BeanScene Magazine

It will come as no surprise to learn that the coffee industry is a tough and very competitive business. Any commodity that sits at number two on the global trading register will never be short of intrigue. And, by its very nature, it attracts a vibrant population of passionate individuals. Surviving in this environment can require some special qualities and one such person is the General Manager of coffee trading giant, Cofi-Com, Andrew Mackay

As a businessman, Andrew is regarded as both savvy and inspirational. But, he also has the rare ability to walk the line as a supplier, confidante and respected consultant to the entire industry. Rather than engage in any industry squabbles, Andrew has devoted his career to representing and supporting the sector.

Cofi-Com is one of Australia’s leading suppliers of green coffee, delivering the best and most varied range of green bean coffees from around the world, to the roasters of Australia and New Zealand. The company has always positioned itself as a flexible and independent importer and supplier, servicing all roasters, from large-scale to boutique. It imports specialty green coffees from more than 25 countries. Cofi-Com is also the leading supplier of coffee syrups, teas and chocolate powder to the trade throughout Australia.

Since 2001, Cofi-Com has been owned by one of the world’s leading coffee merchants, Swiss company, Volcafe. Their operations span the globe, from Latin America to Africa and Asia, ensuring they are able to procure, process and supply the right coffee for the right situation. Volcafe in turn is owned by ED&F Mann, a commodity trading house with a history stretching back to 1783.

“It is funny being at Cofi-Com now. After all, it was the company I started with a good friend back in 1987,” Andrew says. “But, my career and lifelong obsession with coffee started way before then. It was in 1974 that I actually started working with tea and moved over to coffee in 1975.”

Cofi-Com, and specifically Andrew, established strong connections globally from day one. These connections evolved through international trading relationships, to open up an extensive global network of supply to the new and relatively unknown Australian market. The company is dedicated to delivering quality and to this end focuses on sourcing and promoting the production of high quality and single origin coffees from smallholders, cooperatives and estates worldwide. They are keen supporters of the Australian roasting community and the Australian Tea and Coffee Association (ACTA), which Andrew is Vice-Chairman of. As strong supporters of sustainable coffee growing practices, Cofi-Com is also licensed by the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia (NASAA), the organic certifier. Affiliations in this field include Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, UTZ Kapeh, Organic, EurepGap and Shade Grown and Bird Friendly.
After 40 years, Andrew remains a key global figure as far as coffee sourcing and supply to roasters is concerned. The changes he has seen during that timespan provide a unique industry insight.

“Believe it or not, in the mid-1970s, in Australia there were only half a dozen families roasting coffee and three or four multinationals. The supply was only ever from three or four different origins and blends were always made up of different combinations of these beans. There was none of the freedom we have now,” Andrew says.

“The Australian market, with respect to coffee is very unique, the quality of the coffees we import and the raw products we use, can’t be compared with anything anywhere else in the world. It is because of so many passionate people that have come into the industry and continue to come into the industry. There doesn’t seem to be an end to it, which is great!”

According to Andrew, it wasn’t until the late 1980s that coffee really began to take a grip on mainstream society and turn into the product that we now take for granted. And, having burgeoned to over 300 coffee roasters nationally,the way Andrew does business today is a far cry from those formative early days.

“So many people have entered the industry over the years and have done so well out of it. Boutique roasters began to pop up all over the country. They found that the time was right and there was an opportunity to present something special, something unique to a market whose tastes had changed and whose focus had shifted. It was a new product, a new offering, to a consumer who was ready to embrace and try something that was slowly making its way across the globe. Australia was in a very unique position and the people who began to get involved in this new industry and to believe in it, have done well over the years,” Andrew says.

Pure coffee, or roast and ground as it is also known, began to take market share from a well established tea and instant coffee market and Andrew watched the dynamic begin to shift.

“The evolution of coffee here was very interesting. Not so much because of the embracing of espresso technology, but more because of the immediate push towards quality and sourcing beans from around the globe, that were second to none. Looking at where we source beans from and the quality of blends being offered to the Australian market, what is presented to the consumer here is very high - almost incomparable to anything else anywhere in the world.

“Trends have certainly changed and if we look at the way we take our coffee these days it is something that is totally different to anything else we have seen before. People often talk about the shift away from tea or away from instant coffee to pure, roast and ground coffee, but its not that simple. As popular as pure coffee and cafe culture is in Australia, it’s still a fact that the instant market makes up 65% of total coffee consumption.”

“I’ve been very fortunate to work in an industry I love with many great people that are both passionate and genuinely nice.”

And clearly, Andrew says, that’s not the case because people don’t like it. “You don’t get that sort of demand or consumption for a product that the market doesn’t like. It would be naive and conceited to look down on instant as a lesser or inferior product to pure coffee. It would be pure blind arrogance not based on fact or reason. It is a different product, the two are not comparable to one another, a totally different offering to a market that may be looking for other things like convenience and ease.

“It’s definitely not an inferior product in any way. The quality of the raw materials used in it are as good as anything else we import into the country. Some soluble coffees are actually quite sophisticated blends that are merely an alternative, a different beverage. Obviously it is popular as you can’t go to too many houses and not find a tin of soluble coffee there.”

Andrew Mackay has been around for long enough to know what it takes to develop a market and understand how important quality is in such a volatile industry.

“There was a time when the whole industry was price-driven. During the growth in the late 1970s and 1980s, it was always about the dollar, even at the cost of quality. These days the mindset has definitely shifted and roasters are quality- focused, not price-driven. They realise the longevity of the industry and the demand for their product is reliant on a quality product, not using inferior and second rate raw materials, but paying detailed attention to and shooting for perfection in every cup.”

With palates changing and consumers more aware than ever before, it is clear that Australians are fortunate to be able to experience and sample many coffees that aren’t available anywhere else in the world.
“I’ve been very fortunate to work in an industry I love with many great people who are both passionate and genuinely nice. Coffee has been good to me and judging by trends and the demands of the market I hope to enjoy working in this industry for many years to come,” Andrew says.