Kiwis shouldn't complain about the cost of coffee - we've got it good
Coffee influencer and author Celeste Wong says we're getting a good deal comparing the quality and cost to our UK counterparts.
Coffee influencer and actress Celeste Wong says Kiwis might be feeling the pinch with the price of their flat white, but we've got a relatively good deal.
The New Zealand born barista runs the popular 'The Girl in the Café' blog, which became a miniseries that played on Air New Zealand's international flights. She also starred in the critically acclaimed My Wedding and Other Secrets film and more recently TVNZ's Motherhood Anthology series.
Now living between the UK and Portugal, Wong is back in New Zealand for the launch of her first book, Coffee Creations: 90 delicious recipes for the perfect cup.
Coffee influencer, actress and author Celeste Wong at a cafe in Auckland with her book 'Coffee Creations: 90 delicious recipes for the perfect cup'.
RNZ / Isra'a Emhail
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The price of coffee has been a hot topic during her visit home, but Wong believes it could get worse because roasters have been absorbing the blowouts.
"Coffee prices obviously are going up for the consumer already, but they're not comparatively the same as what I'm seeing overseas," Wong says.
"For example, a flat white in the UK is about £4.50, which equates to about $9 here and no one's paying $9 for a flat white. I still flinch at that when I'm in the UK because when I was [first there] it was £2.50 and that was really expensive.
"I hear my family saying, 'Oh my God, it's really expensive in New Zealand' and I'm like actually you've got a good deal because it's also good coffee… because you'll be paying a high price in the UK, whether it's good or bad."
Wong says she hopes her book inspires budding coffee enthusiasts to try some of the more flamboyant recipes.
Supplied / Steve Ryan
From the South Island's city of Dunedin, Wong planted the seeds that would eventually see her build a name for herself and work alongside the big names in the barista world (including London's Flat White Soho café former co-owner Cameron McClure) at the arty and retro Strictly Coffee Company.
Still, she didn't think that tickets would be sold for a book event held in her hometown – but it was a sell-out success.
"I always felt like I was trying to explain what I was doing… I think now that my book is out, my mother, my brothers and sisters can actually see the work that I've been doing for the last 10 to 20 years. So that feels good.
"That's on the one hand, but it just feels really good to have something that I'm proud of, that I think is going to help people budding baristas, baristas, and people at home who are just coffee enthusiasts who love coffee."
It was at her first part-time job she met her future boss Jason Chan, whom she followed to Melbourne where she ran one of his cafes.
"He was doing latte art back in the 90s and the 2000s before social media, I'd never seen anything like it. I couldn't not feel passionate about it and I couldn't not get nerdy and obsessed about coffee."
Wong says they were never tired in London's frenzy over the flat white, because it was rewarding to see customers return and order another cup.
RNZ / Isra'a Emhail
After that, Wong moved to London, which was a tough place to crack. The coffee scene wasn't established and at the Flat White café, they would "relentlessly" explain to customers what a flat white was every day. They ended up writing a definition on their menu.
"We assume that everybody knows what a flat white is, but there's millions of people that don't know what a flat white is and you can never assume that everyone has the same definition, which is kind of why I had that first section in my book. I've put down what I have learned to be the traditional flat whites.
"The coffees here in New Zealand are generally a lot more punchy. In the UK… there are iterations, there might be flat whites that are single shot. So when I tasted it, I'm expecting something really strong and it's not. I just go out now and I don't have too many expectations, but when I'm making it for myself, that's a different story."
Wong says her book also breaks down the common questions she gets asked like 'what is a flat white' and 'what is the difference between an iced coffee and cold brew'?
Supplied / Steve Ryan
When more places began to add the hot drink to their menu, she felt optimistic it would invite people into the world of specialty and artisan coffee, which can often feel "too exclusive", Wong says. It was also the catalyst for her to set up her 'The Girl in the Café' blog.
"I wanted to bridge that gap and make it more accessible and not have it be too exclusive. So I've gone from like one end of the spectrum of being like really particular about everything, to also understanding that if you do understand coffee or know a little bit of the fundamentals of coffee, you can still make a good coffee without necessarily weighing every shot or you're a gram out here and there."
