Gold medal coffee success for Kerry

The decision to switch from making coffee to roasting it has been a golden one for Kerry Nash.

Just a few months after she turned her hand to the coffee roasting business, Mrs Nash's blend has won a gold medal in the New Zealand Coffee Awards.

She received her medal for the best flat white - the category which is said to be the toughest in the awards because it is so popular.

A keen coffee drinker, Mrs Nash has worked in hospitality for more than eight years and said the move from behind the coffee machine to behind the roaster was a natural one.

In February she purchased a share of Taupo-based coffee roasting company Summit Coffee, and in the past few weeks has taken full ownership.

"I'm a big coffee drinker. I was looking for something a bit different and stumbled across the business by accident," she said.

"I thought that would be really different and I've always enjoyed coffee."

Despite her love for the beverage, Mrs Nash said she had a fair bit to learn about the coffee roasting business. She said her former business partner Rick Keehan had been a big help in sharing his knowledge, while she had also learned from bean suppliers and even the internet.

"I've enjoyed the learning. I've been making coffee for years but never really know much about where it came from."

Since taking over the business Mrs Nash and her husband Matt have converted a sleepout out at the back of their Wairakei home into a coffee roasting room.

Mrs Nash said while she knew her plateau blend would fit the flat white category well, she was still surprised at taking out the top award.

"I was really surprised - it was a great start to the business," she said.

"The flavours that come through are really nice. It's got a chocolaty undertone and it's real smooth with a nice aftertaste."

Summit coffee currently produces two blends - the popular plateau blend which won the award and the darker peak blend.

The couple are currently working on a third blend.

Mrs Nash said her focus was on providing a quality product for both the domestic and commercial market, with the main target customers who have their own coffee machines.