Co-founder of Malatto Coffee, Lucas Sena moved to New Zealand from Medellin, Colombia, in 2017 to study at the University of Canterbury. Falling in love with the country, after his studies he decided to stay.
Sena has fond memories of his father's café in Colombia, selecting equipment and coffee, and incredible times spent together. When Sena met his partner and co-founder of Malatto Coffee, Rose Kuru, the pair started trying different coffee brands, preparing them together and acquiring coffee equipment, from there Malatto Coffee was born.
Malatto Coffee is an artisan roastery. Roasting in small batches under close supervision, each batch of green beans is thoroughly examined to determine the ideal roasting curve for its density, profile and final destination.
“The oils stored within the cell walls of the bean are the most important aromatic components in coffee. We take great care during the roasting process to ensure that these structures do not degrade and that the oils remain safely sealed in the bean until it is ground and brewed.”
Despite his roots and love for Colombian coffee, Sena has fallen in love with coffee from Panama’s Santamaria Estate. Sena most enjoys hearing customers' experience with Malatto coffees - how they prepare the coffee, what the tasting notes are, helping to improve the coffee Malatto roast.
As a small roaster in New Zealand, Malatto focus their efforts into achieving sustainability in their brand. Creating partnerships with farms in Central and South America opens up the opportunity for these farms to receive a fair price for their quality, and access a fair sustainable trade chain. Malatto is also committed to using 100% recyclable packaging to mitigate the negative effects of waste on the environment.
Sena finds being patient and having fun essential in the art of roasting, especially when making mistakes.
“Don’t be afraid to seek advice from New Zealand’s roasters. We found that most roasters are friendly and eager to teach when you are starting.”
Malatto Coffee is looking forward to launching their first specialty coffee mobile van in Wellington soon.
