ROASTER PROILE ■ 45
C&CI
Ongoing expansion has seen Allpress invest in new coffee Michael Allpress and Tony Papas have been friends and
roasting technology supplied by Neuhaus Neotec in Germany business partners for many years
March 2010
coffee that the company roasts has grown things going smoothly we expect to open in
so the company has invested in new roast- "We were impressed with the the first half of 2010," said Mr Allpress.
ing machines, initially in the form of a
build quality of the Neuhaus
"London presents an amazing opportunity
Petroncini 30kg drum roaster, and more
recently, in the form of a somewhat larger
Neotec roaster," Mr Papas told
for Allpress that we are all very eager to see
happen."
100kg RFB roaster from Neuhaus Neotec in
C&CI. "We liked the people a
Germany. "We were impressed with the build
lot, and we tried out their
Dunedin operation
quality of the Neuhaus Neotec roaster," Mr
roasting machines at their
Papas told C&CI. "We liked the people a lot,
to open soon
and we tried out their roasting machines at
facility in Germany before
Closer to home, the new Allpress roastery in
their facility in Germany before making our making our decision." Dunedin is also due to open in 2010, a
decision." development which Mr Allpress said is "dri-
"We spent quite a little bit of time with experience and appreciate quality espresso ven by a desire to provide more local service
them at their test facility," he explained, in owner-operated cafés beyond the ‘chain’ to our long-standing and growing customer
"which enabled us to revisit all our blends cafés that have always dominated the mar- base in the South Island."
and recipes and program the RFB to repro- ket," said Mr Allpress. "The desire to partici- "We will be contributing to the local econ-
duce them for us. Coffee is an agricultural pate and influence coffee drinking habits of omy and get the added benefit of reducing
product, so you get some variation in the such a large population inspired us to set a our carbon footprint by roasting closer to
raw material, but we particularly liked the goal that Allpress would be part of this our South Island customers," he explained.
very high level of repeatability that the roaster espresso evolution. A couple of years later, From a business perspective and from a
gave us." after much research and study of the market personal perspective, the roastery in
we are ready to make our move." Dunedin is an important move for the com-
Overseas expansion
pany. "In the very early days when we sup-
Award scheme aids
plied only a few customers, three cafes in
Mr Papas said recent months have been Dunedin–Nova, Classic Café and Espresso
especially busy ones for Allpress, given the
expansion into UK
Otago–formed part of our small customer
new outlets planned in New Zealand and in "By coincidence, our plans for further inter- base," Mr Allpress explained. "All three have
London. "We are very excited about our national growth coincided with an opportu- now been serving Allpress coffee for 10 or
plans for 2010, including our expansion into nity to apply for the newly launched 2009 more years. That, along with my father’s
Dunedin and opening of our flagship roast- University of Auckland Business School heritage (a Dunedinite and old boy of
ery and espresso bar in London. These proj- Entrepreneurs’ Challenge. The challenge is Otago Boy’s High) and the university scene
ects have been on the boil for some time an annual award scheme backed by a that is where Allpress began 22 years ago,
now and seeing them reach fruition will be a financial gift from New Zealand philanthro- reaffirmed our wish to set up in the city.”
major achievement for all involved." pist and businessman, Charles Bidwill to Allpress has secured an excellent site in
London is, of course, a huge market, with provide investment funds for growth orient- Emily Siedeberg Place, and was close to
an established coffee ‘scene’ so why has ed SMEs. In November we were honoured finalising the details for the design of the
Allpress chosen London for its new venture? to be one of three companies chosen for roastery at the time of writing. Paul
As Mr Allpress explained recently, a few this year’s funding which is given as a low- Dawson, the Allpress representative from
years ago he and Mr Papas travelled to interest loan. This will be used to help set Dunedin, will be based at the roastery, and
London and recognised the signs of a fast up our roastery and espresso bar in has been involved in the coffee industry for
emerging espresso coffee market with what London." more than 30 years, having been a found-
he called "striking similarities to our experi- At the time of writing, Allpress was close ing member of Strictly Coffee, having
ences in New Zealand and Australia." to securing a site in the heart of the emerg- already operated roasteries in Christchurch
"London coffee drinkers were beginning to ing East London district of Shoreditch. "All and Invercargill. ■ C&CI
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