Guy’s Coffee adds a taste of Melbourne with two new cafés in Dún Laoghaire and Blackrock
Paige Banks and Guy Martin are the couple behind Guy’s Coffee, which started as a humble coffee trailer in Blackrock Market.
It has since grown rapidly, with two permanent café locations – one in Blackrock Market and the other at The National Sailing & Powerboat School in Dún Laoghaire’s harbour.
The couple only moved back to Ireland in May and had a five-year plan, which Paige said has felt like it has come “four and a half years early”.
Originally from London, Paige lived in Australia for several years and met Guy, from Dún Laoghaire, while they were living in Sydney.
They later moved to Melbourne. before relocating to Ireland
“It’s a tale as old as time, really: an English girl meets an Irishman, falls in love, and then moves back to Ireland with him,” she said.
Guy’s Coffee have locations in Blackrock and Dún Laoghaire
“I had permanent residency in Australia and had no intention of moving back to this side of the world.
“From the moment I met Guy, he knew exactly what he wanted – to set up something in his hometown of Dún Laoghaire.
“He wanted to bring that coffee culture back home, and Dún Laoghaire for him was one of those places with so much untapped potential.
“It’s more than just bringing high-quality Australian coffee back to Ireland; it’s about everything the coffee culture comes with,” she added.
Guy’s Coffee has partnered with Proud Mary, an award-winning Australian coffee roaster based in Melbourne, and Paige hopes they will eventually become a social enterprise.
They would love for their business to one day support ocean conservation and connect with like-minded people, such as beach cleaners, and more.
Speaking about why the coffee is considered of such a high standard in Australia, she said its popularity flourished with the arrival of immigrants from Italy and Greece in the 1950s.
Paige Banks and Guy Martin launched Guy’s Coffee after falling in love with the coffee culture in Melbourne
Melbourne was specifically impacted by this when the Italian population imported the first espresso coffee machines, which revolutionised the industry.
“Australia has been doing what London and Dublin are only just starting to do now – creating a culture around good coffee,” she said.
“They’ve refined it over the years, setting a high standard that other countries are now catching up to.
“Australia’s coffee culture is so competitive that only the best coffee shops survive. It’s not just about having coffee; it’s about having the best, and that’s something we really value,” she added.
She said the type of culture that surrounds coffee in Australia is about getting into the outdoors, going for walks, and connecting with people – something they hope to bring to Dublin.
“There’s a movement here around wellness too, and you can see people want to live healthier, more connected lives,” she said.
“We’re tapping into that, combining a love for the ocean, the environment, and great coffee.”
