The Foundry Fiftythree Café is a special little café that has been located in Manly Beach for the last three years. It’s also where I frequently find myself on mornings tapping away at my laptop and enjoying a coffee. As a resident, this has become one of my favourite places to visit and for good food.
In our Etch TV video, I talk with Dan, a barista at the café about what makes Foundry Fiftythree so special. The look and feel especially are evocative of the kind of community and environment that really attracts people to these parts of the Northern Beaches. It’s always buzzing, and yet so friendly. The vibe in the morning is energizing.
The food is a point of emphasis for the café as well. While the cooks only have two camp stoves and a small grill, they are able to create some truly spectacular dishes, including one of my favourites, the huevos rancheros. It’s amazing what these guys are able to do with their limited space and equipment.
Dan isn’t just a barista at the café; he also works to roast the coffee for the café. He started Barrel One Coffee Roasters when the café was opened three years ago and works with Rob, the owner, to provide the roasted beans for their coffee every day. The company does what they can to give back to the community and to the growers who supply their coffee on Tanna Island as well.
Twice a year, Foundry Fiftythree holds an event from which they give all the proceeds to the community of farmers and growers from which they receive their coffee in the form of educational supplies and other resources.
Foundry Fiftythree is truly a community favourite. With home-style food, service that is perfect for the environment, and single source coffee you can feel good about drinking, it’s one of my favourite coffee locations in Manly Beach (and frequently my second office).