Boema

With an increase of immigration to Australia, due to WWII, there was an increase in demand for good coffee. The first espresso machines were imported by the Greeks as early as 1948. 

In the 1950's, more machines were imported and the Sydney-based Boema company was among companies sourcing Gaggia machines from Italy for local distribution. 

Signori Bordignon and Emer were two Italian immigrants that decided to start there own coffee business, hence, how the name Bo-ema name came to be. 

Rather than going down the route of licence to manufacture overseas machines, Bordignon and Emer decided to make their own. They manufactures them in the Emer Co terrazzo polishing machine factory in Alexandria, Sydney. 

In 1959, the first lever machine was developed around the same principles as the other imported Italian machines of the time. The original Boema machines were beautifully and classically styled with chrome and glass. The stylish, retro looks were popular at that time with the Greek and Italian themed espresso bars and cafés.

Boema machines were installed in Sydney Cafe's and the American Lounge at Wynyard. Furthermore, Boema machines were also used at the Pasha Nightclub restaurant in Cooma during the construction of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric scheme, where thousands of European workers transformed the culture of the region. 

Boema modified the design of their machines to suit the Australian market and taste profile. Boema raised the "group heads" so the machines could accommodate a mug, which we call a "tall cup".

In 1992 Geoff Gibbs, a retired solicitor, bought the company with his sons, after hearing that the business was in need of some new capital input and redirection. Geoff fell in love with the idea of owning a piece of Australian business history connected to the coffee industry.

The family had a big job; injecting not only vast amounts of cash into the business, but also a lot of time, new systems, marketing and integrity. Greg Gibbs, who is the Marketing and Sales Manager for Boema, still spends many days away from the comfort of his office, visiting his agents and resellers nationally. This face to face approach to business has kept Boema as a company profitable, even with the extensive competition in the espresso machine market today. Greg knows all his resellers by face and name, which is smart, old fashioned business loyalty.

Boema architects have again shown their ingenuity, with the development of some world first innovations.

The latest 2007 Maestro machine has included in its sleek design a first in milk texturing, with a toggle switch to control steam flow. This eliminates steam knobs and mechanical slides. The machine can also be fitted with a patented tea exchange unit, that has a separate exchange unit so that the temperature of the brew head is not affected when water is drawn for tea. Much to the delight of the modern day barista, the steam wand and tip has been improved to accommodate a smoother milk texturing system.

Just after the launch of the Boema Maestro, the owners of Boema decided to look at the different avenues of the coffee industry. 

They partnered with European manufacturers Conti, Schaerer, Eureka and Animo to further diversify an already great line of products.

The Conti Monte Carlo was introduced as our premium line on espresso machines. The Monte Carlo comes in a 2 & 3 Group format to cater for all needs and also features multi-boiler technology. 

Schaerer has released a new update on the already popular Schaerer Soul, with now a 10 & 12 inch screen option and much much more.