Good things brewing at Waipu cafe

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JULIA WADE

 

Coffee connoisseurs seeking a genuine ‘cup of Joe’ are now let in on a local Waipu secret after the relaunching of a formerly hidden-away cafe whose home-ground bespoke brew is infused with passion and swirls of latte art.

Owned and operated by father and son coffee enthusiasts, Riki Taiaroa and 22-year-old Benji, the now roadside coffee bar Feoh is brewed in authenticity, from the meaning of business names, conversation-piece display items (such as a 1956 Lambretta scooter), to the story of how coffee art guided a young man’s life away from potential trouble.

Feoh’s coffee is derived from the family’s own Bitches Brew, selected organic coffee beans freshly roasted on the premises and savoured by local coffee lovers at the cafe and Riki’s ‘roasting sessions’ over the last two years.

“We’ve actually been here four years but been hidden round the back, so for people who found the cafe it was like their little secret, which was nice,” he says. “However now we’ve reopened after five weeks of renovation and have street frontage, people who didn’t know we were here have now discovered us… our regulars are already back too.”

Transformed from skincare salon Skin Image, operated by Riki’s wife Nina (who now operates from a cottage behind the cafe) Feoh has been ‘designed by baristas for baristas’ Benji says, ‘it’s warm and welcoming though a slightly more clinical place than Dad had but still with a touch of steampunk. Drinks are also served in original cups created by Kaipara ceramic artist, Marilyn Wheeler.

While the previous coffee bar ‘was great’ Riki says, being in business with his son ‘is fantastic’, allowing for the cafe to be open seven days with still time for ‘a few quirky things we want to do’.

Originating from the ancient Anglo-Saxon runes, the name ‘Feoh’ translates to ‘cattle’ with a secondary meaning of wealth, prosperity and abundance, and a way to bless the relaunch of the cafe with luck.

“In Asian culture, you open a new business with a lucky name, so with a nod to Nina’s culture, we opened Feoh in Sydney over ten years ago and thought we’d just use the same name for here,” Riki says. “Its stylised to look like a coffee bean on the sign and people ask what the name means so it’s a good conversation point.”

Bitches Brew also holds a special meaning, the name adopted from the title of an album by acclaimed American jazz trumpter Miles Davis. Riki’s late father, a brass band trumpeter, viewed the musical genre as ‘self-indulgent’ he says.

“In my father’s words, jazz trumpeters ‘play however they want to play’, and for me, that’s me and my coffee, self-indulgent, ha! Feoh is all about the coffee and my son and I… something for everyone, old people who like the youth and young people who like the old quirky guy…”

n Feoh Espresso, 86 The Centre, Waipu. Phone 022 394 1187

Tucked away just along from central Waipu is the newly-refurbished Feoh Espresso cafe, a laid back coffee bar and in-house roastery fragrant with fresh beans, now open road-side for patrons to savour the barista skills of father and son duo, Riki (centre) and Benji Taiaroa.

Benji back on track Although ony 22 years old, Benji Taiaroa has already had a ten year career in the barista industry, which he says he ‘fell into’ while helping out in his family’s Sydney cafe, his passion for creating latte art taking shape while he was a young troubled teen. “I was slowly going off the rails and coffee saved me in a way. While suspended from school for a month for doing things I shouldn’t be doing, Dad made me sit at the cafe with him for 30 days from five in the morning till five at night. Half the time I was doing my homework, and the other I’ll be learning how to make coffee,” he says. “I had been doing all these negative things and getting a reaction but by serving in the shop I saw how customers enjoyed something that I created so guess that’s what has always stuck with me, and passion has built up from there.” Although not old enough at the tender age of 13 for formal training, Benji learnt as much as he could from his father and turned to YouTube videos to expand and tweak his barista techniques. Through his teen years he spent time serving in local cafes from Waipu to Paparoa before a three year stint in Auckland coffee houses ‘on the machine all day banging out 4-500 coffees a day’ and also held the position of head barista. After progressing from making basic latte patterns of tulips and rosettas to more complex designs like bunnies and seashorses in only three months ‘which takes a lot of time and practise’, Benji was asked by his new employer and mentor after only two weeks into a new job, to enter the NZ Barista Championship 2021. “I was ecstatic… at 19 I was the second youngest out of around 16 competitors and placed seventh in the top ten, one place away from making the finals,” he says. “Love doing comps, it’s a way to improve yourself and you get feedback from the best in New Zealand’s industry who have a wealth of experience. There’s always someone to look up to in the barista industry who are doing amazing things with coffee.” Although offered a prestigious position in Australia running a multi-million dollar coffee company, ‘an amazing opportunity’, Benji decided instead to return home and invest his life savings into the creation of Feoh. “I thought if someone wants me to run their company, why wouldn’t I do that for myself?” Besides creating beautiful works of art on every Feoh coffee, Benji and Dad Riki also want to create a place of education for coffee lovers interested in the art of barista, with courses for trainees, interested home-baristas, and expereinced baristas who would like to upskill. “It takes one to two years of training to qualify as a barista so would like to help others who are young and want to get into this industry but aren’t given a chance due to their age,” Benji says. “I believe there’s no wrong way of doing something but theres always a better way of doing something, and as soon as you’ve hit perfection, something’s wrong. Striving for perfection however, is what we’re about at Feoh.”

‘Surfer on a wave’ and ‘Pegasus’ are two intricate designs talented barista Benji has mastered in his young career which started brewing at 13.

 

“I saw how customers enjoyed something that I created so guess that’s what has always stuck with me and passion has built up from there.”

– Benji, barista

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