Coffee Cartel Roasters brings farm to cup stories to Geelong

Almost two decades ago, Nathan Johnston stepped off a plane in Ethiopia with no contacts and a head full of ideas. Today, Cartel Coffee Roasters stands as one of Geelong’s most respected specialty brands.

“Seventeen years ago, I had this idea that you could roast coffee, travel the world, and buy beans directly from the people growing them,” he says, recalling a trip to Ethiopia that would change everything.

Back then, specialty coffee was rare in regional Victoria. Johnston landed in Addis Ababa with no contacts and barely a plan.

“I ended up at a jazz festival at the American Embassy. Met a guy there, his wife too. Next day they took me out to a farm – thought I was buying containers when I was really after a couple of bags.”

From that awkward encounter came something enduring: relationships. Over time, those few bags turned into long-term partnerships with growers across Ethiopia, Uganda, Colombia and beyond.

“I love seeing people thrive,” he says.

“The coffee you support can make a huge impact on a farmer’s life.”

Johnston’s model – direct sourcing with transparency – has shaped Cartel into one of Geelong’s most respected specialty coffee roasters. With a Melbourne cellar-door café and a training hub in Breakwater, the brand is as much about education as it is espresso. Barista training, roasting workshops, latte-art courses – they’re all part of the broader mission to raise standards and deepen appreciation.

“We teach people what washed, honey and natural processes mean,” Johnston explains.

“It’s not just flavour – it’s how the cherry’s handled, the labour behind it, the climate, the logistics.”

Cartel’s commitment to innovation is equally evident in their approach to brewing. At their Melbourne outpost, they’ve trialled experimental equipment like the Bkon Craft Brewer to draw out unique flavour notes. But Johnston is wary of buzzwords.

“Everyone’s got nice coffee now. So what’s our edge? It’s the people we work with, the farms we believe in, and telling that story.”

Despite the passion, Johnston doesn’t shy away from the industry’s harsher realities. Rising green bean costs and economic pressures are reshaping the future of coffee.

Still, there’s joy. For Johnston, it’s the moment his feet hit the soil of a coffee farm.

“You pick a cherry, eat it, feel the sweetness. Then you see it dried, bagged, roasted back in Geelong. That’s cool. That’s what keeps me in it.”

His enthusiasm carries over to tea too, thanks in part to his mother, Sharyn Johnston, a respected tea master.

“She’s built this global tea network. I’m proud of her. We even host tea cuppings now – there’s a lot to learn there too.”

As for the state of hospitality, Johnston remains cautious.

“We’re getting better, but it’s hard,” he says.

Yet Cartel remains a fixture. Their corner café on Little Malop and James Street continues to pour with consistency. The Breakwater HQ still hums with roasting machines and conversation. And Johnston still believes in what he’s doing.

“Coffee’s my passion. But really, it’s about people,” he says.

Listen to the full conversation with Nathan Johnston on The Local Palate podcast, available on all major platforms.