Living in Central Otago for the past eight years, Alaskia Hansen has gained some great opportunities. The 22-year-old began working at just 14 in a resort cleaning room. She fell into coffee after outgrowing old places of work and needing a more challenging fresh start. Hansen joined the team at Fusee Rouge Café with very little experience but quickly realised her love for coffee-making.
“I love to be great at everything I do! Making a good coffee has to be one of the most satisfying things ever!”
‘Fusee’ - as the locals know it - is located in the beautiful South Island town of Cromwell, nestled between Wānaka and Queenstown. The café has been around for over 20 years and owned by Nic Taylor for the past six. Fusee serves amazing baked goods and a simple but delicious kitchen menu featuring a nostalgic mince on toast. The cinnamon scrolls have a cult following, and customers also love the café's hits-from-all-eras tunes.
Now, Hansen is Fusee Rouge Café’s General Manager. The team culture is to strive for excellence, and Hansen is fortunate to have a boss, Nic Taylor, who is all about empowering others to be their absolute best. Always finding opportunities for more training, upskilling, and opportunities for growth, Taylor is truly focused on each of her staff members achieving excellence in life.
A testament to the hard work of the Fusee Rouge Café manager and team, the business recently won ‘Best Café’ at the Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence. The win was an emotional moment for the team, something they worked really hard for and is very proud to have achieved for themselves and their little town. The café previously won the Restaurant Association 2020 Resilience Award for outstanding community spirit for the Queenstown region.
Hansen has also been recognised individually at a higher level for her great hospitality work, having been a finalist for several awards - Emerging Front of House, Otago Hospitality Awards; Future Leader, Hospitality Awards for Excellence; Future Leader, Eat. Taste. Central 2021.
Having gained so much from her boss’ enthusiasm and teachings, Hansen’s favourite part of the job is passing on knowledge and training her team.
“There is nothing quite like helping others and watching them find their passion.”
Fusee serves Coffee Supreme, and the Brazil beans are Hansen’s favourite blend. Supreme provides great consistent training for their stockist baristas, but the barista’s advice to those sharpening their skills at home is to research by watching lots of coffee-making videos. Social media provides an abundance of inspiration and top tips, and bean suppliers often give great tips on their websites too.
Hansen defines a great coffee by judging it in its entirety. The shot has to be right, milk must be silky and creamy, and the barista needs to have an understanding of what the coffee needs - milk type, no milk, it all matters.
“Making coffee is an art and a science. We consider our baristas skilled tradespeople.”
The manager would like to see the industry acknowledge baristas in this way too, knowing the time that goes into developing the skills, and getting the coffee perfect while working under pressure.
Hansen’s go-to coffee order is an American with a dash of cream. She has seen quite a few trends come through the coffee-making space over the years but believes that the huge increase in alternative milk popularity will see it here to stay. Some days, alternative milks are requested more than dairy at Fusee. Decaf is on the rise, very popular at Fusee compared to last year and Superfood lattes are also making waves - Fusse Rouge serves Golden, Matcha, Velvet and many more.
When not whipping up coffees behind the machine, Hansen can be found at the gym or out walking her golden retriever Oakley. She and her partner are currently in the process of renovating their first home, and being a “hermit”, Hansen finds this me-time satisfies her soul.
Fusee Rouge Café is located at 64 B, The Mall, Cromwell.
Check out their socials @fuseerouge
