Guerrilla Roasters, now known across the South East for its ethically sourced beans and characteristic blend was founded in 2018 by Mathew Hatcher and Lewis McKenzie.
Above: L to R. Mathew Hatcher and Lewis McKenzie.
Mathew has always had a passion for coffee and a strong sense of moral fair play saying: "We started with the idea of roasting the absolute best coffee we could get our hands on. Every bean we purchase is fully traceable and we only buy from suppliers who work with farmers on sustainability and quality. Our belief is that a great cup of coffee starts on the farm. We strive to visit our partners all over the world to not only follow the bean to cup but also to build lasting relationships between farmers and those tasting the finished product." The two came together when he ventured to East Timor to see first hand the growing harvesting and exporting of coffee beans. It was not however a one-way visit as he took with him the knowledge of the industry where the coffee was destined to arrive and saw opportunities to educate local growers in how they might improve their product to gain a higher return. Mathew noted that East Timor beans were generally at best low grade and often used as bulkers in coffee blends however, with education and appreciation of what was required by top end bean buyers there has been an evolution in quality and processing. Guerrilla Roasters, now located at their new warehouse at 2/10 Shelley Road, Moruya was founded on the idea to go against the flow, resist the norm and refuse to fit into a mold. Their coffee blends are now the bean of choice of many cafe's across the region from the Victorian border north into the Shoalhaven as well as venturing west into the ACT regional market. Mathew said "We are passionate and only roast coffee that we love to drink. We work with industry leaders who only source from sustainable farms throughout the Americas, Africa and Asia. Our blend is ever changing with the seasons and we seize every moment to change things up. This gives us the ability to showcase the different flavours in coffee but also the terroir of a specific region."
"Our aim is to lead the way and not conform to what people think we should be. We are a small batch roaster who are more concerned with quality than being one of the big guys. We want to work with like minded cafe owners who are in it purely for the passion and want a quality product." With the new warehouse has come the opportunity to also trade on line with a new website that enables on-line shopping and facilities that enable an expansion of production without any impact of the quality of product that is foremost in Mat and Lewis' mind. "We have to give a big shoutout to both our locals and interstate customers keeping us insanely busy through the lockdowns. So many home baristas now but like you, we can’t wait for cafes to be the meeting place again." NOTE: This is not advertising and The Beagle has published the article simply in celebration of one of our many local businesses who have lifted the bar and become leaders in their industry.
