Oakleigh roastery WithOneBean, cafe making a difference in Timor Leste

WHETHER it’s a latte or a double shot macchiato it’s no secret Melburnians love their coffee. But at one Oakleigh cafe, every cup served goes towards protecting the environment.

FROM the outside, the Regent St factory looks like any other in Oakleigh’s industrial area.

But once you step inside, it is clear that it is anything but ordinary — which is exactly what the profit-for-purpose managers wanted.

Run by siblings Alice and Jake Mahar, WithOneBean is a cafe and roastery with a difference.

For every kilo of coffee roasted, a tree is planted in Timor Leste.

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Starting four years ago by importing one tonne of ethically sourced organic coffee, it grew to five tonnes, then 11 and now 20 tonnes — a container load — meaning 20,000 trees will be planted by the end of the year.

Through the lifetime of the trees, that means 20,000 tonnes of carbon will be removed from the atmosphere.

“We are selling coffee that has a story behind it,” Ms Mahar said.

“A lot of people drink coffee and don’t necessarily think about where it comes from.”

Siblings, Jake and Alice Mahar from WithOneBean in Oakleigh. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Their commitment to a carbon neutral process means there are no disposable cups — if someone wants a takeaway coffee, they can use one of the dozens of mugs that have been donated to the organisation without any expectation of it being returned.

The siblings, who grew up in Oakleigh, want to foster the sense of community that is prevalent in Timor Leste.

Jake Mahar from WithOneBean in Oakleigh — the roastery with a difference. Picture: Andy Brownbill

As well as wanting to open a community garden, Ms Mahar has started a nutrition and food security project focusing on preserving food and minimising waste.

Volunteers can learn how to preserve through bottling, pickling and dehydrating, with the food then made available to anyone who needs it.

“This is a place for people who want to get into social enterprise and don’t know how,” she said.

“We want to build the factory as a hub for volunteers, whether it’s packing coffee, preserving food or any number of things.”

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