BeanScene Magazine

Lance Brown is one of those coffee industry people who sparks instant recognition. That’s not surprising, given his three decades of being connected to coffee in a variety of roles, but for Lance, this isn’t just a job.

Bringing quality coffee to the ever-increasing masses might be good for business, but the type of respect he commands has more to do with the strong levels of support, passion and ongoing enthusiasm he has employed to connect the coffee chains and cafés with their customers. That is no easy feat in an industry known for its competitive and often difficult history.

Lance has observed the coffee industry and culture evolve and grow from very close quarters. And, in his current role as National Food’s National Account Manager for Commercial Coffee, he has been able to give this industry the wings it needs to fly. Lance has been personally responsible for much of the success of countless national and world coffee champions as well as supporting and growing the baristas, competitions, trade shows and the coffee chains. But, like many in the industry, he started his “coffee life” behind the machine.

“It started in the late 1980s at The KEG. That’s where we would all jump on the coffee machine and see who could make the biggest meringue on top of their cappuccino. In those days, size mattered! The bigger the meringue, the bigger the tip. It’s funny to think back and see how far we’ve come, and quite quickly too,” Lance says.

It was a case of not knowing any better. “There was no training. There was no one to explain what coffee was all about. Today, you’ve got to laugh about it, but the sad thing is that there are still cafés around that operate the same way, even with all the attention and focus on coffee these days.”

In Lance’s early coffee career, he says, not many people drank it. “We made it, but none of us drank it, it was just something we did. It just got worse after I left the KEG and took on a catering manager role at the Exhibition Centre for the next two years. We made so much coffee, but all of it was terrible. Not drinkable! That’s what we thought coffee was in those days. That’s all I thought coffee would ever be.”

However, after nearly a decade of hands-on hospitality roles, Lance received an unexpected offer from global coffee giant, Douwe Egberts. Approached by good friend and State Manager at the time, Craig Dickson, Lance says he wasn’t totally confident about what he was personally taking on. But, he stepped up and quickly became a key player in the company’s business model, working alongside other well-known names such as David Makin, Rocky Veneziano, Peter Wolff and Tas Chronis.

“They were great days. The halcyon days of coffee in Australia. It was the beginning of what has become a cultural phenomenon and what we now take for granted. Douwe Egberts were critical in the promotion and expansion of coffee. Then came the fireworks. It was all about getting accounts, growth, expansion, branding. It was a war out there. The sales reps would do anything, whatever it took to win over accounts.
Free on-loan equipment, price undercutting, rebates, free stock, anything at all, just to get accounts - as the coffee tidal wave hit our shores.”

Twelve years later not much has changed, except that Lance no longer has to worry about chasing accounts. In his current role, the biggest accounts in the country come to him given his linchpin role in connecting the milk and coffee industries.

“Funny that! Considering that 98% of espresso-based coffees served in this country are made with milk, it is important that the relationship between these two industries is perfect - the connection smooth and seamless. I’ve been at National Foods since 2005 where we have gone about a campaign of educating café owners, informing the general public, supporting and training baristas and celebrating coffee in Australia at various levels and events.”

One case in point, Lance says, is the recent Australian Coffee Chain Championship put together by the team at BeanScene. “Events such as these and the AASCA National Barista Championships aren’t necessarily about winning - that’s not the point. It’s about a celebration, a coming together to showcase the best that this multi-level industry has to offer. Be it specialty, mass market or chain coffee, in the end if we all work together, by growing the industry with such unique and powerful events, we all win with a better cup of coffee. After all isn’t that what it is all about, isn’t that why we’re here?”

National Foods’ vision is to be a leading branded food and beverage company in the Asia Pacific region. Through the delivery of superior and sustainable growth, it is already one of Australia’s largest food and beverage groups, with core activities in milk, fresh dairy foods, juice, soy beverages and specialty cheese.

Created in 1991, it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lion Nathan National Foods Pty Ltd, born out of the amalgamation of several related businesses with histories dating back to the 1800s.

“We are always evolving, changing and growing to meet the needs of our expanding client base. Our processes and products need to be able to deliver, it’s that simple and we believe they do. If they don’t we change them. It’s that simple! We want to make sure that we give our clients what they need, so they in turn can give the consumer what they demand - a great coffee experience.

They were great days. The halcyon days of coffee in Australia. It was the beginning of what has become a cultural phenomenon and what we now take for granted. Douwe Egberts were critical in the promotion and expansion of coffee.

“Being in hospitality for so long I understand how the industry works and make myself accessible to one and all. I will always take the call from an outlet that has not got a delivery, or has a query with a certain product line. I know it’s a battle out there and our support is crucial to their business success. If I didn’t love what I do so much, I wouldn’t do it. For me, it’s so much more than merely a job, its a big part of my life. I love the conferences, events, judging and the whole networking aspect of my role and feel privileged to be able to give back so much personally to an industry that has done so much for me.”

With the recent crowing of the inaugural Australian Coffee Chain Champion, it was timely to ask Lance about his thoughts on the whole coffee chain phenomenon and what he thinks is the way forward for the often-maligned chain concept.

“To deny the impact and influence of coffee chains both in Australia and abroad would be ridiculous. Without a doubt, the first biggest thing to happen to the Australian cafe scene was the opening of the first Starbucks over a decade ago.  It was bedlam. People just went mad. There were queues and new stores, very much like when Krispy Kreme opened in Melbourne a few years ago. Slowly it died down, but you can’t deny the impact and definite place that coffee chains have had and continue to have on the coffee industry and the value they add. Not only are they a great entry point to coffee - accessible, warm and friendly - but, they are also a great breeding ground for talented young baristas to go on and achieve bigger and better things. Countless names come to mind who have come up through the chains and have achieved so much either in competitions, both nationally and internationally, as well as taking the skills learnt to go on and open their own cafes and businesses.”

Lance’s role takes him all over the country and across the globe. It is both enviable and burdensome. Days blend into nights more often than not alone in a hotel room somewhere waiting to judge a competition in Singapore or greet a CEO in Anaheim. The cost to his family time, especially with his two boys, Jake and Mitchell, is huge. But, it is because we have people such as Lance in the industry that the consumer can now sit down and enjoy a favourite café latte or cappuccino and not the meringue-topped insipid brew of yesteryear.