31 March
A decent conversation with Maeve Coffee Roasters.
First up, congratulations on your new opening! What inspired you to bring Maeve Coffee Roasters to life, and what shaped your vision?
I honestly didn't have a huge vision, but the goal was pure — to serve what I would enjoy myself. Maybe the whole idea and energy started to emerge when I was visiting Athens for the 2023 World Cup Tasters Championship to represent NZ as the nation's champion. Coming back to New Zealand, I had a strong urge to start something new. I never thought I'd name my new coffee shop Maeve (after my second child), but when I was working on the branding, it felt like the perfect fit.
You launched Maeve as both a roastery and a café. What felt important about owning that full process, from roast to cup?
I liked the idea of keeping Maeve original and fun! In order to do so, the roasting and blend curating side was quintessential to the business.
You’ve been working in the hospitality industry long before opening Maeve. Can you walk us through that journey and highlight some key moments that shaped your path to ownership?
Reaching my 19th year working in the hospitality industry and my third ownership in cafe. I've done almost everything a coffee professional could do. I owned and operated a cafe and an espresso bar until 2017, then started roasting for L'affare and ended up as a Sales and Ops Manager for them. The role covered sales, training, machinery, and events. I've also worked with Breville NZ as their Oracle Ambassador since 2017 helping home baristas to improve their coffee experience. Now, Maeve is completely independent and under sole directorship.
My highlight? Not winning competitions, nor when I had fancy job titles, it's still when I see smiles on customers' faces after that first sip.
Your experiences give you a unique perspective. What’s one lesson you learned in those years that influences how you run Maeve today?
Keep your offering simple and have a clear goal and vision. Look after your staff and the people around you, and they’ll look after you and your business.
You’ve honed your craft over many years, how do you balance the creative, coffee-focused side with the very real demands of business operations?
Although this is my third business ownership, the way I manage has evolved. Unfortunately, since I have OCD about cleanliness, I still micromanage it to some degree, but I delegate a lot to my staff so I can focus on key tasks like forecasting, planning, new product development, and futureproofing.
I’m gratefully surrounded by creative minds, including my branding and graphic designer Danbee An, and photographer Yuki. We recently collaborated with Ratbags for our uniform and merch, so a special thanks to our Coffee Bar Manager Josh and Ratbags owner Richie Boyen.
What have been the biggest lessons, expected or unexpected from those first moments of building and running a new coffee roastery and cafe?
Always triple-strap your pallet when moving a coffee roaster (use bubble wrap if it helps!). And make sure you have insurance for everything 😂 which I didn’t at the time of delivery when the roaster toppled over.
You chose to use decent custom branded Hot Cups. What role does thoughtful packaging play in the Maeve experience, and why was it important to get that part right from the start?
Customer service is the top priority at Maeve, and the vessels whether it's ceramics or takeaway cups are where our product meets customers first hand. We didn't want any compromises in this process, so we hand-picked the best in the industry.
Can you walk us through the decisions behind the beans you roast? How do you balance quality, flavour and responsible sourcing?
I'm personally a big fan of washed coffees and less heavily processed coffees. The process is simple, and when you cup them and like them, the response is instant. From there, I decide whether to serve that as single origin or in blends.
I used to focus heavily on single origins but really have had so much fun creating blends at Maeve. Our top two best-sellers are blends: our staple, a Kiwi classic Monday, and our special house blend Jolly Jumper, originally launched as a Christmas blend. We also have Beaujolais blend, which tastes like fruity red wine.
In terms of responsible sourcing, we're such a small player in the market, but our suppliers are reputable international and local merchants who do their due diligence.
Finally, what’s one piece of practical advice you’d give to someone working their way up in hospitality who dreams of opening their own spot one day?
Less ego and more ethos. Never burn bridges. Work your way up, get your basics right before critiquing others, and be open-minded. Build good habits when working and be disciplined!
16-22 Anzac Avenue, Auckland CBD
📸 @maeveonanzac
