Perky paradise

A Kiwi oasis in the midst of Melbourne is winning the hearts of critics and  customers alike. Batch Espresso, owned and operated by ex-Wellingtonian Jason Chan, earned a rave write-up in Melbourne food bible Cheap Eats and Chan himself was voted barista of the year by the Age. “Batch has a slightly more organic but polished feel than some of its rivals on the strip,” says one reviewer. “The service is young, sassy and sparky, while the menu boasts the sort of honest, simple but slightly inspired combinations that make Melbourne the goddamn cafe capital of the goddamn world … Typical. That’s the last thing we need. Yet another pack of New Zealanders over here stealing the limelight from their Aussie rivals.” Batch serves solely NZ wines and beers, Supreme coffee, and sells such Kiwi sweet essentials as Perky Nanas and K-Bars.