But First…Coffee at Bunker Specialty Coffee Co
Penny Brand meets the Sunshine Coast couple keeping the coffee flowing and businesses growing in the all-important coffee industry.
It can be said that the world runs on the black magic that is a good cup of coffee. Whether a piccolo on the go or almond milk latte is your thing, it’s coffee that makes our hearts sing and our brains buzz with a caffeine hit that starts the day off right.
That’s why having a good coffee supplier is critical so when trouble is brewing, help is on standby.
Bunker Specialty Coffee Co-owners Ben and Kate Saultry are the Coast’s exclusive wholesalers of Veneziano Coffee and are the angels behind your favourite barista.
The couple understand the importance of helping their clients – your local cafe – to deliver consistently good coffee.
In addition to hand-delivering kilos of coffee each week, they also check over the espresso machine, merchandising, look at training requirements and are on-hand to troubleshoot any issues that might come between you and your favourite brew.
According to Kate, they recognise that the best way to grow their business and increase coffee sales is to provide the best-quality coffee.
“We supply officially-graded specialty coffee of exceptional quality with a cupping score over 80,” Kate explains. “This is generally believed to make up the top five per cent of coffee in the world. We offer the pinnacle of coffee.”
With over 30 years of hospitality experience behind them, Ben and Kate offer everything from barista training to equipment selection and installation.
“Training is a vital part of our business and we love our customers taking advantage of our unlimited training, because when they make great coffee, they sell more coffee,” Kate said.
“We also have access to the most highly-regarded espresso equipment in the industry and provide an extensive servicing range to ensure the coffee keeps flowing.”
Both from food backgrounds, Ben and Kate understand the mechanics involved in running a successful coffee shop.
“It’s the unglamorous behind-the-scenes things that helps hospitality function,” Kate says. “Like anticipating customer’s needs and being there for them when something unusual happens.
“Customers can ring us at 3pm on a Sunday if they are running low on coffee or need help and we will be there.”
The proof is in the pudding with Kate saying that every new customer they take on have increased their coffee sales, some by at least double.
“One of our new accounts were using six kilos of coffee a week and now they use 36kg,” she said. “I’ve had another account that went from 18kg per week to 60kg – that’s 3,000 coffees and triple the number of sales!”
One of Bunker Specialty Coffee Co’s top-level barista training courses, Work Flow offers training for intermediate to advanced baristas to show them how to refine and simplify their processes so they can make coffee much faster.
“We recommend it for our high-volume accounts so they can keep making coffee to a high standard but not blow out the wait times for customers,” she said. “No one wants to wait 10 minutes for a coffee!” Word.
So effective is the program that one client achieved Guinness Book of Records fame for making 420 coffees in 60 minutes! A number that beat the previous record of 300 cups, and still stands.
Kate says it’s this type of training that separates their clients from the rest; never letting their time-conscious coffee lovers down.
“Our clients become known as the best and the fastest in their area,” she said.
A self-confessed lover of Melbourne coffee, Kate says the coffee industry can be a little overwhelming as there is always something new but it’s the extra care and attention they give when getting to know their clients on a personal level.
“We are very down to earth and very much focused on our customers first,” she said. “We talk to our clients about how we can grow their coffee sales and getting more people to try their coffee. We want them to become THE coffee spot in their area and that’s good for them and for the coffee lovers they serve.”
Kate said they were careful to not have too many clients in the one place to not flood the market.
“We do what we can to push our clients to be the busiest account in their area,” she said. “We want them to succeed.”
Clients might be surprised by the competitive pricing and reliability of supply based on their buying power through Veneziano.
“Our coffee price is comparable and reliable; we will never run out of coffee,” she said, citing the continuity of supply thoughout the Covid pandemic.
That’s great news for coffee lovers and small business owners who are looking for a partner who can supply high-quality, consistent and competitive coffee with a personalised and professional approach.
To deepen your coffee obsession, keep an eye out for upcoming workshops, barista training and coffee cupping from their café.
If you are thinking about switching your coffee wholesaler, want to taste great coffee or learn more about the art of coffee, you can visit Bunker Specialty Coffee Co at 1/30 Chancellor Village Boulevard, Sippy Downs.
Phone Kate on 0414 697 820 or visit www.bunkerspecialtycoffeeco.com
