There are few things as satisfying as a well-brewed, delicious cup of coffee and few searches as rewarding when they pay off as that of finding just such a cup. The results of ingenuity and innovative thinking during lockdown, Coffefe Coffee Roastery in Birdhaven offers a new destination to carry out just such a search.
When Larry Hodes, owner of Voodoo Lily, was forced to close shop during SA’s hard lockdown, he transformed his dining space into the Gourmet Grocer, a retail space selling local, artisinal products.
Marco Da Silva had been working in the wholesale coffee supply business before lockdown and when most of his retail customers – including Hodes – were forced to close shop he lost up to 70% of his customer base.
So when the Covid-19 pandemic required people to pivot their businesses to remain relevant and sustainable, the two got together and decided to start Coffefe Coffee Roastery, a small-batch roastery housed in Voodoo Lily Café that officially opened its doors in September.
“About 15 years ago I was head of the National Barista Competition. So I’ve always had this passion for coffee,” Hodes tells me. “But working with Marco now I’m getting to learn about individual country coffee, the nuances, the flavours, the complexities, the simplicities and things like that.” The kinds of things they want to share with their customers.
“Unapologetic is the real core of what we’re about,” Da Silva says. “We want people to come in here comfortably and come learn about coffee. They don’t have to understand all the nuances and flavours that coffee is because coffee is a very complicated agricultural product. But if you just want to learn how to make a great coffee at home – come in.”
Their everyday blend, the Birdhaven blend, was chosen by the local community, and a few invited guests on the day they launched. “We really wanted to make this a community local blend,” Hodes emphasises.
But Da Silva’s hard work and roasting expertise won’t be going to waste as they’ll soon be releasing five more coffees – the two blends that were selected in second and third place out of the total of six blends they asked people to vote on and three single-origin coffees from Columbia, Guatemala and Tanzania.
Their beans are all ethically sourced with some Fairtrade and some organic ranges, and the innovative packaging has been chosen with the idea to reuse and refill. “Coffee packaging is a big issue. A lot of it is not recyclable. So it is a bit more pricey, but we feel that there’s potential for it to be reused,” Da Silva says. Customers looking to refill a tin of 250g coffee beans costing R115 will pay 5% less.
Hodes and Da Silva also have an eye on starting training sessions and barista courses, and will be introducing seasonal coffee varieties.
With Voodoo Lily open and the Gourmet Grocer filled to the brim with delicious, artisanal products, it’s the perfect spot to grab a cup and munch on the scrumptious food from their menu. A favourite for me is the falafel plate, and I am told the carrot cake is one of the best in town.
If you only swing past for a takeaway, I can highly recommend picking up a tin of the Birdhaven blend. I experimented with brewing a cup or two following my visit and the quality is clear, the flavour robust and depth comforting – three things I can get behind. For someone who isn’t a morning person, I need all the help I can get.
In the spirit of International Coffee Day that took place on October 1, Coffefe Roastery is offering half price on all takeaway coffees for the month of October.
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