Jude takes coffee and makes it better

CHRIS HILLOCK

Pure gold: Retailer Andrea Dediu displays the range of award-winning Wildcat coffees roasted in New Plymouth.

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Gold medal coffee roaster Jude Nagel believes quality control, consistency and service are the cornerstones for a successful business.

Jude's boutique roasting company Wildcat Coffee, on Queen St, New Plymouth, has won gold and silver medals every year from the New Zealand Coffee Awards since starting business three years ago. A gold in September 2009 for the Lignite blend in the filter/plunger category, a silver in 2008 in the Organic Decaf and a gold in 2007 in the Espresso.

Up against more than 60 of the country's top and largest coffee roasters for the competition held in Auckland, Jude figured the win was a coup for a one-woman business.

From roasting the beans, packaging, training baristas and marketing, Jude does it all herself.

While she would like to employ staff when she soon upgrades to a larger roaster, she is cautious about keeping the tight quality control that comes with one person.

"I'm there at the critical roasting stage picking out any deformed or damaged beans which can leave a nasty taste, checking again, a lot of the big guys just don't do that."

Discerning clientele expect each batch to taste exactly the same as the lot before so attention to detail and quality throughout the whole process is paramount, she said.

"Consistency is key for your operation and having your product there to your customers when they want it."

Business has been "constantly snowballing" for Jude who wholesales product to restaurants, cafes, food stores, through face-to-face sales, webpage hits and nationally targeted webmail orders.

In Taranaki, Wildcat is available at the Four Square in Oakura and Vetro in New Plymouth.

Andrea Dediu, from Vetro, says she is amazed at the loyalty Wildcat drinkers have to Jude's product.

"Many tell me they could drink no other coffee after trying Wildcat. They love the freshness," she said.

Jude has been gradually rebranding her blends over the last three years to reflect Taranaki and its energy industry. The name Wildcat comes from an oil industry term for a site that had not been proven but where a wildcat well was to be drilled. The winning blend Lignite is named after a type of coal.

- © Fairfax NZ News