Page 11 - Food&Drink Magazine Aug-Sep 2021

trauma, and non-Indigenous people need to understand that we carry it with us always.
FINDING WHAT’S NEXT
After founding Indigicate, a curriculum driven Indigenous education cultural program, and Supply Aus – a 100 per cent Indigenous owned and operated procurement company, Andrews was asking himself, what’s next?
“I thought, what products do I love and how can I turn them into something more. I love coffee but there are many outstanding coffees out there, so how could I do it differently?”
It was the realisation that nearly all the important conversations we have happen over a beverage, which is more often than not, a coffee.
“It was such a natural fit. A great cup of coffee connects us as we share stories, build bonds, and nourish relationships.
We call it ‘reconciliation
in a cup’,” he says.
Andrews knew exactly what Dhuwa (pronounced Dee:Wah, meaning ‘to feel alive’ in Bidjara language) Coffee stood for – a celebration of Indigenous people, their cultures and the 300-plus languages they speak. He says it is a reconciliation ecosystem, from the coffee it creates, the people it celebrates, and the opportunities it brings to other Indigenous people.
“The bigger picture is to create a successful coffee enterprise that will train and employ Indigenous people to enable them to contribute to their communities,” he says.
The challenge was finding the right business partner to deliver his vision.
“Everyone we were meeting with didn’t pass the test of, ‘are they really serious about working with an Indigenous business’, ‘are they going to put the effort in to understand us’, ‘are they good people’, and ‘do they understand what we need to do, do they
understand coffee, and can they do the things we can’t’.
“We knew exactly what we wanted to create and had access to all the sales and distribution channels but not the skills or knowledge to produce the coffee,” Andrews explains.
And then Andrews and business partner Adam Williams met with the co- owners and directors of Griffiths Bros Coffee Roasters, Peter Patisteas and Chris Togias. It was immediately clear to Andrews and Williams that the pair had done their homework.
“Peter and Chris had spent the time doing the research and learning about us as a business and as individuals.
“For an Indigenous person, that is how we do business. We work on the relationship. Many people see us and see dollars and a vehicle to exploit Indigenous procurement spend. It was clear from the very beginning that was not their intention,” Andrews says.
For Andrews it was the perfect fit, Griffiths Bros was the oldest coffee roaster in the country and they were the oldest culture. It could not only produce the coffee but also had the capacity to scale.
FROM IDEA TO ACTION
Patisteas says from the outset what attracted him to the project was the truth telling component Andrews and Williams brought to the table.
“As simple as it sounds, the actual roasting and packaging side of the business is something we know backwards, that’s the easiest part of it.
“It is the relationships that take time and a lot more effort to understand.
“Shawn and Adam were so clear about where they were coming from and where they wanted to go it was easy for us to see how we could support their endeavour, and that wasn’t just about producing coffee,” Patisteas explains.
Dhuwah founder Shawn Andrews.
“ My aim is not for Dhuwa to just be the premium coffee on the shelf, my aim is for Dhuwa to be Australians’ choice of coffee and an exporting champion for this country.”
The Griffiths Bros pair were drawn to the opportunity to develop a product that supported a new enterprise on a large scale with an Indigenous ownership structure.
“I really like understanding the individual and what motivates them. Shawn’s work, particularly in supporting kids in care was really telling of the individual and very powerful.
“From our perspective we could draw energy and motivation from that and deliver a premium product, but the relationship was still key,” Patisteas says.
Critical to both parties was the clear definition of Griffiths Bros role – that it would add value, but as a supporting structure, not a leading one.
“For most Australians, Indigenous affairs are peripheral and we don’t really understand it. Shawn working from our offices has given us absolute clarity around hardships the Indigenous community face. That small insight has given us even bigger motivation to change.
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BLENDED FAMILY
WHAT’S YOUR PICK?
DHUWA’s beans are crafted into coffee in Wurundjeri country and are sourced from Brazil, Colombia, India, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The brand has three coffee ranges:
FIRST LIGHT – A lighter blend suitable for a filter method. Sourced from Brazil, Indonesia, India and Colombia, with toffee apple, butterscotch and cocoa flavours.
KICKSTART – A medium roast blend that suits a morning latte or espresso. Sourced from Brazil, India, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, with caramel sweetness, jammy plum and chocolate notes.
BIGSHOT – A dark roast blend for those who enjoy a strong latte. Sourced from Brazil, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Ethiopia, delivering a milk chocolate and nutty cup with a vanilla finish.
www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au | August/September 2021 | Food&Drink business | 11
RISING STAR
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