Coffee cherries Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
Pekerau Hills coffee grower Rob Schulter dreams of the day when visitors to the Far North can take part in a coffee tasting trail.
And he's doing his bit to ensure it happens.
Rob has recently sold 2000 seedlings to other people who will try their hand at nurturing the Christmas-tree shaped plants.
Rob and his wife Carol Schluter currently grow 700 Arabica Laurina trees which they expect will yield enough beans this season to produce between 40 and 50 kilograms of roasted coffee.
Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
Rob says the variety was first discovered in the Reunion Islands in 1770 and, with a third of the caffeine of standard arabica coffee, it's in hot demand.
"There's less bitterness in the cup. It's always been a very delicate coffee so more like a tea than a coffee."
The trees, that grow to just two metres, do well in the hills near Doubtless Bay but struggle elsewhere around the world because of pests and disease, Rob says.
Its unique characteristics and scarcity mean the coffee comes with a premium price tag.
This year it's selling for $60 for a 130 gram bag - that's $460 a kilogram.
Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
"I had a few e-mails from people, one in particular that stands out. This guy said 'I've never been so excited to spend six times more than I've ever spent on coffee'. So he was like super stoked just to make the purchase.
"Put it this way if you were to buy this varietal produced from New Caledonia or the Reunion Islands from a roastery in Paris or Tokyo ...you'd pay anywhere from between $600 to $1000 per kg."
Rob says he's keen for others to start planting the variety. He invites potential growers to watch him in action and to see how labour-intensive the coffee growing and making process is.
"So that's either a confirming experience or a deterrent," he says with a smile.
He says his clay soils are not ideal for the trees.
"Quite likely (others) they've got a better location or a better soil and possibly a really good growing practice. They might be growing avocados. They might have 20 years experience growing market gardens. It's quite exciting to have other people involved.
"It would be amazing if the Far North has the capacity to be able to grow coffee and become a coffee destination."
Carol Schluter Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
Rob and Carol's main business is roasting and selling imported coffee beans.
Typically Carol is the coffee roaster for their label Ikarus Coffee and recently she roasted beans from a local grower they have been encouraging.
She's delighted to see other people finding a passion for growing coffee.
"It was very tasty actually it was very, very, very nice. They'd done a great job. I was very impressed so that's kind of exciting, to see other people succeeding."
Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
Rob Schluter Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
Coffee flowers Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
Coffee trees Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
Coffee beans drying Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
Roasted NZ coffee Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
View from Pekerau Hills Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
