Even if you've tried the combination a thousand times you can still find a new place that gets it right and keeps it that way. It's simple and often looks easy. But in truth it can take a decade to get the flavours just right.

Great recipes, like great cafes, always seem like lucky accidents from afar.

A new cafe in Hamilton is further proof that attitude and espresso are perfect for each other. And when I say attitude, I'm talking about the kind that's been symbolised by a two-fingered, four-foot salute emblazoned onto the entrance to the place.

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Don't get me wrong, there is nothing unfriendly about the boys at Biggs. In fact, it's hard to remember a friendlier local team, showcasing their obvious coffee skills behind their espresso machine. It's just that when you set yourself up beside a train station and name yourself after the notorious train robber and counter-culture roustabout Ronnie Biggs, you might be out to make your mark on the neighbourhood.

"Biggs was an old-time gangster," explains cafe owner Alex Apostolou who, alongside co-owners Steve Devitis and James Conway, found an unlikely inspiration in the famous British burglar.

"I wondered if we used his name whether or not we could then find a logo that symbolised his memory. We were going through a few photos when I found one of him being wheeled out of a courthouse with his fingers up and I thought that would be perfect."

Branding an establishment after a figure who undermines it is an idea that many Newcastle diners might fondly remember. Big Al's on King Street was, of course, named after the iconic Chicago mobster Al Capone. The family restaurant was also first established by Apostolou's parents, who operated it successfully for well over a decade.

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"I worked for my parents, in the cold drinks van at Big Al's, when I was about 10 years old," he remembers.

"That was probably my first ever paid job. I think I got paid about 15 bucks or so.

"My parents and my family have always been in the Newcastle hospitality game. My grandparents on my father's side owned four cafes and on my mother's side they owned nightclubs.

"My grandfather was the owner of the Great Northern Hotel as well as the old Zorba's Tavern. It's always been in my blood. Now it feels very fitting that I went down the same path with managing my first cafe and hospitality venture."

Just as Biggs himself managed to do all those years ago, Apostolou has chosen to recruit only the best available accomplices.

Alongside the talented Steve Devitis, of F&D Devitis Builders, experienced barista Apostolou has teamed up with none other than James Conway, the owner of Glitch coffee roasters.

To say that three of them have the cafe game in the bag is a bit of an understatement.

In the world of burglary it would be like Biggs and Ned Kelly riding away with Robin Hood.

Pouring at Biggs is the excellent Haywire blend, Glitch's homage to their first espresso outlet on Darby Street. Roasted in Mayfield and sourced from Central and South America, it is a dependably rich, distinctive coffee and is equally suited to milk as it is without.

"Our choice of coffee at Biggs came about from what you could call a dream combination," says Apostolou.

"There were my years of coffee pouring experience combining with the knowledge that James has as a roaster. And as a roastery Glitch specialises in local and small business. They are doing a lot of good things for the coffee scene here in Newcastle. It was a bit of a no-brainer to go with them in the end.

"James and I also came up with the original concept of Biggs. Because of where the cafe is located, we were wracking our brains to come up with something train-related that wasn't too corny.

"Our logo is a playful peace sign but it's a bit rock 'n' roll as well. It suits the area and it's quickly become part of the cafe's identity. It's worked out nicely."