FairTrade Coffee

One of our FairTrade Organic Bends.

Fairtrade coffee ensures that the farmers who grow the coffee beans are paid a fair price for what they produce. Not only is this equitable and helps to ensure better conditions for workers, but it means farmers are better able to afford to feed their families, educate their children, and reinvest money back into their farms to further develop them.  Fairtrade coffee helps people in developing countries help themselves.

There are many Fairtrade certified products available around the world. Coffee is one of the most popular, as many of the world’s least developed countries rely on coffee revenue, where in some instances it makes up nearly 80% of exports. On this larger scale, Fairtrade coffee helps ensure these nations have the resources to look after their people and develop their economies. Our Fairtrade coffee—whether blended or single origin—is also organic, so it cares for people as well as the environment– better for the farmers and better for you!

The countries from which we source our Fairtrade coffee are:

• East Timor
• Ethiopia
• PNG
• Peru
• Indonesia
• Brazil

Custom Coffees are registered, certified and annually audited by FairTrade Australia & New Zealand. 

Only businesses as such can legally display or claim to use the FairTrade branding or logo.

See all of our available FairTrade Coffees here.

Back into it for 2014!

60kg tubs all ready...

Tubs all lined up for todays roasting schedule. Back a few days early to make sure sure we have plenty of coffee for Mondays reopening after the Christmas clean out! This gives the coffee four days to degas before shipment, you want it fresh but not too fresh..

Christmas for Custom Coffees is always a busy time. For the three weeks leading up to our  break, this year started the 21st December, we have to prepare for being shut down for two weeks. Three weeks of coffee needs to go out in one week. This always takes some planning starting months before.

Custom Coffees has over 30 coffee varietals on the floor. Factory stores staff have to order a minimum 3 months in advance from our suppliers, and we always have two months of raw coffee supply in our factory and storage areas - so five months earlier we need to start to ramp up to cope with three weeks of coffee going out in the last week before Christmas shut

down.

I know Max, its nearly over...

Ask Max, he knows all about the week before our Christmas break..

Fairtrade Organic Coffee.   Beautiful FTO Seven Blend.

Going to be another big year for CCHQ me thinks, got a few things on the go...

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.