Eve Jeffery
The first thing you notice when you walk into Bun Coffee is the most incredible smell. You know what I mean – that undeniable ‘Drink me! Drink me!’ smell that only really good coffee evokes.
The second thing you notice is shelf upon shelf of extraordinarily bright-coloured packets showing the huge variety that Bun Coffee has to offer.
This is coffee you can’t help but love. And why wouldn’t you?
A birthday for Bun
Bun Coffee beans are either Certified Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance or Australian Grown. Their single-origin beans from around the world are certified Fair Trade. The in-store cups are biodegradable, and some of their packaging is biodegradable – Bun hopes to increase that to cover all of their range in the future.
If you can source beans from ethical farms, and use sustainable products, why wouldn’t you?
Owner, David Kennedy’s motto is ‘why wouldn’t you?’. For example, if you can source beans from ethical farms, and use sustainable products, why wouldn’t you?
Bun is about to celebrate 15 years in Byron, and each year they have aimed to be better than the last.
They opened in Byron in 2005 with a small 15kg roaster and a driving passion to roast and provide locals with consistent, freshly roasted coffee from around the world and locally.
Unique and sustainable coffees
Sourcing unique and sustainable coffees is a true passion for David, and knowing that the farmers of these incredible crops are being paid fairly, has always been part of the Bun Coffee ethos.
Bun now roast over 40 different single-origin beans, which becomes an opportunity to tell the origin story of the countries and the specific regions and farms the crops came from
Bun’s customers’ love for, and knowledge of, coffee has also grown – like the company itself. Bun now roast over 40 different single-origin beans, which becomes an opportunity to tell the origin story of the countries and the specific regions and farms the crops came from, and further support the farmers and their communities for better working conditions.
Single-origin means it is a bean from a specific country, but it gets more complex. For example, Bun has an Ethiopian single origin, but offer different regionals, being Harrar, Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, Lekempt and Limu. Then they go further – into the estates and right down to individual farms and aspects of a particular farm. Micro lots are popular, with small batches coming from tiny farms.
‘I find it so fascinating that coffee is grown in single-origin in many different countries, and that each origin has its unique flavour profile,’ says David. ‘I have a passion for getting my hands on as many different origins as possible.’
A rainbow of coffee
The bright rainbow of coloured packaging in-store is distinctly Bun. ‘We know that some of our customers remember which colour they drink, rather than the coffee type!
Part of our packaging journey has been to find recyclable or compostable alternatives.’
So far, Bun have a fully home-compostable 1kg bag for the organic and rainforest blends, along with fully home-compostable coffee pods – a huge step in the right direction to reduce packaging waste. ‘We still have a long way to go though as we start to roll out the home-compostable packaging across our Bun range.’
The staff at Bun say they are so grateful to the Byron community for supporting local, and embracing them as their local coffee roaster (especially during the recent COVID-19 uncertainty).
Being a smaller player in the coffee and cafe scene really allows for us to get to know our customers personally, and work with them, and adapt with them in supporting their coffee needs
‘Being a smaller player in the coffee and cafe scene really allows for us to get to know our customers personally, and work with them, and adapt with them in supporting their coffee needs, from exclusive blends to machinery and barista training.’
What’s not to love?
The Bun Coffee roastery door is open 7am–4pm Monday to Friday, and Bun Coffee can also be found in local retail outlets and selected cafes in the area, and online at www.buncoffee.com.au.
