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Those close to Tasha Dimitrof were shocked to hear she was opening Volk & Co Coffee Brew Bar two weeks after a major lockdown due to COVID-19 in October 2021.
“My argument was that there weren’t a lot of people opening businesses at the time. It seemed like the ideal time to launch a café,” says Tasha.
Located in the coastal town of Whakatāne in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty, Volk & Co Coffee Brew Bar has won over locals and tourists looking for a unique coffee experience.
“I wanted to open up a specialty coffee business specialising in cold brew, filter coffee, manual brewing and a lot more precision in regard to espresso,” says Tasha.
Tasha previously worked for Excelso Coffee as a barista trainer for three years and a head coffee roaster for another two years. Now her roasting partner, Tasha says Excelso Coffee feels more like family to her than a business partner.
“They educated me on the ins and outs of specialty coffee, invested in me as a person and helped me grow,” Tasha says.
Excelso Coffee provided Tasha with a Mazzer Robur S and a Mahlkönig EK43 grinder, as well as a La Marzocco Linea Classic AV three-group espresso machine when she opened her café. She says the coffee machine is perfect for rushes when large volumes of coffee need to be prepared quickly.
“We decided to go for something that would be super consistent and robust,” says Tasha.
The café offers a range of cabinet items including sweet slices and maple bacon croissants made by Tasha’s partner Nathaniel Jones.
“[Our maple bacon croissants] are probably one of our best-seller savoury items,” she says.
Since opening Volk & Co Coffee Brew Bar, Tasha has found joy in watching her café grow despite her initial hesitations in starting the business.
“I get this welling sense of pride that all my work has eventuated into something important,” she says.
Tasha adds that connecting with the community over coffee and food has also been rewarding for her.
“My proudest accomplishment so far is that I got a tea drinker, after 25 years of tea drinking, to switch back onto coffee,” she says.
Volk & Co Coffee Brew Bar
5 Boon Street, City Centre, Whakatāne, New Zealand
Open Monday to Friday 7am – 5pm and Saturday 7:30am – 3pm
This article appears in the February 2024 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
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