Waikato coffee roaster Mike Jobling believes in getting to the essence of things.
Essenza is the name of he and his wife Chris's coffee roasting business but the idea goes even deeper, he tells Country Life.
"We believe that all coffee has to start with an essence to make the brew and it's the essence that counts to make the coffee tastes good."
Chris Wilson and Mike Jobling of Essenza Coffee. Photo: RNZ/Leah Tebbutt
The essence is not just found in Mike's coffee blends but also in the cow-come-coffee shed where the magic takes place.
He and his wife Chris Wilson decided to open a cafe after touring Europe.
That soon led to an interest in the coffee roasting process, which eventually took over the cafe business altogether.
"My brother-in-law, who worked at the farm, when we're thinking about where we could relocate the roastery says 'Well you've got an old cow shed here that can roast out of'.
"The council came around and had a look and they just rolled their eyes up thinking there's no way you're going to make that work here. Needless to say, he came back after we did everything and was actually quite shocked."
Where the pit with a herringbone milking system once sat, there are now polished concrete floors.
It was an absolute tip when the couple first arrived, says Chris.
"It was just a derelict, a huge mess where the pit was just filled with farmers' old crap."
Coffee beans are sourced from Brazil, Kenya, Columbia and Kongo. Photo: RNZ/Leah Tebbutt
In an extension of the building stands the Italian coffee roaster where Mike is on the job.
He moves side to side, flicking buttons and switches, to make his blends roast just right.
"If you think of having a kiln on the bottom heated by gas, and put a tumble dryer on top - don't do this at home though - and then the heat just goes into the tumble dryer and it works from there."
The Italian coffee roaster with destoner standing behind ready for the fresh batch of beans. Photo: RNZ/Leah Tebbutt
A couple of hundred kilograms of beans are roasted almost every day, with the roaster working for six to seven hours at a time.
Mike describes himself as more of a boutique roaster, selling seven different coffee blends, including decaf.
Nestled in between paddocks a stone's throw from Morrinsville, Mike thinks it's the location that makes it work even more enjoyable.
With a window perfectly situated by the roaster, he can look out to views of the Kaimai Ranges in the distance.
"You just don't have that sort of city or town thing. I mean on a nice day you've got the mountains in the background, I guess to a degree you can take it for granted but it's a beautiful location really, being in the country."
Mike Jobling casts his watchful eye over the freshly roasted batch. Photo: RNZ/Leah Tebbutt
