Old-school blenders

Taurnaga Boys' College students Kyle Sperling (left) and Lachie Akers with product from their business Hillsdene Coffee Beans. Photo/Stuart Whitaker

Tauranga's coffee drinkers may well find a new blend to try,if they know where to go.

A group of Year 12 Tauranga Boys' College business studies students have formed a company called Hillsdene Coffee Beans.

In conjunction with Excelso Coffee Roasters, which has created a specific blend for them, called Old School Blend, the students will sell the coffee.

The team ofthree students, Lachie Akers, Kyle Sperling and Zinzan McMillan, has been working on the project for two months.

The trigger for the initiative was the publication of a United States National Cancer institute and Yale University study by Dr Errika Lotfeild suggesting there is an association between higher coffee intake and a modest decrease in the risk of melanoma.

Researchers have not yet determined which aspects of coffee made the difference and acknowledge that more research is needed, particularly concerning the relationship between caffeine and melanoma reduction.

Because of the possible link, 25 per cent of the profits from the coffee will go to the Cancer Society.

Excelso Coffee Roasters co-owner Carrie Evans says she is always looking to put back into the community. "We've been going for 22 years and we've had a few pet projects," she says.

One is the Coffee for Water project that looks to provide wells in Cambodia, but others have been closer to home.

She says she was impressed when first approached by Kyle. "It was the manner in which he asked and the idea behind what they wanted to do and where the money was going."

Carrie says the blend that has been provided was specifically selected to appeal across the board after discussion with the students. The students collected 25kg of coffee last week and plan on selling it at market days and in association with a parents' evening at the college. It will be available as beans or in a filter or plunger grind.

"We've done a bunch of market research so we know what we're selling," says Lachie.

The students also spent a day's work experience at Pukeko Print where they created a label for the coffee.

* Coffee orders can be placed by sending an email to hillsdenecoffee@gmail.com or visit www.facebook.com/HDcoffeebeans.