Maurizio Marcocci of Service Sphere introduces a new online platform to unify Australian roasters and create a whole new experimental world for coffee consumers.
Every time I walk into Dan Murphy’s liquor stores – for a responsible bottle of wine or two – I’m amazed by the depth and variety of alcohol on offer, from spirits to champagne, wine to pre-mixed cocktails, and then further divided into chilled and room temp, imported or Australian produced, top dollar or budget.
The range is incredible, and customers happily walk around, drawn to new labels, a discounted price tag, or simply the sheer magnitude of what’s available at their disposal, and it got me thinking.
With coffee’s characteristics so often compared to wine, and a large cohort of roasters producing some quality offerings for Australian consumers, why not band the offerings together and create our own retail coffee platform?
If there’s ever a time to do it, this is it. When Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced mandatory restrictions on 22 March to help stop the spread of COVID-19, cafés and restaurants were forced to close in-store dinning, apart from those who are able to operate takeaway and home delivery services.
Within hours, the hospitality industry had to pivot a new normal and the idea of the Bean Bottega evolved as an opportunity to bring the coffee community together via an e-commence website.
Retail coffee sales are on the rise, opening a whole new opportunity for roasters to reach consumers who still demand top-quality coffee while isolating and working from home.
The idea for the Bean Bottega is to showcase the best of Australia’s coffee roasters in one platform, have the coffee community come together and support each other to create the Dan Murphy’s equivalent of coffee. Genovese Coffee was one such brand that was quick to jump on board.
“Online trading is clearly the way of the future, that’s why I believe there’s a great spot for this platform in our industry,” says Adam Genovese of Genovese Coffee.
“At a time like this, people will love having access to a bespoke coffee offer. Coffee lovers won’t have to go to different stores or websites to try different coffee. The concept will open consumer minds to different roasting styles and flavour profiles, so the more roasters that sign up, the better it will be for consumers to experience our world of coffee.”
Trent Knox of St Remio says cafés and wholesale partners have been hit hard as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, but joining the Bean Bottega is a unique way for coffee lovers to support local businesses at this challenging time.
“The way we consume coffee may have changed, but our expectations for quality coffee haven’t,” says Co-founder Trent Knox.
“St Remio was established as a proud ethical brand that cares about the quality of the product we provide, and more importantly, the people behind it. The Bean Bottega is another valuable way we can share our story with coffee consumers and help give back to the origin communities that work so hard for the precious product so many of us consume each day.”
David Valmorbida of Conga Foods says the Bean Bottega is a concept that celebrates the unity of Australia’s coffee and foodservice industry.
“Our family, via Conga Foods and dc Specialty Coffee Roasters, is proud to partner with our long-time friends Service Sphere, via the Bean Bottega to offer our range of products to customers, providing them with products such as the latest boundary-pushing dc coffee blends, the iconic Kimbo coffee from Naples, and the one-and-only, original Bialetti moka coffee makers,” David says.
“At such a challenging time for our industry, initiatives like this that bring Australian family businesses together are invaluable and we are excited for the launch of this new platform.”
Craig Dickson, CEO of Nomad Coffee Group is also proud to support long-term partners Service Sphere in bringing quality coffee and a home espresso solution to consumers.
“At Nomad Coffee Group, our purpose is coffee with significance and to ensure the sustainability of the specialty coffee industry for generations to come,” Craig says.
“Through our brands, we are committed to giving back to the amazing people who produce our coffee, sharing our experience and knowledge and bringing a quality specialty coffee experience to people all over the country.”
Five per cent of revenue raised from sales at the Bean Bottega will go towards a hospitality-based charities and My Room Children’s Cancer Charity.
It’s early days, but the Bean Bottega is up and running, and we’re proud to have launched such an exciting initiative at a time when the industry needs to ban together. To make the Bean Bottega the biggest and best it can be, we invite all Australian roasters to get involved and register to have their coffee featured on our website so that more people get to experience our diverse coffee culture, and the wonderful work our farmers and roasters are doing across the supply chain. With your support, the Bean Bottega might just become a coffee lover’s dream shopping expedition – all from the comfort of their homes.
This article appears in the June 2020 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
To connect to the Bean Bottega and discover a range of coffees to enjoy at home, visit www.servicesphere.com.au
To have your coffee registered on the Bean Bottega website, visit www.servicesphere.com.au/collaborate
For further information please contact our Sales Manager David Lagana at sales@servicepshere.com.au or on 0417 513 658.