Dirty talk with Proof and Stock Coffee Roasters

We caught up with Tane from Proof and Stock Coffee Roasters who have been roasting and brewing coffee in New Plymouth for over three years now. More recently they established their own composting facility to help close the loop on their decent packaging cups, food waste and other organics onsite — not only lowering their carbon footprint but also creating organic worm filled goodness for the Marfell Community Garden.

Kia ora Tane! Firstly, you just celebrated your 3rd birthday a little over a month ago. What a milestone! Can you take us back to how Proof and Stock Coffee Roasters began?

Our company was born on a bright idea hahaha! We have lived in our home for seven years now and for some reason or another we decided to run takeaway coffee from our single garage that we converted in 2018. 

I guess it all spawned from the love for the industry and the luxury that came with being your own boss. Was once a co-owner of a small whanau operated business at a young age and learnt fast what was required to operate a successful venture, good product, good culture, minimal overheads and the ethos or mission statement of manaakitia. 

1. (noun) hospitality, kindness, generosity, support - the process of showing respect, generosity and care for others.

How has your 3-year history in New Plymouth treated you?

Well, thank you, a good friend and still gives me grief for being a small town celebrity, however our growth has been attributed to our amazing team of people, my Partner in crime and life Adrianna, she's solid and is priceless in what she brings to the table. Azariah, who is lead Barista and has been with us since day dot, Jeremy Maxwell who roasts coffee alongside myself and is our head barista trainer, both of us combined is a 30 year industry experience. We also have Jeremy Moa who is a part of our behind the scenes team and runs our Instagram, and marketing aspect, this is a crucial component that can't be overlooked.

Shooting to local stardom can take some adjustment. We can imagine a lot more has changed since you opened. What wise words would you give your younger self starting out?

1. Take your time, we have more time than we think and appreciate the ones around you and recognise the efforts they all put in day in day out.

2. Be prepared for growth, an idea can expand rapidly and if this isn't anticipated it can be detrimental to your brand.

You also roast and distribute beans, what are some of the spots you work with that sling your brews?

We have had an amazing response from local Taranaki Business and continue to see overwhelming support. We supply to Wai cafe and Deli, Pikopiko eatery, The Baking Company, Pukeiti Rainforest eatery, Knead Doughnuts, The Backyard, Big Jims, Lepperton Store, Fenton Street Arts Collective and our new Airport cafe The Hangar to name a few.

So you must have a pretty good idea of what is essential to making a good coffee. If you had to narrow it down to three elements, what would you attribute the success of Proof and Stock Coffee Roasters to?

1. An eye for detail across the board- from roasting our product through to our baristas control on quality.

2. Keeping morale high and staff happy this comes with a healthy culture.

3. Marketing- Branding, have an image that is relatable, and that resonates with your mission statement.

What's the hardest or most challenging part of running Proof and Stock Coffee Roasters? 

Roasting coffee while surfing hahah, na I think working from home, although it comes with its benefits, people know where to find you.

On the flip side, what's the most rewarding part?

Seeing your customers business grow and knowing some way or another you helped to get them along their journey

What does an average day or week look like for you and your team? 

Lots of laughs- heaps of cups of coffee.

You’ve recently set up a composting facility at Proof and Stock for your local community, can you tell us a little bit more about this new venture?

The idea is really an extension of our business run from home... low overheads, low wastage. As we have become more well known the increase in compostable coffee cups began to weigh on us. It really reinforced the need to follow through for the wellbeing of the environment and a lead by example attitude. We had space on our property that hadn’t been utilised so we have built two large compost bins that take our shredded cups and lids, our coffee grinds and food scraps.

What is your overall goal for this composting facility?

Ultimately it's about giving back for us, we have made connections with many like minded locals and schools to supply our compost to nourish and educate a healthier lifestyle.

How many businesses or individuals are utilising your composting facility currently?

Currently we are working with the Marfell Community Garden project here in New Plymouth.

What does the future look like for Proof and Stock Coffee Roasters and this new composting facility?

With the recent push in ‘supporting local’ and making conscious, sustainable purchases. We are hopeful that our composting will continue to provide for the wider community. Building relationships with the local council to build more public spaces such as orchards and green spaces.

What would you say to other individuals or community organisations that want to establish their own composting facility?

Without getting too philosophical, it's ultimately about educating the end consumer that we collectively need to start or continue to purchase consciously i.e compostable packing as we establish this trend it forces councils to follow through on the solution. Many companies and community programs such as For the Better Good have a great knowledge base of composting and connections to help disperse the end product.

Have you seen a change in the public interest in composting since you started? 

Yes, we constantly have customers that come in and ask for our coffee grounds for their home gardens. People are so much more conscious of creating less waste. Larger companies such as Mitre10 here in New Plymouth have a huge outreach and are big on teaching families to provide for themselves through gardening.

What do you think the future of composting and waste in general looks like?

As the world has become so technology savvy and fast paced living is essential. We think there is a real shift in wanting to slow down and reconnect with our families and community. People realise they have a choice and tend to hold businesses accountable for the waste or treatment of the environment in creating them. Therefore most of us are choosing products that can be reused or repurposed in some way. Composting will continue to grow in the bigger centres and hopefully become a requirement for any new business.

Any parting words of wisdom or advice for other eco-conscious people, coffee-lovers, and communities?

Have a concept that you fully get behind and believe in! Customers know when you aren’t all in. Respecting the environment, we as coffee producers rely on mother nature to provide the goods so giving back is essential.

At decent packaging, we strongly believe in focusing on the end of life for all our products, just as much as the fit for purpose design for our customers. Because, unfortunately, we’re in a global waste crisis. Despite everyone’s best efforts, most plastics are not recycled, landfills are full of food waste, and inconsistencies in waste management infrastructure is causing major confusion. 

We see this waste crisis as a multi-faceted problem that requires a multi-faceted solution, compostable packaging is just one part of that solution, and if we all collaborate, we can succeed. Luckily, we’ve already got some local legends paving the way in commercial composting.

As Tane mentioned, increased knowledge and understanding of waste streams will empower people to drive change with their local communities so that we can all get organic waste out of landfills.

We’ve taken the complication out of compostable packaging by creating ‘The Full Package’; this service provides a simple solution that encourages the collection and disposal of compostable packaging and food waste correctly. Choose your region below to get started.