Will & Co Director Josh Passaro on the power of collaboration and how joining forces with likeminded businesses has helped build the Bondi coffee roaster.
When Will & Co was established in Bondi by three life-long friends in 2013, its founding ethos was to combine the area’s laid-back coastal lifestyle and thriving coffee scene. An essential part of that philosophy was immersing the micro roastery within the local community, getting to know its neighbours, and inviting them in for a brew.
In the 11 years that have passed, the Will & Co team’s personable approach and down-to-earth attitude has embedded them in the neighbourhood and forged strong relationships with other businesses in the area. Over coffees, beers, and dinners, ideas for collaborative projects have been volleyed across tables before being brought to life and shared with the community.
“Collaborating with like-minded people, artists, and brands has always been a part of our ethos,” says Will & Co Director Josh Passaro.
“One of our founding principles was to partner with passionate people to deliver unique coffee experiences that build communities. Collaboration is a huge part of that, not only further connecting us to our own community but also to new ones.”
Over the years, Will & Co has collaborated with all manner of businesses and organisations, from working with a skin care brand to develop a coffee body scrub and distillers to create coffee vodka to sponsoring local swim and run groups. According to Josh, the recipe for partnership success starts with a good relationship.
“The first thing we’re thinking about when exploring a collaborative project is whether the brand is a good fit with ours. We must be able to work well together and there has to be the right synergy between the brands,” he says.
“The most successful projects are those that are approached from a long-term point of view. Looking at it as a transactional relationship probably isn’t going to work – it has to be symbiotic.”
One of the roaster’s current projects is a partnership with brewery Curly Lewis, located a stone’s throw from Will & Co’s headquarters. A regular at their Bondi Brew Bar, Head Brewer Zac Pauling approached Josh and team with an idea.
“Zac wanted to create a lighter style of coffee stout that could be enjoyed all year round and suggested we develop something together,” says Josh.
“We loved the idea of grinding the coffee at the roastery and taking it just 500 metres down the road to be turned into a coffee stout. We’ve always been big fans of Curly Lewis and many of our customers love them too, so it was a no-brainer to work together.”
The resulting stout is a limited edition and features Will & Co’s Three-Oh-Three blend, which the team chose for its light body and caramel sweetness.
“Traditional stouts can be really heavy: you’ll drink one and that’s enough. Zac wanted to make it much lighter and more approachable so it could be enjoyed on the beach in summer, and we loved that idea. He has an amazing palate, so he worked his way through our blends until he landed on the one that would work best,” says Josh.
“We also wanted it to be super smooth and I think we got it just right. It’s easy drinking and delivers rich notes of oats, ale, and dark malt with a chocolatey coffee finish. To support the collaboration, we also created some fun merch so our cafe partners could be involved too.”
According to Josh, being local isn’t essential for a successful collaboration, but it helps. Getting to know Bondi’s creatives has led to projects outside of food and drink, such as Will & Co’s partnership with Splendid Wren Crockery.
“Our goal has always been to deliver a truly memorable coffee experience – and that goes beyond the contents of the cup,” says Josh.
“There are so many factors that come into play, from the design, vibe, and aesthetics of the venue to the baristas behind the bar. One of the factors overlooked most is the crockery in which the coffee is served.”
Keen to create something unique for its Bondi Brew Bar that they could also share with their online customers, Josh and team contacted local ceramicist Splendid Wren and commissioned a series of cups that embodied the brand and its neighbourhood.
“Our brief was quite loose, all we asked was that the crockery was inspired by Bondi Beach,” says Josh.
Splendid Wren ceramicist Catherine Field produced bespoke handmade cups to elevate the coffee experience. The series features a deep blue glaze as a nod to the ocean, with speckled clay representing the golden sand and white highlights denoting sea foam.
“We knew Catherine had a long history of creating awesome pieces for the industry, so we fully trusted her to come up with something fantastic,” says Josh.
The cups and saucers, available in latte and piccolo sizes, are now used at the Bondi Tasting Bar and available to buy online on the Will & Co website. As part of the project, Catherine is also hosting a series of ceramics workshops at Will & Co’s Bondi HQ café on Saturdays, teaching locals how to craft their own one-of-a-kind pieces.
“Having Catherine host the workshops brings this project full circle. They’re a great way for the local community to see what goes into making the cups they drink from and to work with an artist on such a personal level,” says Josh.
“Catherine has gone on to create bespoke crockery for our cafe partners too, so it’s great to see this approach extending more broadly.”
Working alongside creatives such as Catherine is one of the perks of the job and, according to Josh, something Will & Co will continue to prioritise alongside roasting quality coffee for its wholesale partners across Australia.
“What I love about coffee is that the opportunities are endless. You can transcend so many different categories, from lifestyle and beauty to food and drink,” he says.
“We have some exciting projects coming up that are still in the early stages. We’re working with a local spirit brand on a fun collaboration and there are few more in the pipeline.”
Josh says these collaborations are a great way for brands to expand their audiences and credits previous projects with helping Will & Co to get its name and products in front of more people.
“Collaboration is a great way to ensure a brand continues to evolve,” he says.
For more information, visit willandco.com.au
