AS YOU LIKE IT

Enjoying a good cup of coffee is one of life’s pleasures. McCafé’s 100% sustainable Arabica coffee beans are combined, blended and roasted to create a uniquely Kiwi premium brew for discerning devotees.

As far as coffee goes, we Kiwis are unashamedly obsessed, and enjoying a perfectly brewed cup is as ingrained in our identity as belting the lyrics to a Dave Dobbyn classic or indulging in a classic mince and cheese pie. As such, we’re not ones to settle for anything less than great when it comes to our favoured brew. Knowing this, the team at McDonald’s has been hard at work crafting a brand new 100 per cent Arabica blend specially for the New Zealand palate.

Starting at the source, the special blend is made from coffee farms in Brazil, Honduras, Kenya and Ethiopia that are all certified by the Rainforest Alliance. This internationally recognised seal ensures the farms where the coffee beans are grown are committed to protecting the environment, upholding sustainable farming practices, and ensuring workers have access to better pay, medical care and education.

After sourcing from the growers, the Arabica beans are mixed and roasted together by local East Tāmaki-based coffee supplier, Suntory Coffee. With a reputation for delivering premium coffee, Suntory’s careful blending and roasting process results in an impressive depth of flavour in the special Kiwi-only blend, offering subtly sweet floral and berry notes to delight the palate. Packed immediately to lock in the freshness, the beans are sent off around the country to McCafé’s talented baristas.

Of course, good coffee comes down not only to the ingredients – but also to the barista. With that in mind, McCafé baristas undergo extensive training from Suntory. Designed specifically for the McCafé blend, the training programme sees Suntory’s coffee connoisseurs deployed to McDonald’s restaurants across the country, where they delve into all the finer details of crafting the perfect brew – from how to maintain freshness when grinding the beans, to pulling the best espresso shot, to frothing milk at the optimum temperature.

Like the blend itself, the worldclass cup of coffee comes together in the perfect combination of art and science, with every person – from the farmers, to the roasters, to the baristas – trained to get the best out of the beans.

So, whether it’s a flat white or a long black, you can rest assured the special New Zealand McCafé blend measures up to the best. Available nationwide from 19 May, with the convenience of dine in, takeaway and drive-thru, the special blend is coming to a McDonald’s near you.

For more information, visit mcdonalds.co.nz

Each pack of the special McCafé blend is used within 25 to 50 days of the roast to ensure optimum freshness.