Meet Sarah from Retro Roast

How did Retro Roast come about?

Over seven years ago, I started looking for a building in Mount Kembla to open a coffee shop & grocer. Mount Kembla has a pub, club and fine dining restaurant, but no shops for a morning community hub or just for basic needs. Unfortunately, due to the strict zoning of the village, I found it impossible to fulfil that dream, so after consulting with Council, I built the coffee van as a mobile food truck and parked it on private property. Now we are a thriving community hub and meeting place for both locals and visitors.

How long have you been operating?
13 months.

What is the best thing about your location?

The view and vibe! We are a quirky little retro van in a random paddock at the foothills of Mount Kembla village, located along a tourist drive and a busy shared pathway of walkers, runners and cyclists.

Tell us more about your menu?

We serve sweet and savoury toasted croissants, and classic gourmet toasties for breakfast, brunch and lunch. In addition, we offer cafe classics like cakes, muffins and cookies.

What brand of coffee do you serve and why?

We brew the Gusto blend by Seven Miles Coffee Roasters. It’s a delicious bean that seems to cater for a diverse range of coffee lovers. They have a local roast house, cafe and warehouse in North Wollongong, and offer incredible support and training.

We also love the branding for this blend (being a Kombi image), as it’s the perfect match combining our other businesses Retro RV Wollongong and Shellharbour, a Kombi hire company.

What’s the secret to a perfect brew?

A good bean! We feed our coffee machine with Kangen Water, an activated water that is said to enhance the bean’s flavour and aroma, while reducing the acidity. A great barista also helps.

If you buy a coffee from another spot in the Illawarra, where do you go?

I don’t get out to enjoy other cafes much, but I do enjoy our local coffee at Steam Heads and Ambiance Ristorante.