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Getting to know Ashley Palmer-Watts - Co-founder of Artisan Coffee Co.
How did the journey of Artisan Coffee Co began?
Artisan Coffee Co. was founded by a group of modern-day artisans; a serial entrepreneur, a Q grader (the coffee industry’s equivalent to a wine sommelier), and myself, a Michelin-starred chef. Our shared passion for coffee ignited hours of conversation that resulted in a clear mission: to deliver delicious, specialty coffee that everybody can enjoy.
Can you share more about Artisan Coffee Co's approach to sourcing and roasting coffee?
It goes without saying that sourcing all of our coffee sustainably and building strong relationships between the buying team and the source is essential for securing the quality and volumes we require. Our coffee blends are created by combining specialty coffee from various certified initiatives, such as fair trade, organic, and the Rainforest Alliance.
As a chef, I brought a unique perspective to developing the coffees. I wanted it to be packed with individuality and full of character. Inspired by the great champagne houses, I directed the team to conceptualise coffee in a revolutionary way, championing the use of blends and harmonising flavour notes to create the ultimate cup. I start by mapping out the flavour profile of each blend and tasting a wide range of single origin coffees, so I can adjust the ratios of each blend to achieve precise results. Engineered to encapsulate twice the aroma, each coffee has been blended and roasted to achieve consistent characteristics across all brew formats: coffee bags, pods, whole bean, and ground, so no matter how you brew, there is a coffee that's just right for you.
What was the inspiration for Artisan Coffee Co to decide to put coffees into the convenient capsule format?
Capsule coffee didn't have to be just a coffee in a capsule. The challenge of developing blends that delivered character in such a small dose of coffee, suspended and locked in its optimum condition, was a fascinating one. I started by tasting all of our espresso blends in capsules and quickly realising that this would take a lot more development given the parameters of capsule brewing. Capsules are such a clean and convenient way to drink a great coffee at home, in hotel rooms, the office, or even in restaurants where there is very little space for coffee machines.
Coffee is fuel to get us moving throughout the day, especially in the morning. What is your daily morning ritual like?
Well depending on my day, I usually start with a capsule or two. Short shots are my thing but I do really love the americano recipes with our capsules on the Morning Machine.
What are you most excited about right now and for the future of Artisan Coffee Co as a business?
Working with fantastic partners like Morning and expanding our reach internationally is very exciting. I truly enjoy the wide range of customers we appeal to. It's very rewarding to be able to break down barriers to the overly technical language so widely used in the coffee industry, and to allow everyone, anywhere, even those who find specialty coffee a little too elitist, to embark on their new coffee journey. Life really is too short to drink bad coffee!
Getting to know Dominick - Head of Coffee for White Horse Coffee.
How did the journey of White Horse start?
We started our first roastery with the belief that a continual search for the best coffee in the world and to roast and brew and share them with our local community was our purpose for existence. This founding value has not changed.
Can you share more about White Horse's approach to sourcing and roasting coffee?
Our philosophy is to always adapt, if something is not working, then we need to change. As coffee is mother nature's gift to us, from year to year it is always changing, we need to change with it.
What was the inspiration for White Horse to decide to put coffees into the convenient capsule format?
Sharing coffee in every possible way has always been in our grain, it's what makes us tick, we have a healthy large passionate support base that are fanatical about our coffee capsules because we are. We are proud about what we have achieved.
Coffee is fuel to get us moving throughout the day, especially in the morning. What is your daily morning ritual like?
As a filter coffee lover I really enjoy that I can brew a filter style coffee on the Morning capsule machine.
What are you most excited about right now and for the future of White Horse as a brand/business?
We are excited about automation, never before has a machine given us so much control in brewing, particularly in the home.
Getting to know Kasidis Laoboonmee (Pop) - Co-founder and Roaster of Rise Coffee.
How did the journey of Rise Coffee start?
In 2016, I was roasting coffee as a hobby in my home garage and started doing small wholesale orders for coffee shops and restaurants in the neighbourhood. The volume grew as time passed, so in 2019, I decided to quit my full-time job and pursue the idea of starting my own coffee brand.
Between 2019 and 2020, I spent the whole year traveling to the origins, building up my sourcing network, and doing free hours for different coffee roasteries and coffee shops. In 2021, I finally decided to open the first RISE COFFEE flagship store with the ambition to build the best coffee experience in Bangkok and ultimately make specialty coffee more accessible to everyone.
Can you share more about Rise Coffee's approach to sourcing and roasting coffee?
Sourcing is the core of our business. We work directly with local farmers and cooperatives in the northern part of Thailand, where we constantly share knowledge and feedback to help improve and ensure that only the best green beans are arriving at our door.
At the roastery, we are all about the 3Es - Exploration, Experimentation, and Explanation. We believe in the collaborative learning environment and are continuously working within the team to explore new roasting approaches, improve the QC process and finally make sure that we bring out the best potential of the coffee we work with.
What was the inspiration for Rise Coffee to decide to put coffees into the convenient capsule format?
As previously mentioned, one of our primary objectives is to make specialty coffee more accessible to everyone. We believe that offering our coffee in capsule format helps achieve this goal by making it easier for people to experience specialty coffee in a convenient way.
Coffee is fuel to get us moving throughout the day, especially in the morning. What is your daily morning ritual like?
I usually start my morning routine with a quick and simple cup of americano/espresso to get my brain running while going through the to-do list of the day.
What are you most excited about right now and for the future of Rise Coffee as a brand?
I am excited about getting our new locations up and running in 2023. We are planning for two new coffee spaces in which we will be exploring new coffee experience concepts that we have been working hard for in the past years.
As a brand/business, I’m also super ambitious to see how we expand and foster a culture of learning and collaboration within the team.
Getting to know Lars Pilengrim - Co-founder of Lykke.
How did the journey of Lykke begin?
Lykke Coffee Farms is a big life and coffee project that challenges an outdated coffee industry often made up of many middlemen who do not always add value. Farmers often do not benefit from this industry.
Instead, we have established small role model farms and processing stations in excellent coffee-producing regions. We can experiment and develop techniques that we can offer to our coffee farming neighbours to help them process their already great coffee into amazing coffee. This allows us to bring the specialty coffee to the market that we know. Our business helps us to vertically integrate and cut out middlemen, so we can better control what is going into our coffee. We are committed to organic farming, avoiding monocultures, and working in harmony with people and the environment. Our goal is to enjoy a good cup of coffee without harming anyone or anything.
Can you share more about Lykke's approach to sourcing and roasting coffee?
We are dedicated to growing coffee and doing so in the face of global warming. We call this cultivating happiness. Through our unique business model, we believe we can have a long-lasting impact on producing communities by investing in them and helping to mitigate risk.
We strongly believe that as we grow and reach further, we can create an even greater impact. This is reflected in our roasting and packaging methods, which are accessible, inviting, and bring joy (Lykke is an old Nordic word for happiness).
What was the inspiration for Lykke to decide to put coffees into the convenient capsule format?
Lykke is focused on making good coffee with a positive impact accessible to everyone. As we read reports that capsules can be more energy-efficient and not as harmful to the environment as they have been portrayed, we felt motivated to get involved in this aspect of the coffee industry. We chose to use compostable materials and produce our capsules in small batches frequently for the freshest experience.
Coffee is fuel to get us moving throughout the day, especially in the morning. What is your daily morning ritual like?
I am a filter coffee drinker and usually begin my day early by using an AeroPress to brew something tasty before taking my dog out for a walk. Nowadays, when I get to the office, I have the Morning Machine waiting for me to get a second cup and try something different. It's a great routine!
What are you most excited about right now and for the future of Lykke as a brand/business?
Being born in March 2020 and taking our first steps in the midst of a global pandemic has definitely been challenging. However, I am very happy to say that our projects are now moving in the right direction. For example, we only started processing coffee at our own washing station in western Uganda last month, and as I type this, I am sipping the first sample from it! Lykke is becoming more and more established as a brand, and people seem to love what we do. Therefore, we want to keep doing more and reach even further!
Getting to know the team behind Cloud Picker.
How did the journey of Cloud Picker began?
Established in 2013 by Frank Kavanagh & Peter Sztal. Our coffee isn’t just roasted in Dublin, it’s chosen for its personality which means we go beyond the usual places to find it. The name 'Cloud Picker' came from our trip to Northern Thailand where we visited a coffee farm in the Doi Chang area on the Thai / Burma border and where we went up through the clouds to see the coffee pickers! Thailand wasn't known for its specialty coffee back then so it's so beautiful to see how far it's journeyed since.
Can you share more about Cloud Picker's approach to sourcing and roasting coffee?
We like the idea of going where no one has gone before. That’s why we’re not afraid to venture off into new coffee zones to find the best coffee on the planet.
Picking beans at the right time is crucial to their flavour: the small producers we work with care as much as we do about great coffee. We make sure our pickers are treated more than just fairly, so that they’re happily invested too.
What was the inspiration for Cloud Picker to decide to put coffees into the convenient capsule format?
For us the main reason was sustainability, producing pods had long been on the agenda but being able to produce a pod that not only tasted amazing, but also did not add to landfill was vitally important to us. Our pods came onto the scene for us in 2022, they are home compostable, which means people can place them in their home compost and they will decompose away perfectly.
Coffee is fuel to get us moving throughout the day, especially in the morning. What is your daily morning ritual like?
At Cloud Picker our ritual is simple, we start every morning with a shared batch brew cycling through our single origins we have available, the team love comparing notes and there is always a fair bit of competition with who can make the best tasting batch brew, or a bit of heckling for a bad brew too!
What are you most excited about right now and for the future of Cloud Picker as a brand/business?
We truly have a lot of projects in the works so it's honestly a 'watch this space' time for Cloud Picker. Projects are happening in every area of the business, from cafe customer participation, to bringing the roasting process closer to the consumer, to broader brand awareness via new exciting partnerships and a B-Corp application. We do see the coffee capsule, instant and RTD markets as huge growth markets in the EU but as always it's about ensuring our footprint and the sustainability focus is kept as priority.
Getting to know Nawar Adra - Founder of Stitch Coffee.
How did the journey of Stitch Coffee start?
Stitch Coffee started in 2015 and how the idea of Stitch Coffee came about was because I felt that coffee does not need to be a standalone. Blending different coffees together can give a more interesting and exciting cup profile. Through this we realised early on that the art of blending coffee is the same as tailoring a piece of cloth. As a result, we stitched together origins with different flavours to bring forward the ultimate cup characteristics for everyone to enjoy.
Can you share more about your local coffee scene in Sydney and what Stitch Coffee's approach to coffee sourcing and serving the local community of your coffee shops?
The local coffee scene is becoming diverse in its product offerings into convenient products, coupled with more people looking to support local brands with ethical practices that positively impacts the whole industry. It is the time of transparency, people are willing to take accountability for their consumer choices and expect businesses they support to share the same sentiment and show that they align with their customers. At Stitch Coffee, we do this through ethically sourcing our coffees, buying from producers and importers who have and are known for their sustainable practices. We also ensure we tell the story of the coffee farm, producers and their community with every coffee we put out.
A trend we have observed in our local coffee scene are a transformation of small coffee businesses into coffee retail stores, providing more than the traditional cafe service. Cafes have evolved to provide consumers with the retail experience too, where people can enjoy coffee by dining it, takeaway cup, purchase fresh beans for home brewing or for gifting, sharing coffee with others and make someone else happy too.
What was the inspiration for Stitch Coffee to decide to put coffees into the convenient capsule format?
We aim to provide value and quality driven convenience to all coffee consumers and enable people to have quality coffee at home without complex brewing gear. Convenience coffee products have slow adoption but are growing consistently.
Coffee is fuel to get us moving throughout the day, especially in the morning. What is your daily morning ritual like?
Coffee is an important engine to start the day for me. I am at our flagship store in Broadway by 7am for a fresh cup. On Sundays I have a pour over at home and then head out for a flat white.
What are you most excited about right now and for the future of Stitch Coffee as a company?
We are excited to continue evolving our offerings for household products, providing specialty coffee with convenience but maintaining the quality.
Specialty coffee is as easy as anything else to brew if it has been sourced well, roasted well and packaged well.
Getting to know Pil Hoon Seu - Founder and CEO of Coffee Libre.
How did the journey of Coffee Libre start?
After five years of experience as a barista and roaster, I was convinced of specialty coffee's potential. So, I founded Coffee Libre in 2009.
Can you share more about Coffee Libre's approach to sourcing and roasting coffee?
Coffee Libre has been engaged in direct trade with coffee origins since 2010. We now source coffee from over 150 farms in 18 countries. Our goal is to connect coffee producers and consumers with diverse, good quality, and sustainable coffees. Our roasting process offers a wide range of roast levels, from light to dark, to suit the tastes of all our customers.
What was the inspiration for Coffee Libre to decide to put coffees into the convenient capsule format?
While the Nespresso capsule machine has gained widespread popularity, the selection of specialty coffee capsules is limited. As the capsule market grows, I believed that there would also be a rise in devices optimized for specialty coffee capsules. The development of hardware and software would allow customers to more easily and enjoyably experience specialty coffee capsules.
Coffee is fuel to get us moving throughout the day, especially in the morning. What is your daily morning ritual like?
The mornings in Seoul are so rushed that I don't have time to grab a cup of coffee before heading to work. As soon as I get to the office, I brew myself an espresso. And I continue to make espresso and filter coffee throughout the day. Maybe it's just one of the perks of working at a coffee company.
What are you most excited about right now and for the future of Coffee Libre as a brand?
Coffee Libre seeks to form a closer relationship with coffee origins beyond merely being coffee buyers. We have a farm in Nicaragua and are collaborating with coffee producers in several countries. Specialty coffee has been experiencing significant growth in coffee origins in recent years. We want to join this movement and continue to promote to Korean consumers.
Getting to know Jeongsoo Pak & Jooyeon Jeon - CEOs of Momos Coffee.
How did the journey of Momos Coffee start?
Our journey started with a tiny 140 sq. ft. takeaway cafe that opened in 2007 with little expertise. Alongside a handful of regular customers, we have consistently been at the forefront of interesting coffee stories, and sometimes even stories about life. We started with a promise to do the basics well, and we hope that through the coffees we make, the lives of coffee makers, producers, and enthusiasts a whole lot better.
Can you share more about Momos Coffee's approach to sourcing and roasting coffee?
When it comes to roasting, our focus is on developing a final cup of coffee that is clean and balanced, while expressing the unique flavours that different regions, terroir, and varietals bring. We want to give our customers a rich experience.
In terms of sourcing, what's important to us is the good relationship we've developed with the farmers. Currently, we are doing direct trade with around 80 farmers from 15 countries. When a farmer produces high-quality coffee, we strive to purchase it at a reasonable price. Then, based on the characteristics of their coffees, we roast and introduce them to our consumers.
What was the inspiration for Momos Coffee to decide to put coffees into the convenient capsule format?
With the rise in coffee consumption and the gradual development of the coffee industry's technology, the era has arrived when consumers can enjoy coffee more easily and conveniently. Capsule coffee was created to reflect this. We decided that capsule coffee will lower the entry barrier for specialty coffee and make it an accessible way for the public to enjoy coffee more comfortably, so we introduced Momos Coffee in capsules.
Coffee is fuel to get us moving throughout the day, especially in the morning. What is your daily morning ritual like?
Upon arriving at work, I immediately go to the bar, drop off my iced drip coffee, and begin working with a cup of coffee. I don't think there's anything that can wake you up in the morning like that.
What are you most excited about right now and for the future of Momos Coffee as a brand?
To put it briefly, I think our slogan encompasses all of its meanings - Specialty for all.
Our goal is for more people to be able to experience our brand, and we aim to collaborate with a variety of brands that share our values and texture as we move forward. Even if they are not in the same industry, we are focused on promoting our brand with various cultures that can create synergy through each other's colours.
Getting to know Jemal Murat - Founder of Jack Murat.
How did the journey of Jack Murat start?
The journey starts in 1929, when my grandfather Hymet Murat arrived in Australia. Everyone called him Jack. In the fields of tropical Queensland, Jack helped sow the seeds of the region's agricultural industry and the beginning of a family tradition working on the land. Almost 90 years later, we made the decision as a family to use the same fertile ground and ideal tropical conditions to grow Arabica coffee. As a mark of respect, we’ve put Jack’s name on the label.
Can you share more about Jack Murat's approach to sourcing and roasting coffee?
Jack Murat is exclusively sourced from our beloved family farm. Each year around July, with favourable weather and tender care we undertake harvesting and processing – each time refining and tinkering to bring nuanced shifts in flavour. The roasting process is then tailored to best accentuate the harvest and its lots for a specific year – something we trust you will taste in every cup.
What was the inspiration for Jack Murat to decide to put coffees into the convenient capsule format?
It was simply the opportunity to feature in the homes of our customers. We recognise the growing embrace of specialty coffee at home and it is our keen interest to be a part of that.
Coffee is fuel to get us moving throughout the day, especially in the morning. What is your daily morning ritual like?
The sunrise charge of my two children serves as an alarm spurring me into action; and making my wife and I an espresso.
What are you most excited about right now and for the future of Jack Murat as a brand?
The prospects of our most recent harvest and resolutely continuing our path of elevating Australian coffee. It’s a life project and we won’t be content until Australia can be counted among the world’s best growing nations.
Getting to know Terrence Tan - Founder of Tad Coffee.
How did the journey of Tad Coffee start?
Tad Coffee Company was established in 2018, by a group of friends, led by Terence Tan.
The aim for TAD is to provide better quality coffee, barista training and education to our retailers.
Can you share more about Tad Coffee's approach to sourcing and roasting coffee?
We are always on a constant lookout for coffee that has quality and good potential, keeping in touch with our traders and finding value in the green coffee which will provide a consistent cup quality to our wholesale and consumer base.
What was the inspiration for Tad Coffee to decide to put coffees into the convenient capsule format?
We want good coffee to be approachable and easy for most people. Having our coffee made into Nespresso-compatible pods allow us to reach out to more consumers and provide an alternative taste approach to coffee.
Coffee is fuel to get us moving throughout the day, especially in the morning. What is your daily morning ritual like?
As a local boy, I got to start my day with a Kopi-O and that sets the base for the day. On days that I need a quick fix before getting out of the house, I'll have a couple of shots of our Aviary pods.
What are you most excited about right now and for the future of Tad Coffee as a business?
I'm excited about the different green coffee that we can purchase and creating different taste experiences for our customers, whether it be blends or single-origin coffees.
I see TAD to be growing through different prongs of the coffee business - creating different experiences through coffee, via a retail and learning experience.
Getting to know Shae Macnamara - CEO & Founder of Expat. Roasters
How did the journey of Expat. Roasters began?
It started in 2016, when I realised the need for a full-service coffee brand in Indonesia - a company that could understand and pass on knowledge about all aspects of the industry from the farm level through to roasting or pouring a beautiful cup of coffee in a cafe.
Can you share more about Expat. Roasters' approach to sourcing and roasting coffee?
We are blessed to have access to amazing farms throughout Indonesia where we can spend time understanding their challenges, working on new, different or improved processing methods as well as understanding the value in the Indonesian traditional processing methods like wet hulled coffee. We also buy a small percentage of our coffee from some of the worlds best producers to bring variety and education to our team and customers.
Our roasting is always a consumer-first style where we make sure we develop the coffee enough to bring out the sweetness or the character that makes each coffee special. We have a range of omni-roasted coffees as well as specific coffees that are best served as filter, lighter roasts or coffees that shine as espresso roast.
What was the inspiration for Expat. Roasters to decide to put coffees into the convenient capsule format?
We wanted to make our coffee accessible through as many different methods and capsules is such a fast growing market which we tested and trialed to make sure we are sharing coffees that delivered the experience we wanted.
Coffee is fuel to get us moving throughout the day, especially in the morning. What is your daily morning ritual like?
I get ready and head straight to one of our cafes where I have 4 piccolos to start my day.
What are you most excited about right now and for the future of Expat. Roasters as a brand?
I'm excited about the growth opportunities in other parts of Indonesia and the world. We are exploring our options and what market or area we can grow into next.