Teens to take Melbourne's coffee secrets to remote Queensland

A group of teenagers from a remote Aboriginal community in far north Queensland are on a fact-finding mission in Melbourne as part of a quest to open their town's first coffee shop.

The perfect brew ... the Queensland teenagers learn from some of Melbourne's best baristas.

The team visited some of Melbourne's best known cafes during the trip with the aim of learning how to make a good coffee, and then use the skills in their hometown of Lockhart River.

The town is so remote it is only accessible by plane for six months of the year and it is an 11-hour drive to the closest major centre of Cairns.

Dolley Macumboy, 15, said she was learning many new things in Melbourne and was taking a special interest in coffee art.

"Learning about how to design the coffee like with the leaf, and froth the milk, and with the temperature," she said.

The teenagers are already running a canteen and catering service at school, which is growing in popularity in the wider community.

Teacher Sandy Marshall said the teenagers were using a cheap store-bought espresso machine to make coffees, providing the only espresso for sale in a 300-kilometre radius.

"They're not the type of kids who like to sit and do bookwork so we're trying to think of things we can do outside of the classroom, and the easiest thing for us to do was to go into the tuckshop and cook," she said.

"So we started doing this catering service and people started requesting us and it was becoming really good, and they want us to do the coffee as well.

"There's so much potential for business in Lockhart River given there is only one store and the potential for them to open up a coffee shop is a realistic possibility and they're getting really excited about it."

Aged between 12 and 16 years old, the teenagers who are taking part in the coffee program are among the community's most marginalised.

The teenagers will put their new skills to test on this espresso machine in Lockhart River.

Youth in communities may face the challenges of teenage parenting and addiction.

Seddon cafe owner Chris Gooden, who taught the group during their time in Melbourne, said he was approached by the school's principal to take part.

"I think when someone enthusiastically asks you for help you have to do what you can," he said.

"I had a great quote on our blackboard the other day: 'We can't help everybody but we can all help somebody.' So it's just something we can do.

"And we get to have fun at work."

Source : ABC News  Jessica Longbottom November 20th 2014