About Schibello Caffé
Schibello Caffé is a marriage of the Schinella and Sorbello families - two families with strong Italian heritage and a long history of friendship. Both families were fond of all things Italian – especially coffee. After working separately for different companies in the coffee industry, it was only natural that the two sons would come together and bring their varied expertise and knowledge to what is now known as Schibello Caffé. With a strong foundation of technical expertise combined with an in-depth knowledge of coffee sales, Schibello Caffé has gone from strength to strength to develop into what it is today.
It wasn’t until the late 80’s that espresso style coffees became widely known and more generally accepted, and Australians have since then taken to the café scene with passion. Prior to this time many Australians found that espresso coffee (and pure coffee in general) was too strong for them. The founders of Schibello Caffé understood the pure enjoyment in the true taste of an espresso and decided to formulate a blend which allowed coffee drinkers in Australia to experience espressos like Italians do. A blend that is more mild and smooth but still has the aroma, flavour and intensity of a true Italian espresso.
Schibello Caffé was founded in Sydney in 1999 when the first blend Dolce Bar was introduced to the market. After the success of this blend, the range has grown to include other blends such as; Dolce Strong, Exclusive Black Label, Foglia Organic and even a decaffeinated blend. By 2003, branches were established in Brisbane and Melbourne to cater for the rapid growth in sales with the number of clients now exceeding 2,000 cafes and restaurants. There have also been inroads taken into the Chinese, Indonesian, Malaysian and the lucrative Middle Eastern markets.
Schibello Caffé is always pursuing a taste that captures the imagination of the espresso world. With our passion in the coffee industry, Italian heritage and the contemporary cultural experiences, we envision ourselves to be producing the freshest and finest coffee that allows people to truly experience “The Espresso Taste of Life”.
We are committed to the high quality and high standard of our coffees and services, and the values of educating and training in the art of coffee making, so that the perfect cup of Schibello coffee could be only just around the corner.
At Schibello Caffé, coffee is more than just a drink. It’s a way to wake up, to spark an idea, to take a break, to recharge yourself, to share a story...it’s “The Espresso Taste of Life”.
At Schibello Caffé we consider all inputs and services to embrace environmentally sustainable business practices. We endeavor to support recycling in our productions and operations where ever possible, and seek to work with companies and suppliers that share these same philosophies. We are dedicated to environmental as well as social well being.
We prefer coffee suppliers that:
- Optimise water use in coffee processing;
- Re-use and recycle water as much as possible;
- Produce and use organic fertiliser (Bio-Mass);
- Preserve native forests, wildlife and water resources
Social Responsibility
Through our use of Fair Trade coffee we ensure that farmers and workers have justified wages, dignified living conditions, access to education and health care, free from child labour and are sustainable in the long-term.
Coffee Beans
There are two main types of coffee beans, Arabica and the Robusta.
Arabica species are predominantly found in more mountainous regions, at altitudes between 800 – 1,200m. Most commercial crops grown at this altitude are at an advantage as there are fewer natural predators as altitude increases, hence plants are under lower environmental stresses and yield and taste quality increases. They are mild and well balanced and are naturally low in caffeine.
Robusta beans are grown at lower altitudes up to 800m, bringing them generally closer to population centres. They are naturally higher in caffeine, and therefore have a more astringent after taste. Being closer to population centres and generally in more accessible areas means Robusta beans can often be up to one-third the price of Arabica beans. However, the lower altitude means the plants are more susceptible to insect and fungal infestations than their higher altitude cousins and the resultant variations in quality means this type of bean in usually of lower consistency and commonly used in the production of instant coffee. The Robusta plant can only really survive at low altitudes due to it’s increased production of caffeine – a naturally produced ‘insecticide’.
A coffee tree only produces about 2kg of green coffee beans per harvest year. With the average Australian coffee consumer going through approximately 4kg of coffee per year, this equates to one tree only possibly supplying a coffee drinker for six months! In order to maintain consistency, farmers in a region will supply a cooperative along with others from the same region, with the result being a product representative of the region as a whole instead of one particular estate.
Schibello Caffé uses only 100% quality Arabica beans, sourced from the finest coffee growing regions of the world - Colombia, Brazil, Guatemala, Papua New Guinea and Ethiopia – all helping to maintain the quality and consistency of our coffee.
Blending & Roasting
Long regarded as a fine art, coffee blending is a long, time-consuming process aimed at producing a balanced product ready for any one of a number of different coffee preparation techniques (plunger, espresso, percolator, stove-top etc). In creating an espresso blend there are almost an infinite number of variables to consider, these include but are not limited to:
- bean moisture content and size
- bean processing techniques and storage
- country of origin
- roast time and temperature
- roast profile (change in temperature during roast)
A change in just one of these parameters has the potential to dramatically change the taste of the end roasted bean product –this is why there are so many different coffee blends available. Schibello Caffé continually strives to find that perfect balance between acidity, bitterness, body and aroma for the best possible result.
Roasting coffee beans releases the oil and creates the flavour and aroma not evident in a green bean. The colour of the roasted coffee bean is a good indicator as to how long it has been roasted. There are over 2000 substances that are released during roasting, with the process taking 15-20 minutes. Temperatures could be set anywhere between 180 – 230 oC. The variations provides a large difference in the flavour of the same coffee bean, and it is only through trial and error that the roasters are able to find the most favorable combination – the results of which are highly guarded secrets once successful.
At Schibello Caffé, all our coffee beans are roasted locally in Australia to ensure quality, consistency and freshness.
Over the past 12 years, Schibello Caffé has been involved in a number of charities, fund raisers, gala events, openings and local community gatherings such as school stalls, parades and much more.
As part of our vision in growing our business, we strive to continue to support, sponsor and aid the charities, companies and individuals that have kept our company involvement distinctive within the community.
Below is a selected list of charities and organisations that we have supported and will continue to support in the future.
