NESTLED in a hole-in-the-wall next to The Welder's Dog, the natter of old friends and smell of roasted coffee hangs in the air.
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Husband and wife team Matt Bettesworth and Monique Hope have opened specialty coffee house Camp Grounds in Tamworth.
And, a partnership with Headspace will offer a helpful twist to the daily grind.
"Statistically the hospitality industry is in the top three for rates of suicide in Australia," Mr Bettesworth said.
"The pressure of long hours and putting on a positive smile all the time does get to people.
"When I came up here from Melbourne, there was nothing here for the hospitality industry to talk about issues and have a good old yarn."
Once a month, the coffee house will run a campfire chat for industry professionals to talk about mental health concerns.
The partnership with Headspace will allow them to offer simple steps to address mental health with staff.
Camp Grounds opened a week ago, the project has been a pet passion for Mr Bettesworth and Ms Hope, who have wanted to create a space to showcase different filtered coffee and brewing techniques for about five years.
The specialty coffee on offer is sustainable, the hand-picked coffee beans are from ethically sourced farms with a grade of 80 or higher.
Mr Bettesworth said there's a focus on Australian roasters.
"Tell you the truth, we felt it was the right time and we drank a lot of coffee at home," he said.
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"We thought something like this was needed in Tamworth, we took on the challenge to bring it here and even if it didn't work it was worth it to take a risk for something we enjoy."
The first campfire chat is on January 13. Camp Grounds is open weekdays from 6am to 4pm, and 6am to 2pm on weekends.
Madeline Link
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
Madeline Link is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald, with a focus on Lake Macquarie City Council. To keep up with my stories, follow my Twitter @madeline_link, for tips email madeline.link@newcastleherald.com.au.
