Despite being super competitive, it’s the close community that Mathew Johnstone, head roaster and owner at Maven, finds a real highlight of the coffee industry in New Zealand.
“Coffee has been a part of my life since the early 80s when I spent a lot of time in cafes around Ponsonby Road - first helping my mum, then as a barista and later as a roaster. There was a real sense of camaraderie amongst the roasters and cafes, a real community.”
At that time, New Zealand coffee brands were in their infancy - learning, creating and getting started on the coffee culture New Zealand has become known for.
“Many of the people trying to make their way in coffee worked closely together, learning, figuring things out…I’ve got good memories of that time.”
Since then, Mathew has gone from working for a number of influential New Zealand coffee brands, to starting up something new - Maven.
“Maven is a b2b roaster - we work with other coffee roasters, brands, and larger cafes to find ways to improve their coffee, or the production of their coffee.”
People come to Maven for assistance with recipes and profiles, as well as ongoing contract roasting. As Loring Smart Roast’s New Zealand-based consultant, they also provide assistance with transitioning, troubleshooting, and training.
Mathew spends a lot of his time working with each client first articulating a brief and then executing it. This can include everything from complex flavour profiles to sustainability targets to green bean budgets, and Mathew’s role is to find a solution for each client.
“The most satisfying part of my work at Maven is problem-solving - whether it be with a barista who wants certain things out of their coffee, or a brand who has a specific flavour profile in mind. It’s a good feeling when we nail it.”
Maven works closely with each client and uses a Loring roaster for sustainability, flavour, and consistency.
“There is a lot that goes into getting green coffee to New Zealand, and roasting, packing and sending it. We want to make sure that we get what the client wants out of it…you don’t want to invest in a premium green coffee only to roast the flavours out or overpower it with another origin, or create something that tastes good but doesn’t hit sustainability or budget goals.”
Maven continues that collaboration between roasters that Mathew valued so much from his first start in coffee. The company has worked with many different brands - from multinational corporations to local businesses like Raglan Roast and Coffix - and is building a real support network.
“We work with other roasters and coffee brands on both a short- and long-term basis, but we always keep in touch. While we are competitors, there is support and collaboration going both ways…one of the best parts of this type of roasting.”
