Celebrating 5 Years of MILKLAB with Julian Mou!

Julian Mou was one of our original barista collaborators who assisted us in creating MILKLAB! Jules is an award winning barista and owner of the highly rated cafe- Kopi Stop Darwin, which is also celebrating its 5th birthday this year! Jules aims to provide the best quality coffee to the Darwin community and support her staff to compete in industry competitions & succeed in their journeys. Read about her journey below:

What and where was your first job in the coffee industry?

I’ve been in the food and beverage industry for 16years and had always been surrounded by coffee. But I only started drinking coffee when I came to Australia in 2007. In 2013, my interest for coffee and latte art grew and so I asked for a job at a café called Boat Shed in Cullen Bay because I wanted to learn from the best Barista in Darwin at that time. (He currently runs his own coffee roaster called D Town coffee roasters).

What is your occupation now and what inspired you to pursue a career in your chosen field?

I really enjoy making coffee for people and there’s so much to learn in this café industry. After 2 years working in a café as a barista, I had the opportunity to start my own business called Kopi Stop. In July 2020, Kopi Stop would be 5 years old.

What accomplishment/s are you most proud of?

Having a well and established coffee shop here in Darwin with a great team and serving great coffee to the Darwin community. Through the early Barista Days, I have also participated in various latte art competitions, including World’s richest barista competition, as well as being the Winner of Breezy Masters, 2016.

What’s next for you?

Continue to learn about coffee industry, support my baristas to join latte art competition and enhanced their knowledge. Continue to serve great coffee to the Darwin community.

What are the main changes you have noticed in the coffee industry over the past 5 years?

Definitely the rise of plant base milk. Also, Latte Art is on another level of difficulty. Hand brew coffee slowly becoming of interest to consumers. Different styles of coffee processes and experiments since Sasa Sestic’s win in 2015.  Freezing coffee in small batches to retain its freshness. And now with the recent Covid situation, one thing for sure is we know people cant live without coffee.

What do you like most about MILKLAB / what is your favourite MILKLAB coffee?

I remember when MILKLAB was launched, Darwin was the first place you guys visited. I like that it is directly introduced to Baristas/café owners, rather than through a 3^rd party distributor.

My favourite MILKLAB coffee would be an Almond Flat White.

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