A weekend in Launceston

Launceston business owner Archana Brammall shares her deep love of coffee, community and the riverside city she calls home.

Wondering how to best kick off your weekend in Launceston? For Archana Brammall, co-owner of longstanding Launceston cafe Sweetbrew and newly opened Tatler Lane cafe and bar, the answer is, unsurprisingly, caffeinated.

I start off with a coffee every day. A simple latte. I love a latte.

Light, airy and humming with activity, Tatler Lane has seriously good brews and an evolving menu that gives a solid nod to the staff’s cultural diversity.  

“At Tatler Lane, we have a beautiful group of people from all over the world, who have chosen to call not only Tasmania home, but Launceston their home,” Brammall says.

"Launceston, over the last 20 years, has become diverse in culture. It's become diverse in its offering of food. And it just makes for such a beautiful, growing, vibrant city."

Brammall, alongside her business partners Tim Brammall and Aaron Jones, seeks to honour Launceston’s status as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy with a focus on provenance — offering coffee freshly roasted on site at Tatler Lane.

"We wanted to be able to offer the coffee experience from the green bean to the cup, right here,” she says. “Our blend, paying a little bit of homage to my heritage, is 60% Ethiopian and 40% Indian beans."

After tearing yourself away from the cafe’s impressive 8m-long coffee bench, Brammall recommends delving further into Launceston’s foodie scene at the local Saturday farmers’ market.

“We're very lucky to have one of the best markets in Australia, Harvest Market, right here, right in the centre of the city,” she says.  

“We've been declared a UNESCO City of Gastronomy and part of that is food sourcing. And that food sourcing can happen right here at Harvest, where you get to meet the producer, the grower.”  

For Brammall, one of the best ways to really see Launceston and immerse in the city’s unique mix of nature and heritage is to walk the city streets and the trails of nearby Cataract Gorge.  

“The architecture is so lovely. The streetscape is really beautiful,” she says.

“And to be able to have such an amazing gorge within our city and a river running right through, in itself is beautiful.” 

To delve further into the city’s cultural heritage and history, Brammall suggests a visit to the diverse collections at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery. 

“The very well-curated offering of art, heritage and storytelling is spectacular,” she says. 

A weekend in Launceston wouldn’t be complete without venturing into the nearby Tamar Valley – Tasmania’s largest and oldest cool-climate wine region, on the city's northern fringe.  

Timbre at Velo Wines is a favourite spot for Brammall: “That vineyard is really lovely because it's got the opportunity to eat and be there and see the view,” she says.

Back in the city, Brammall has several suggestions for excellent food and drink. 

For Asian-inspired fare, plentiful oysters and a solid local wine list, head to the waterfront Mudbar Restaurant. If you’re going out with a group, try Du Cane Brewery – a spacious brewpub pouring locally brewed beer and serving up tasty woodfired pizzas.

After dark, roll up to the Barrel Collective for Tasmanian-focused spirits (think aromatic gins, full-bodied whiskies and creative cocktails), or settle into a cosy corner at Bar Two for refined drinks and moreish bar snacks.

Over 12 years of living in Launceston, Brammall has created a solid community and developed strong ties to the compact city.  

“I think it's important to understand that Tasmania is so far from the rest of the world, there's something so intriguing about being here.  

“It has the beaches, it has the rainforests, it has the cities, small as they are…but it has the opportunity to be vibrant, it has food and wine…  

When you're thinking about it, Launceston, and Tasmania, punches well above its weight, and it's a privilege to live here. I love it.