Overview
Of all the ridiculous food trends to hit Melbourne in the last few years, this most recent one ranks... somewhere in the middle. Now open at 380 Victoria Street in Richmond, the menu at Crompton Coffee has a very particular focus. We’re talking toast. Lots of toast.
Inspired by a toast-only cafe in San Francisco called The Mill, Crompton offers a slightly fancier alternative to the Wonder White and jam you’d otherwise be munching on at home. Inch-thick artisanal bread will come with an array of lavish toppings and condiments, including ricotta, fig and honey and pear, walnut and blue cheese, as well as a requisite avocado option with buffalo mozzarella. And yes, before you ask, they also have vegemite, with a grilled cheese Tiger Toast option too.
While Crompton will be the first of its kind of Melbourne, the toast craze is already well-established in the U.S, with toast cafes and toast bars cropping up from Seattle to Minneapolis to New York. Although The Mill helped popularise the concept, it actually originated at another San Francisco cafe called The Trouble Coffee & Coconut Club, whose founder was recently the subject of an episode of This American Life.
Whether Melburnians embrace toast with the same passion remains to be seen — although frankly, if a cereal cafe can be a hit then these guys shouldn’t have much trouble.
Crompton Coffee is located at 380 Victoria Street, Richmond. For more information, check out their Facebook.