Ex-casino boss bets on coffee

DAVID ALEXANDER/The Press

CAFFEINE FIX: Former casino boss Arthur Pitcher, left, has ditched the world of gambling for coffee beans, buying coffee roasting and distribution company Gourmet Coffee Works from Peter Bowie.

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Arthur Pitcher has ditched the world of gambling for coffee beans.

The former Christchurch Casino boss and his wife Averil have bought coffee roasting and distribution company Gourmet Coffee Works, based in Sockburn.

Arthur Pitcher has been doing casino consultancy work in Britain after leaving the Christchurch Casino more than two years ago, but has been looking to buy a business for some time.

"This company looked to be well grounded, so we decided to give it a go."

Roasting coffee beans might seem a world away from the casino business, but Pitcher said he'd been on the retail side of coffee for many years at the Casino and also with various restaurant ventures.

Since the couple took over four weeks ago, the company has won two gold medals at the New Zealand Coffee Festival and Awards competition in Auckland.

It was the only double gold winner out of 150 entrants in the seven coffee categories judged.

Arthur Pitcher said the results vindicated the previous owner's attention to sourcing the best quality Arabica beans from more than 20 countries.

Peter and Carolyn Bowie established the business seven years ago but decided to sell to pursue other interests.

Arthur Pitcher hoped the award would strengthen demand for the company's product.

He was hoping to pick up more supermarket customers, especially since its gold medals were in the supermarket plunger and filter categories.

Gourmet Coffee Works supplied wholesalers, Four Square supermarkets, and various restaurants and cafes including the Robbies chain.

Most of its customers were based in the South Island, but it also had customers in the North Island.

The company has been growing at 30 per cent a year and Pitcher said it would be great if it could maintain that.