F.I.K.A Coffee Brewers is one of many new cafes to open in the CBD in the last 12 months. 

The Doveton Street cafe, which opened its doors two weeks ago, uses beans produced by Melbourne specialty coffee house Sensory Lab.

The emergence of F.I.K.A follows the opening of Yellow Espresso on Sturt Street and the continued success of Ballarat stalwart, The Bean Barn.

F.I.K.A owner Matthew Freeman said he became interested in coffee after working as a milk salesman. 

“I soon became employed by St Ali and worked in...South Melbourne and Carlton North,” he said. 

“I had a few mentors. You need to learn the craft before you jump in the deep end.”

F.I.K.A prides itself on using specialty coffee, which is increasingly popular among Melbourne coffee lovers.

“Specialty coffee gets graded... it gets graded on taste, aroma and consistency,” he said. 

“The beans have to score over a certain level to be considered specialty coffee.”

The Buninyong resident said coffee appreciation had grown in Ballarat in the last year.

“(Baristas) are really educating the market,” he said. 

“In places like Yellow Espresso and Vegas and Rose, there seems to be educating of the customer base on what makes a great coffee.” 

Mr Freeman considers coffee a science and an art.

“You could make 400 coffees a day, but to make 400 coffees a day that taste so similar and at the high level you are trying to achieve, is another thing,” he said. 

The Bean Barn owner Richard Emery believes the city’s cafe scene hadn’t changed much in the past decade.

He said there were only a few cafes in Ballarat that were making quality coffee.

“As far as cafes that use proper coffee, I’d say about half a dozen,” he said. 

The Bean Barn roasts its own coffee beans onsite and prides itself in being the city’s first specialty coffee provider. 

Mr Emery said passion, fresh beans and the barista’s skill contributed to the perfect cup of coffee.