Invercargill-based Mint Roastery has teamed up with ILT to produce a signature coffee blend for
Brew’d cafe.
The cafe will open its doors in the coming weeks, along with the hotel’s accommodation suites and
Two Doors Down, the lobby bar.
Mint Roastery started as a pivot strategy during the 2020 lockdown, helping to reduce the Black
Shag cost of goods in response to the pressures of Covid 19 on the hospitality industry. The
partnership with the hotel establishes the Mint Roastery as an independent fully-fledged business
for owners Dion Milanesi and Sylvie Chasteau.
“I’d been interested in the idea of roasting our own blend for a while but lockdown provided an
opportunity for me to test and trial some processes,” said Dion.
The hospitality craftspeople are best known for the Black Shag cafe, which embraces local
connections and has a focus on reducing waste. The new Roastery will continue this approach with
local partners affiliated supplier Farm Fresh milk also providing milk on tap direct to Brew’d.
“We’re looking to grow our business through a small number of valued relationships and ILT is a
good fit as they share our community values,” said Dion.
ILT chief executive Chris Ramsay said the local collaboration was extremely positive.
“Invercargill has a strong cafe scene and people are already doing it really well. This partnership is
about adding to this, strengthening local relationships and adding more vibrancy to the inner city,”
he said.
The partnership extends past coffee creation; Mint Roastery will provide training support to Brew’d
staff and have installed the bright espresso machine that will complement the cafe’s cheerful
interior.
Bespoke packaging has been specifically designed for the Brew’d blend by Sylvie, who has a fine arts
background. Her Invercargill inspired designs can be found on other Mint Roastery blends.
Brew’d is not ILT’s first foray into the cafe scene, in 1944 ILT opened the country’s first licensed cafe,
The Brown Owl. It was a trendy haunt in its heyday integrating the tearooms with a milk bar and
cake shop.
