Coffee connoisseurs blend sustainability with flavour

Specialty coffee business Emme Mac Black debuted at the Farm Gate Produce Area last year and came away with a Henty Machinery Field Days Exhibitor Award for excellence in presentation. 

Co-owner Bec Macdougall said the field days enabled Emme Mac Black to engage with a completely new clientele and regional coffee distributors on the product and brand first-hand. 

Bec and her husband Angus juggle a busy business, farm and family life at Molyullah in northeast Victoria.

They are self-confessed lovers of coffee and travel, having lived in big cities around the world and working in fast-paced corporate roles.

Making the tree change to the cattle property from Melbourne six years ago, the couple came up with the idea of Emme Mac Black at their farmhouse kitchen table.

They had been running two family businesses, The Cottage at Dunmore Farm and The Branded Coffee Co, and recognised an opportunity to introduce their own brand of specialty coffee.

Named after their daughter Emme, the business aligns with their passion for coffee and travel, on many different levels. It also brings together their collective experience – Angus having worked in the coffee space for many years and Bec leveraging a background in branding and marketing.

Emme Mac Black’s beans are Italian style slow roasted in Melbourne by an Italian family who have been roasting coffee for over 50 years.

Proudly partnering with like-minded regional business, the coffee is distributed through restaurants and specialty food store as well as online, and supplied to motels, hotels, and boutique accommodation providers.

The company also works with corporate business wanting to serve their own coffee in branded packaging at functions and events.

“We believe in ethical coffee. Sourcing our beans across multiple continents and countries in the equatorial coffee belt, Emme Mac Blac is committed to supporting ethical farming and sustainable processing practices,” Bec said.

“Our commitment to sustainability is pivotal in every business decision we make. From our selection of coffee producers and roasters through to our compostable capsules, local sustainable packaging and even our office stationery (which is made of recycled coffee cups), we always choose carefully, with future environmental impact in mind.

“Understanding the provenance of coffee beans has a huge impact on flavour, our roaster carefully selects our international coffee partners, ensuring exceptional coffee for our customers. 

“Our ethical and sustainably sourced coffee blends balance the sweeter, harmonious tones of Latin American beans with the spicier woodiness of Indian beans, resulting in a premium selection of deliciously unique flavours.”

“Our three styles of coffee include single origin, organic and fair-trade Misty Mac from Peru.”

A slow-medium dark roast available as beans or ground coffee, Billy-Bob is suitable for espresso, stove-top, French-press and capsule machines.

The ethical blend of slow-medium dark roast, Bob-Bob is suitable for espresso, stove-top and French-press, and is sourced from responsible growers across Brazil, Peru, Ethiopia, Colombia and India. Bob-Bob is named after one of the Macdougall’s Bernese Mountain dogs, while Billy and Misty are the pet cats. 

Bec said the business was always exploring ways to be more sustainable, minimise waste and reduce the carbon footprint. 

Last year the Billy-Bob Home Compostable coffee capsule was added to the range. Made from plant-based materials, they are biodegradable and leave no harmful residue behind, disintegrating within 26 weeks in garden compost. 

At Henty, Emme Mac Black will also have accessories including brewing equipment, cups, glassware, and storage along with coffee gift boxes, corporate gifts and taster kits.