Nespresso Emporium Launch & Brunch at Vue De Monde

Written by David Hagger on 29 April 2014.

Nespresso has launched its impressive new Nespresso Boutique Emporium Melbourne and we at The World Loves Melbourne were invited to the launch, which included brunch at Vue De Monde.

Nespresso are taking all before them, with a state of the art boutique in Emporium Melbourne that is well worth visiting - featuring coffee pick up areas, 500,000 pods for sale in the store at any one time, self service area to scan your own product (for convenience), a 9 machine tasting and service area (largest in the southern hemisphere), recycling pod area and a plethora of exciting accessories.

Nicole from Nespresso gave us the service philosophy of Nespresso and a tour of the new boutique. We got to learn that Nespresso coffee is in the top 1-2% in the world in terms of quality. They often refer to their coffee as Grands Crus. Such is the quality.

I was interested in Nespresso staff coffee favourites from the range of 22 coffees to chooose from, and Katerina from Nespresso recommended her favourite Kazar, which as an intensity of 12. She also drinks plenty of Rosabay -a pink capsule with fruit wine notes and intensity of 6 (pure origin). Then there was a limited edition coffee we were privileged to imbibe on the day - Bukeela is Ethiopian long black with Jasmine notes. By now I was on a coffee high.

I was excited that Nespresso are serving its members single origins. Staff also told me about experimental limited edition coffees, including a Late Harvest coffee - picked late just like a wine. I got me thinking that like wine, coffee has nuances to be discerned and enjoyed. Limited editions are to innovate.

Impressive is the Kangaroo Ground artwork in the store using the pods. Brilliant.

One thing is clear - staff in the boutiques care about customers. Nespresso refers to customers as "club members". Nespresso is altogether engaging, not aloof...

Nespresso provide iconic customer service when it's hard to find great service most everywhere else. Staff are knowledgeable and customers are encouraged to ask questions. Nespresso gives people the opportunity to enjoy quality coffee at home with relative ease. They offer easy to use machines that look trendy. And easy to use pods for the machines. And the quality of coffee is superb.

Interestingly, Nespresso don't appear to be targeting hipster coffee venues in a coffee crazy city like Melbourne. Nespresso management I spoke to love the hipster cafes. But they pointed out that often replicating a quality coffee experience at home can be difficult - hence Nespresso.

Check out the convenience of this self serve area...

Nespresso boutiques (11 in Australia) provide customers with a sensory experience... You're involved and you can participate in an amazing customer centric coffee culture. It's a truly boutique experience. Nespresso told me they want to provide "customer pleasure".

Coffee tastes are all catered for at Nespresso. Espresso and Lungo and Decaffeinated, each with different notes like wine-

Fruity

Spicy

Intense

Nespresso also focus on being sustainable. They use aluminium for the pods, recycle capsules and new machines turn off after a period (9 minutes). We checked out their recycling area where you can bring in your pile of used pods.

We also dared ask the question regarding popularity of coffee flavours. We were told that Arpeggio is the most popular globally.

Also interesting is that 700 Michelin star restaurants use Nespresso...

Then it was off to Vue De Monde in a limo for brunch with Shannon Bennett, Nespresso ambassador. What a legend he is, in terms of creativity, but also a man who understands the customer, and delivers on service and imaginative cuisine time and again. He pushes boundaries and always seems to keep his creativity flowing despite huge business demands of his many interests.

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This was an event to be savoured. Up on the 55th floor it was only the second time I've been to Vue De Monde.

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We were greeted by trademark Vue De Monde Apple, macadamia. The clear film is apple!

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Then it was amazing flavours of the Truffle marshmallow...

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The Smoked eel, white chocolate, caviar was such an extraordinary combination of flavours...

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Not to mention the fresh bread which came in this cool basket...

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Even the butter was a highlight... Nothing here is pedestrian. Everything is exceptional and grabs your culinary attention.

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Duck egg, pear, saltbush, truffle was a triumph. So delicate yet big flavours of the duck egg, and sensational combination of textures with ooze and crunch.

Check out the oozing duck egg below...

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Having imbibed this sublime cuisine, we were then treated to Spanish Mackerel, coffee, potato featuring Nespresso Arpeggio Grand Cru.

Here is a top notch Vue De Monde dish paired with Nespresso most popular coffee. I enjoyed the playfulness of the coffee included in this dish.

The Mackerel was cooked to perfection and had a smoky flavour, with parcels of potato.

In effect this was a Vue De Monde take on "fish and chips" (I'll have this version any time).

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Then as if we hadn't been satiated enough, we were treated to Nespresso coffee with doughnuts...

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Plump and full of ganache, these were indulgent and of the highest quality.

And Nespresso coffee of course...

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Not on the menu, we were also served these classic lamingtons with mousse inside...

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Super satisfied I couldn't help check out the incredible view below...

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And notice this large block of ice at the bar as I was leaving...

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Check out the bar at Vue De Monde...

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And the amazing ceiling...

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Nespresso is an exciting brand that offers coffee excellence and with it a boutique experience. What a time it was at the Emporium Melbourne new boutique and then at the brunch at Vue De Monde. Sensational.

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