For Piazza D’Oro and the Kulnura Volunteer Rural Fire Service Brigade, coffee was the ideal bridge to foster new connections and support the local community.
Coffee naturally draws people together. With its inviting aroma and familiar warmth, it has a unique way of uniting individuals and creating a welcoming atmosphere. In fact, the team at Sydney roaster Piazza D’Oro are so confident in the power of coffee to bring people together that they teamed up with the Kulnura Volunteer Rural Fire Service (RFS) Brigade to help support its local community and fundraising efforts.
Located on the Central Coast in New South Wales, the volunteer RFS has been hit with an unrelenting series of challenges – from the 2019-20 bushfires that saw unprecedented destruction across the region to flooding and a break-in.
Hearing about its recent hardships, the team at Piazza D’Oro wanted to help. For Sales Specialist Amy Grenfell, the partnership with the Kulnura Volunteer RFS is a personal one, inspired by a mix of community spirit, resilience, and great coffee.
“I started working with Piazza D’Oro in early 2024. I applied for the job because of the company’s sustainability profile. I live in a farming region, so its ethics around coffee really resonated with me,” says Amy.
“When I started the role, I saw Piazza D’Oro and JDE Peet’s global commitment to responsible sourcing firsthand, but noticed we weren’t doing a lot here in Australia.”
The absence of a local community project propelled Amy to look for potential ways the roaster could pursue its ethical commitment more locally.
“When the Harvest Festival came along, I saw a window of opportunity to bridge that gap and to do something meaningful both for Piazza D’Oro and the Kulnura Volunteer RFS,” she says.
“Coffee softens the blow for hard conversations. It brings people together and that’s exactly what their volunteer brigade needed.”
Amy’s connection with the brigade was also personal. With her husband an active member, she had witnessed firsthand how integral it was to the safety of the local community.
“I realised I could be the one doing the talking and the educating. The firefighters are often out there on the trucks, but they also need people to assist in raising awareness and helping with traffic control at road-related incidents and accidents. That’s where I saw my role,” she says.
With the support of the JDE Peet’s engineering and technical team, the idea of creating a mobile coffee cart for the brigade was born. In June 2025, the Piazza D’Oro cart was launched at the Harvest Festival, the response to which Amy says was transformative.
“It wasn’t just about coffee,” she says. “It was a drawcard. Parents grabbed a coffee and chatted while the children played on the fire trucks and learned about fire safety. It created a natural hub for discussion that felt familiar and warm.”
The cart was stocked with Piazza D’Oro beans, which were served in Aqueous Home Compostable cups with pulp lids.
“Piazza D’Oro didn’t just provide the cups but also information on how to compost them. It was educational, not just convenient,” says Amy.
The sustainable approach resonated with the fire-aware farming community. Adding the coffee cart transformed the brigade’s stall and sparked conversations that previously weren’t being had.
“Last year, people walked by. This year, they stayed and talked. It felt like going to a friend’s house for a cup of coffee and a Tim Tam,” she says.
“Three other brigades have since reached out to ask if they can use the coffee cart for their events. It’s proven to be a really effective model, something functional we can replicate.”
In terms of supporting and growing the brigade’s capacity, the coffee cart played a strong role.
“New prospective recruits came on board after the festival and even more are showing interest. It’s opening up conversations the brigade never had before,” says Amy.
Looking ahead, the brigade plans to open its station with the coffee cart on the third Sunday of every month. The wider goal is to provide education that extends beyond bushfire season. From how to stack firewood safely to where to get help in an emergency, the brigade offers a range of support for rural residents.
“We want the fire station to be a place where people know they can come. That it’s more than trucks and hoses, it’s about community,” she says.
Mark Towell has been a member of the Kulnura RFS Brigade since 1989 and assumed the role of captain in 2015. He says the coffee cart initiative was an instant ‘yes’ from the brigade’s point of view.
“We were all very accepting of it and thought it was a great initiative from Amy and the Piazza D’Oro team,” says Mark.
“The Harvest Festival is a huge event on the Central Coast. It is probably our number one source of fundraising for the year and the money goes towards equipment and the ongoing maintenance of the tools.”
Since the devastating bushfires six years ago, the brigade saw an influx in memberships, but after the floods the following year, the rate of new memberships slowed down.
“That has turned around a bit now though. In the past six months we’ve seen an influx in members and we want to keep building that momentum,” says Mark. “The coffee cart has definitely had a part to play in our growth so far.”
The initiative also aims to encourage a greater sense of community in the local area.
“When I was a kid, everyone met at the fire station on Friday nights for a sausage sizzle and a beer. We don’t have that sense of solidarity anymore. But now, it’s coffee and conversation – a space for the whole family,” says Amy.
“Piazza D’Oro has always stood for community and sustainability, especially in the coffee-growing regions. But now, that ethos is visible right here in Australia.”
With the coffee team training some members of the brigade to step into the barista role, it’s hoped the cart can be self-sufficient for the pop-up events. Amy and Mark are proud of what the partnership has become and look forward to its continued growth.
All coffee was sold on the day, with 100 per cent of the raised funds going towards the Kulnura Volunteer Brigade. Piazza D’Oro also matched the funds raised.
For more information, visit piazzadoro.com.au
This article appears in the August 2025 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
