited that one day we may have a family to pack up and do this all over again,' she concluded. 'Just maybe in a bigger van!'.
To follow the pair's adventures across Australia head to @roundandround
Link article
https://hienalouca.com/2018/09/17/travelling-baristas-hit-the-road-in-custom-caravan-to-bring-good-coffee-to-all-of-australia/
Main photo article An adventure-loving couple who set out to see Australia in a vintage campervan are also on a mission to make great coffee available wherever they go.
Meet Jess Davidson, 32 and Andy Hoffman, 36, from Melbourne, a barista and graphic designer who stepped away from the daily grind for life on the...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves Femail HienaLouca
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