Bendigo Advertiser Article

EXPANDING: Zoe Ellis with fellow Custom Coffees employees. Picture: PETER WEAVING


Bean demand grows with coffee company

   

CUSTOM Coffees has undergone a major revamp.

The Strickland Road business has expanded its retail section at a cost of $100,000 as demand for its coffee grows. Director Andrew McDonald said the business was roasting about 1.5 tonnes of beans each week.“We took over the building next door,” he said.“We stripped it and turned it into a retail section with a tasting room for customers to sample different types of coffee.“There’s a lot of timber and glass work in the there and it looks pretty good.We’re pretty happy with it.” 
The company has recently added staff and now employs nine people, which Mr McDonald said could expand.“I think it will grow as we get busier,” he said. “The next thing we’re looking to do is buy an $80,000 bagging machine to free up staff. “That’s currently being done manually and it’s a bit onerous.“It will clear another staff member to do other things.”

Custom Coffees was started by Scott and Merrill McLeod in Bendigo’s CBD in 2000. The business has operated from Mayfair Park Estate for a decade and Mr McDonald said domestic sales had grown.“Our coffee goes all over Victoria, to Melbourne and interstate,” he said.“We have about 300 commercial customers in cafes, restaurants, clubs and bars.“They’re our main clients, but domestic sales – people off the street – are growing.”  Mr McDonald said internet sales had also increased.  “That puts pressure on the space in the factory for bagging and packaging,” he said. “Everything is getting busy and we need all the space we can get. “Coffee sales used to be slower in summer than winter, but people are now drinking it all year around. “It’s becoming more and more popular.” 

The latest renovations began about a year ago to free space in the company’s factory. 
Mr McDonald said the business had been the first coffee roaster to operate in regional Victoria.

Make Espresso At Home? Espresso Tips.

You can either download one of these here,

Or pop in and grab one in our Bendigo store!

165a Strickland Rd Bendigo.

Custom Coffees Golden Bean Medal again this year.

2012 and now 2013. 

Second year in a row a medal for Custom Coffees Swiss Water decaf at the Golden Bean Awards. 

We're getting quite a collection!

Read more about the Swiss Water Decaf process here.

Big Friday Roast!

About 1/3 through....

Part of todays roast...nearly 1000 kg's of it!! Phew!!. Public holiday Wednesday (Bendigo Cup Day) threw a spanner in the works! We normally roast two to three times a week getting through 1.4 - 1.6t a week, bout the same again to do on Monday!!  ARRGGHHHH!!!

Fortunately, beautiful industrial equipment to work with makes it relatively easy.

Incredibly consistent results from our 40kg Vittoria Inter Commercial Industrial Hot Air Roaster, it gets through a lot of roasting quickly. Love it.

Symphony Blend

40kg Roaster at Custom Coffees Bendigo

New Custom Coffees Retail Area

Set to go. CCHQ in Mayfair Park Bendigo.

After a lot of planning and work over the past 12 months or so, finally our new Custom Coffees / Grata Espresso  / Nuova Caffe larger retail area is up and running. 

The domestic retail sector has always  formed a small but growing part of Custom Coffees overall customer base over the years, so together with the increasing demand online for our products, this expansion allows us to better cater for those growing markets and also importantly frees up valuable floor space in the factory area that we are fast running out of.  

Nine very dedicated CC staff work tirelessly to bring all our coffee partners around Australia the very best in Artisan Gourmet coffees, together with everything else our wholesale customers have come to expect and deliver  the superlative level of service they deserve.  

All at Custom Coffees look forward to seeing our domestic customers in our sparkling new retail area.  

Some teaser pictures below...

Andrew.

San Remo Torino in the cupping / tasting room.

Our first customer after opening the doors...Zoe serving.

Part of the new display wall..not finished.

Small blend sampler.
This will be updated weekly cycling though all 22 blends with weekly specials as well.

Glass panels installed this morning...

Door through to roastery / factory area.

Vincent Van Gogh. 'Cafe Terrace At Night' 

Custom Coffees New Blend List

Page 1

Page 2

Download the full brochure here.

    

As Artisan coffee roasters, we ensure our wholesale coffee beans are sourced from premium coffee growing regions in countries throughout the world. We produce a range of classic blends, organic, single origin, and Fairtrade coffee and offer gourmet roasted coffee across our three long-standing labels: Grata, Nuova, and our signature ‘Custom Coffees’ label.

Since 2000, Custom Coffees, Bendigo, has been providing wholesale coffee to cafes, restaurants and clubs, and our coffee bean blends and popular brands are prominent not only locally, but throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria and Interstate. Now we’re offering our custom gourmet coffee for sale online, providing a convenient way to buy quality coffee beans online—whole or ground—and enjoy flavourful, artisan-roasted coffee at home.     

Free postage Australia Wide. Order online here.

Golden Plate Awards 2013 & Custom Coffees

     Congratulations to all the winners of Golden Plate Awards for 2013 in Bendigo.

https://www.facebook.com/Bendigocornerstorecafe

Special mention to to Adam Nicoletti owner of Bendigo Corner Store Cafe for winning the inaugural Bendigo's 'Best Barista' category sponsored by Custom Coffees. 

Congratulations Nick! 

Custom Coffees are proud to be assoacied with and supply quality gourmet coffee to the following Award recipients:

GPO

Best Restaurant Relaxed Dining

Barzurk Restaurant

Best Restaurant Casual Dining

Brougham Arms Hotel

Best Hotel

Malayan Orchid

Best Restaurant Comtempory Dining (Highly Commended)

Sim'R Restaurant 

Best Licensed Cafe

Congratulations from all the staff at Custom Coffees. 

We appreciate your custom and your continued commitment to local businesses.

Thankyou.

New Grata Espresso Designs

Our exiting new range of Grata Espresso Coffee Bags, Mugs, Cups and Take-Away cups.

It's been a long time coming. Anyone who's gone through the process of new branding will know that the design, organisation and implementation is the best part of a 12 month project. Getting it all together is no simple task.

 Custom Coffees are proud to showcase to you these great new product designs.

PS. New showroom is all coming together...think the new designs are good? 

Wait till you see the showroom.

Sam Macleod - 15 y.o. Barista Extraordinaire

By Sam Macleod. GPO Bendigo.

 

Put in a great effort in the CV Barista Championships yesterday in Bendigo as part of the Golden Plate Awards 2013

Got pipped at the post for a finals spot - next year Sam, plenty of time for a young talented barista to shine. 

Sam's effort today to get back on the horse..

Drop in and say hi, encouragement always welcome!! 

Well done Sam. CCHQ

Air Ambulance, Victorian Police Airwing & Grata Espresso

Bell 412 EP.    VH-VAA.   Bendigo.

Custom Coffees proudly supports and provides gourmet artisan coffee to the Head Quarters of both the Victorian Police Airwing and the Victorian Air Ambulance Service based at Essendon Airport as well as out lying bases in the Air Ambulance network across Victoria.

When I’m not at Custom Coffees roasting coffee, I'm employed as the Senior Pilot and Base Manager with CHC Helicopters on the Victorian Air Ambulance contract HEMS3 helicopter based at Bendigo. I must say it’s a pleasure to be associated with such a brilliant aero medical emergency service, the best equipped and highest qualified service in Australia. Five helicopters and four King Air aircraft cover the State providing an unparalleled level of accident and emergency response.

Grata Espresso Symphony Blend provides the caffeine fuel to empower these fine people and the work provided by these two Aviation emergency service institutions. I’m proud to be a part of it at both ends of the spectrum that I’m involved with.

Andrew.