Five minutes with Patrick Dillon, Sly Fox Coffee and Poncho Fox Distillery

Who are you?

Patrick Dillon, the proprietor of Poncho Fox Distillery and Sly Fox Coffee.

Tell me about your businesses

About 12 years ago I bought a coffee machine and started a little micro business on the bike path in O’Connor. That’s how I met my wife. She was a customer who came for coffee. We’ve been married for nine years now and have three kids.

The distillery started during COVID-19 when Sly Fox was deemed a non-essential business. I’d been doing a bit of backyard distilling and had even filled out the paperwork to start a micro-distillery. It had been sitting on top of the fridge for two years, and I figured it was time!

How did you get involved in the hospitality industry?

At 14 and 9 months I got a job in Bookplate at the National Library. It was a lovely experience. I started out washing dishes and then progressed to making coffee. I moved to Sydney at 18 and worked at a bunch of places before ending up at a steakhouse called Ribs and Rumps!

I lived and worked in London for a while before ending up back in Canberra. At this point, I’ve probably made coffee for most of Canberra!

If you weren’t in hospitality, what would you be doing instead?

I started a science degree in urban and environmental horticulture but I never finished it. But the distillery uses lots of science, both chemistry and horticulture because we grow a bunch of the botanicals at our house. We have a lot of native Australian botanicals, as well as rhubarb, citrus and herbs.

What is your food philosophy?

For many years, when I was younger, it was to live like a bum and eat like a king! But as I get older, I’m becoming more normal – I’ve got kids and responsibilities.

What’s an underrated Canberra venue that you love?

I love small places that have a low profile, like Mozzarella in Dickson. They have incredible pizza and they have these great spicy pickles. We always go early: if my kids don’t have dinner by six, there’s a riot on our hands!

Who do you admire in the Canberra food scene?

I’m really jealous of the guy who started Kingsley’s Chicken. He totally killed it! I loved the 80s aesthetic, so I’m a bit mad that they updated it. It was a great time capsule. I’m shocked it’s never gone outside Canberra.

Where’s the best place for a coffee in Canberra?

That’s an interesting one. I’ve witnessed the coffee revolution in Canberra way back when cappuccinos were ‘Kosciuszko caps’ of heaped-up froth in the 90s. They’d put you in jail for that now!

ONA has really dominated Canberra’s coffee scene, and I absolutely appreciate the ritual and the step-by-step process. But for me, I really like Lonsdale Street Roasters. They make an excellent cup of coffee, and they’ve supplied us since the very beginning: I traded them a bottle of my homemade rum for our first bag of coffee beans!

What is your favourite ingredient to use when cooking?

Kecap Manis. I think it’s just molasses and soy sauce but it’s so good. That’s the secret sauce: you can put it on pork ribs, in stir fries, even on a steak!

Who is your dream dinner party guest, and what would you make them?

I’d invite Friendly Jordies, just so I could meet him! I think he’s done a lot for Australia’s political scene. I don’t agree with everything he says, but I’m a bit of a sucker for self-help: I think we can all stand to improve ourselves. I’d cook pork ribs, just because I love cooking them.

What is your current food obsessions?

I keep it pretty varied but we’ve been going to eat Japanese more often than anything else. We really like Kushi Izakaya at Belconnen Markets or Ramen-O and the Muku Ramen at Scullin. I had a great spicy chicken ramen at Kushi.

Where do you go to shop local?

Pop Canberra is a great shop because they only stock Canberra products. Big shout out to them!

What’s a food that reminds you of your childhood?

Mum would cook a roast on Sunday night and then Dad would take the leftovers the next day, dice them up, put them in a frying pan and call it Bubble and Squeak. I’ve never seen anyone cook it since!

Where do you shop for food?

We grow a massive amount of veggies at our house. The front yard has spring onion and kale all year long. I buy bulk chicken breast from Costco and freeze them in individual portions, along with a big jar of garlic, ginger and, of course, the kecap manis – that will keep you fed for about $4! For anything else, I go to Aldi.

When you can’t be bothered to cook for yourself, where do you go and what do you eat?

Kingsley’s is a bit of a guilty pleasure! My go-to order is the F8: it’s 10 pieces of chicken, large chips and two gravies. There’s always more than you need so I made a killer chicken sandwich with the leftovers the next day on some Origin Bakery Bread. I usually convince the guys at the market to give me a leftover loaf for free at the end of the day.

Where are you travelling next?

We’re going to Bali in January! We got some super cheap Jetstar tickets, which turned out to be cheaper than taking the family to Queensland.

Tell me something you love about living in Canberra

Bicycles. I have always loved bicycles and the freedom a bike path gives you. Here’s a little Patrick rant: we need to increase the 25 km speed limit for electric bikes because they’re a great way to get a car off the road. I think it would encourage more people to use a bike to get to work. It doesn’t need to be crazy high, but a regular bike can easily go faster than 25 km/h so it’s just silly. And we also need to make electric bikes more affordable. More flexible e-bike legislation would improve Canberra.

An easy one to finish – what’s your go-to coffee order?

My first coffee of the day is a large long black with an extra shot and a dash of cold milk. After that, I have a small, extra shot cappuccino.

Follow Poncho Fox Distillery on Instagram or Facebook.
Follow Sly Fox Coffee on Instagram or Facebook to learn more about the Community Market on 9 November.