kiwiobserver Junior Member Joined: 27 Aug 2008 Posts: 6 Location: Auckland Expertise: Just starting
Posted Wed Aug 27, 2008, 8:24pm Subject: Re: illy coffee new supplier lasts 6 months
The answer to growing the brand in NZ, thats how i read it. I got the impresson that Cafe Magazine thought the previous Distribtor could have done better.
I used to go there and buy my coffee, I'm wondering if this is the start of the end of illy in NZ.
babola Senior Member Joined: 6 Feb 2006 Posts: 71 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Expertise: I live coffee
Espresso: Vibiemme Domobar Super, in... Grinder: Mini Mazzer E, Sunbeam... Roaster: Hottop
Posted Fri Aug 29, 2008, 7:52pm Subject: Re: illy coffee new supplier lasts 6 months
I'm not surprised, really. It was actualy close to 9 months that TPF had the Illy brand for.
Illy coffe has been a part of NZ coffe scene for a long time now, original importer and distributor was Prima Tazza owned by Farac family in Auckland before they moved to Sydney and lost the disti rights. Even in those 1st and 2nd wave coffe times the brand never got a significant traction in NZ, capturing mainly the 'supermarket' coffee type of customer.
TPF picked the disti rights from PT but was faced with the pressure from the 3rd wave coffe appreciation era, as well as from over 140 independent smaller and bigger NZ roasters. IMO, TPF made a majorly bad business development decision by inheriting and pushing the overseas pre-roasted coffe in NZ, as properly conducted market research excercise would show. All I can say is good luck to Stuart Alexander, the future of Illy coffe here could not be that bad if those Illy coffe lounges (Like the one opened in Chch airport) get a good traction and positive feedback from coffe drinkers. There are also rumours NZ will soon get few of those "cafe in a shipping container" concept type portable Illy cafes, like the 2 that currently exist in Australia.
The same or similar situation faces other international brands currently distributed in NZ by various smaller and bigger importers...Segafredo, Moak, Caffee Vittoria, Lavazza etc come to mind.
Must correct you though Prima Tazza was never part of Tonci Farac empire, he originally imported it under Perfect Espresso which from memory ceased around 2001. He didn't lose the distribution rights it was all due to a restructuring. Louis his brother is still here working with the Wildfire chain.
Talking to Prima Tazza retail was only about a quarter of their turnover a little into corporates but the remainder mainly in Foodservice so they seemed to have traction.
The lounges you mean maybe the "Espressemente cafe concepts and they are terrific outlets I agree.
I've never bought into the local versus import argument as speaking to local roasters quietly they have said it's a issue for them as creating an envirnoment of coffee drinkers who think anything over a couple of days means it's stale effects them as well.
I hope it does remain it's my fav and long may it continue.
You could be right about the name of the company Tony was running, I don't remember, I thought Prima Tazza or some other local company was behind Illy brand in NZ before they lost the rights to a Burger King NZ owner. I spoke to Tonci a lot about these things before he moved away, he even gifted me two Illy cup sets, espresso and cappucino, nice of him, knowing these cups used to cost an arm and a leg back then and were very few and far between.
IllY coffee...hmm don't think so, tried it long time ago just from curiousity, the beans lasted about 2-3 days after the can was opened, tried the old 'italian' trick with stale coffee to grind it finer, unfortunately that completely choked my Silvia...so no thank, you. The same goes for Lavazza, Segafredo, Moak, Starbucks and all the plethora of other overseas-roasted, slow-shipped coffee supplied by large coffee conglomerates. For espresso drinks my 'border' line bean freshness is up to 3 weeks from local roaster, sometimes slightly longer depending on particular roast. For drip, stovetop, Turkish etc types, the coffee can be a little older, I don't mind it.
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