At Mountain River · Spring 2026
Blackboard Coffee
× Mountain River
24 October – 27 November 2026
Coffee & dessert pairings, weekly at Mountain River.
Five coffees from Kenya. A different sweet pairing from our kitchen each week.
Explore the first pairing ↓
Meet our new coffee roaster
Introducing
Blackboard Coffee.
From 19 October, we’re serving Blackboard Coffee at Mountain River. Based in Burleigh Heads, the team includes co-owner Danny Andrade, the 2026 Australian Roasters Champion.
Alongside Danny is a talented team whose skill, care and shared love of coffee are a big part of Blackboard’s success. It’s their work together that brings these coffees to cafés like ours.
What drew us to Blackboard is an approach we share at Mountain River: getting to know the people who grow what we serve. For both teams, conversations with farmers help us understand the ingredients, the places they come from and the work behind them.
Blackboard takes that exchange into their work with producers, sharing knowledge and exploring processing methods together. It’s a connection we value in our own kitchen, and a natural starting point for this collaboration.
Over five weeks, we’re exploring their Kenya Sensory Collection. Producer Martin Muriuki and Blackboard have brought together five coffees from one harvest at Ngacha Coffee Estate, each processed differently. We’ll create a small dessert to pair with each one.
Read about Blackboard’s work with producers ↗
The person behind the coffee
Meet Danny Andrade.
2026 Australian Roasters Champion
Danny is co-owner and managing director of Blackboard Coffee Roasters. This year, he was named the 2026 Australian Roasters Champion.
His work brings together time on farms, an interest in new lots and processing methods, and a thoughtful approach to roasting. The aim is to bring out the character of each coffee and honour the work of the people who grow it.
We’re excited to share Blackboard’s coffee with you at Mountain River.
Mountain River × Blackboard
Behind the pairings.
Sing, who designs the menu at Mountain River, met with Danny to taste the coffees and plan the five weeks. Understanding each coffee is the starting point for the small desserts he’s creating to go alongside them.
The fun is in how the flavours change together. Sing’s fruit- and tea-based cakes are designed to bring out another side of Danny’s coffees. Take a sip, try a bite of cake, then taste the coffee again. You might notice more sweetness, a brighter fruit note or a flavour that wasn’t as obvious before.
First pairing · 24–30 October
This week’s
coffee & sweet.
We begin with Benchmark, the collection’s classic washed coffee.
This week’s sweet pairing will be announced on Thursday.
01 / Kenya Sensory Collection
Benchmark
Classic Washed
Tasting notesRedcurrant, yellow peach, lemon juice and raw sugar.
Ngacha Coffee Estate
Martin Muriuki · Kirinyaga, Kenya
Sweet pairing
Announced Thursday.
The five weeks
One harvest.
Five ways to taste it.
A different coffee and dessert each week.
Benchmark
Tasting notesRedcurrant, yellow peach, lemon juice and raw sugar.
Balance
Tasting notesStewed nectarine, green grape, lemonade and raw sugar.
Evolution
Tasting notesKumquat, redcurrant, fig and panela.
Precision
Tasting notesBlackcurrant, orange marmalade, cola and dates.
Horizon
Tasting notesPort wine, blackberry, red lollies and dark chocolate.
Tasting passport
Keep track of
your favourites.
Collect a stamp for each of the five pairings in our tasting passport.
Visit Mountain River
Come in for a pairing.
84 Mango Street
Runcorn, Brisbane QLD 4113
Monday–Friday · 8 am–3 pm (last orders 2:30 pm)
Saturday–Sunday · 8 am–4 pm (last orders 3:30 pm)