The fruit of a lifelong love affair with world coffee cultures, Brim Stonepress was launched by Melissa Alexopoulos in 2018 after an auspicious encounter at her grandmother’s home. Melissa was taking time out from her life as a history teacher in Sydney, Australia, to visit her family in Greece, and her grandmother had invited an old friend over to meet her.
Following the sharing of coffee, brewed in a local variation of the traditional Turkish style, the friend proceeded to read the grounds leftover in Melissa’s cup. She told Melissa that sharing and celebrating culture was something that would be central to her life, and this gave Melissa the impetus she needed to pursue her dream: living a life filled to the brim with connection, kindness and everyday moments of delight.
Over the past two decades, Melissa has travelled extensively across the Middle East, Northern Africa and Eastern Europe (along with Western Europe, South America, India and South East Asia) as a privately contracted art buyer, all the while connecting with local people and experiencing the depth of customary generosity, creativity and technical skill involved in serving guests coffee. She also has extensive experience in the hospitality industry, as co-owner of three boutique bars in Melbourne, Bali and London.