Business news: fresh fish and roasted coffee
Mr Fresh Fish and Veg
Knuckle and Raewyn Hill will soon be bringing fresh fish and vegetables to the outer reaches of Golden Bay each week, using a refrigerated truck that Knuckle has adapted especially for the new business.
“I needed a truck for my driving school,” said Knuckle. “It made sense to make it able to work on the days when I wasn’t using it for teaching. We’ve been through permits and licences and inspections and we’ve got everything we need now, including running hot water on board.”
Knuckle says he has sourced fresh fish from a plant on the West Coast. On Thursdays and Fridays the truck will visit a set number of destinations in the Bay at pre-arranged times.
“Our licence allows us to stop for half an hour at a time at the halls in the Bay because they’re public property,” said Knuckle. “The Junction Hotel car park and the Collingwood Tavern car park are both private property so we can stop there as long as we like, but half an hour should be enough. We’re calling in to Parapara too--we’ll be at the estuary end of the road by the beach.”
The Hills are happy to hear from people who want their produce hawked around the Bay on a regular basis.
“We’ll have local mussels and salami on board as well as fish and vegetables,” said Knuckle. “Anyone wanting to talk to us about other products should give us a ring on 027 774 6315.”
Neil Wilson
Tuatara Coffee
Joe Thompson’s Tuatara coffee beans now provide an additional taste sensation for the Bay’s coffee connoisseurs.
Joe started his coffee-roasting venture 12 months ago, setting up a large Turkish roaster in a converted room at his home. He hand-roasts small batches of beans to ensure high quality.
Joe has four years of coffee-roasting experience and 12 years as a barista. His decision to set up his own business is a flow-on effect, he says, from running his mobile coffee cart at festivals for many years and his long-standing interest in anything to do with coffee. He also supplies, installs, and services coffee machines.
Each cup of Tuatara coffee contributes both to conservation of the endangered species displayed on the package and hopefully to fairer international trade conditions.
“One per cent of all sales go to tuatara conservation and other similar projects, and I make sure I am only sourcing Fair Trade, organic arabica beans,” says Joe.
The product website and packaging have been designed locally too. It shows a tuatara clinging to a rock illuminated by a full moon with Mt Burnett in the background “to tie it in with Golden Bay”.
Tuatara coffee is described by Joe’s colleagues at the Brigand as having a “refined taste”, and Joe elaborates that the brew is “full-bodied with a smooth, caramelly finish”.
Tuatara coffee can be purchased from the Brigand, Schnapp Dragon or directly from Joe. For enquiries and purchases visit his website <www.tuataracoffee.co.nz> or call 0800 Buy Beans (0800 289 23267).
Ina Holst
