Tom Ormond began his hospitality career in the early 2000’s whilst working in the film industry in Wellington. One of his roles was looking after both the crew and talent, which involved taking them coffee, and a lot of it.
A love of coffee, combined with an interest in the techy side of espresso machines and grinders led Ormond and his wife, Benita, to start their own roasting company, Hawthorne Coffee Roasters.
Hawthorne uses roast profiling software to gain real time feedback on the roasting process via graphed heat and time data. This allows them to monitor the process and ensure they get the perfect roast, every time.
Ormomd believes a great roast should maximise the sweetness of the coffee and highlight any special characteristics of the beans. Adding that a blend should add complexity and balance to the flavour profile.
Speaking on his current favourite origin or blend, Ormond says he is impartial to an Ethiopian Yirgacheffe any day but currently finds himself drinking a lot of Kenya Karatu. He is looking forward to exploring more of the Colombian coffee regions on an upcoming trip to visit a selection of the coffee plantations that supply Hawthorne Coffee Roasters with beans.
Ormond is Hawke’s Bay born and bred and takes pride in supporting the local community. Hawthorne Coffee Roasters are a major sponsor for the Peak Trailblazer event at the local primary school. The annual event raises money for both the school and local charities. During the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, the Hawthorne team took their mobile coffee carts out to supply the Civil Defence and helicopter rescue teams with free coffee during their long days of hard work.
From an environmental viewpoint, Ormond believes Hawthorne are doing the best they can. They were one of the first cafes in the Hawkes Bay area to implement kegged milk in daily service and the team repurpose and recycle as much as possible from both the cafe and roastery. Ormond also makes sure all of the plantations they buy from share similar environmental views and have implemented robust sustainability practices.
Ormond’s favourite part of the job has, and always will be, the social aspect of coffee. From building relationships with suppliers and wholesale customers to having conversations over the counter of the cafe and bringing people together over a good cup of coffee.
Ormond believes there is nothing quite as rewarding as getting great feedback at the espresso bar, knowing the Hawthorne team has been involved in the creation of the drink right from the beginning, when they picked the best green beans to roast.
