Coffee is recognised as one of Papua New Guinea’s most important commodities. So it was only a matter of time before locally manufactured ‘Nespresso-compatible’ coffee capsules were launched on the PNG market. Business Advantage PNG talks to Cool Stuf, the company behind PNG’s first locally manufactured coffee capsules.

Credit: Luke Cox

For Cool Stuf managing director, Kevin Teh,  introducing locally manufactured coffee capsules to Papua New Guineans is all about promoting the country’s coffee.

In collaboration with Eastern Highlands-based Colbran Coffeelands, Teh has established PNG Coffee Capsules as a division of Cool Stuf, employing PNG nationals to develop the business.

Coffee of choice

The company has grown quickly and become the coffee of choice for national airline, Air Niugini Ltd, at the executive lounges of its international and domestic terminals at Jacksons Airport in Port Moresby.

With the capsules also expected to be launched at Lae Airport later this year, Teh told Business Advantage PNG that the partnership with Air Niugini was a major boost for the local coffee industry and shows the airline’s commitment to developing PNG as a destination for tourism.

‘That was a win-win situation for Air Niugini and for us, to have locally manufactured coffee capsules at the executive lounges.

‘We now have nine baristas working in several shifts between the domestic and international lounges, serving our high quality coffee,’ Teh said.

‘It has always been important for us to work with local partners to manufacture and distribute the capsules.’

Local collaboration

Traditionally, coffee suppliers throughout PNG have packaged their product as whole roasted beans or as ground coffee.

Together with Kainantu-based Colbran Coffeelands, PNG Coffee Capsules challenged this norm by exploring methods of packaging its Blue Mountain coffee in capsules.

According to Teh, this has resulted in more employment and guaranteed a high-quality coffee, whether it be an espresso, cafe latte, cappuccino or a flat white.

‘We continue to source the coffee from Colbran, with the special roasting also maintained by them,’ Teh explained.

The European Commission regulated food-grade capsules are imported from French company Capsulin, complete with a 3M food-grade seal lid. The capsules are then filled by Port Moresby-based staff, in a sterile production line.

Growing demand

While, the majority of its capsule production are supplied to Air Niugini’s executive lounges at Jacksons Airport, demand is growing and they are now being used at hotels, resorts, cafes, restaurants and offices throughout PNG.

‘We are basically responding to demand at this stage,’ Teh said, adding that the company’s focus would continue to be on building its market in PNG, but it would consider the export market, as coffee of this quality is sought after.