When a friend of mine told me about a group of Aussie Peacekeepers that were doing something to help the Timorese people they protected back during their deployment days in the region, my curiosity was piqued.

Whilst everyone loves a “rags-to-riches” story, it’s not often that one (especially businesses) that start with a noble cause.

Located at 282 Sydney Road in Coburg, the moment you see the store, you knew you were in for something special. And once you stepped in, that’s when the magic really happens. Surrounded by all the photos of the ways this endeavour gives back, along with the way the cafe is set up, just oozes charm and welcome.

Having a chat to one of the founders Shannon French, you could see that these men really wanted to give back to the Timorese people. The same people who, after having nothing, suffering from the fallout of war and still managing to share with our patrolling Aussies the coffee they have, is something left to be admired. And ultimately repaid. You can only imagine what a welcome relief it was to our Aussies, to be dealt with such kindness, in the stark realities of a war time situation.

And this is what started the idea behind Wild Timor Coffee.

If you wanted to see the impact of the money the cafe is providing the Timorese community, all you need to do is take a step into their shop and look at all the photos on the wall. Better yet, get onto their website and their Facebook page to see what they do.

But, we are here for the coffee.

And boy was the coffee delicious. Really really delicious. I chose to supplement it with the caramel coffee cake. And if that wasn’t a sugar overload, I don’t know what is. I couldn’t speak higher of the place. The service was impeccable and the staff super friendly.

It’s not in the city, but it’s worth the travel. Go see them, and give more, so that more can be done in Timor. And enjoy your coffee knowing you’ve just contributed to some positive karma in the world.

This would have to be the closest this place has come to, to get a 5 from me.

Enjoy adding to the positive Karma of the world.

TDT:4.75/5.0