(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The Australian pie and coffee chain that conquered the US after an appearance on David Letterman is now open in Abu Dhabi.
It’s a country that is renowned for its love of savoury pies and has recently had the gall not only to export them to America but also teach notoriously fussy New Yorkers a thing or two about coffee.
Pie Face makes brilliant freshly baked pies of numerous varieties including chicken and mushroom and steak but also serves crop to cup certified “Knock Me Out” coffee which uses the brand’s very own unique Pie Face coffee roasts and blends as well as iced beverages and a wide selection of freshly made sandwiches.
The chain has branched out into Yas Mall Yas Island so we caught up with its global coffee trainer Spiro Bellas who appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman to talk about what he does.
Tell us about your David Letterman experience. Why were you on there and how was it
Our first store in NYC is attached to the Ed Sullivan theatre on the corner of 53rd and Broadway. Once we opened the store we knew we were in with a chance of getting on the show as Rupert’s Hello Deli and Steak and Shake got a run.
Once we started trading the talkative barista that I am I got to know most of the Letterman crew that work on the show and as such we offered to cater for their guests in the Green Room. After a few weeks of catering for the Late Show …no invite…so we had a French pastry Chef Francois who heads up our kitchen to draw some unique faces on the pies which were caricatures of David Letterman and Paul Schafer. We baked those pies and sent them up to David Letterman and that afternoon we got the call up to go on the show. Boy was I nervous but it was a great experience and a lifelong memory.
How does one get into coffee training What is the number one talent you must possess
One must have a certain level of interest and most of all be passionate. I have been involved in coffee as a retailer for over 20 years and to this day the number one talent would be an ability to interact and teach people from all walks of life young old beginners to experienced baristas. I have trained staff here in the UAE to franchisees back home and in New Zealand and stakeholders from our new markets in South Korea and the Philippines.
What is it about coffee you love
I love the fact that coffee challenges the senses every day and it’s a real challenge on a daily basis to create a perfect espresso. A great barista needs to be able to extract a perfect espresso as this forms the basis of all our coffee beverages.
How would you convince a tea lover to take up drinking coffee
What I would do is try and make the tea drinker understand the flavour profiles and taste of coffee. Perhaps play on the fact that coffee is the second most traded commodity on the planet and that obviously means that billions of us are consuming it.
Talk us through Pie Face’s coffee. What does it bring to the market that other coffees don’t
Pie Face coffee brings to the market two unique blends which are a medium roast and a strong roast which we have roasted in Australia. Our Coffee has won several awards (Bronze and Silver) in the Australian Golden Bean Awards. It’s also only available through Pie Face.
What makes a good coffee
Mainly the barista and the experience he/she offers the guest…there’s no point getting a great coffee from a snotty barista that doesn’t have time to be friendly and say ‘hello.’
So to me a great coffee is the whole experience from the store I enter. I’d rather an average coffee from a very comfortable and welcoming store and staff than a great coffee from stuck up staff and stores that make don’t make you feel comfortable.
What is your favourite type of coffee to drink and why Which one do you enjoy making
My favourite coffee is espresso because the barista cannot mask its inadequacies with milk or syrups it’s a true reflection of the coffee from bean quality to roast and finally to the barista skills. I especially like perfecting espresso.
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