Mark and Alana Beattie could never have planned for the strange circumstances they faced when launching their latest project. For Capsule Pack, the coffee manufacturing business the husband and wife duo run out of the Gold Coast, the global pandemic has meant a busy few months.
In April this year the Beatties teamed up with Amazon Australia to create a range of certified organic and compostable coffee pods called Scenic Brew, exclusively available on Amazon. As one of the few Australian-based coffee capsule manufacturing suppliers, the Beatties create solutions for roasting companies wanting to create a coffee pod. They can source, roast, grind and pack coffee for businesses across Australia, including for customers through Amazon.com.au.
“We like to think of ourselves as coffee specialists with the expertise to cover most aspects of the coffee industry,’ says Mark.
Scenic Brew is the first direct-to-retail venture for the Beatties, and it makes for a particularly special cup of coffee. The beans used are ethically sourced from countries such as Ethiopia, Honduras, Nicaragua and Columbia, ground down in the company’s Gold Coast manufacturing hub, then turned into the easy-to-use capsules that are found in many Aussie households.
“It’s no surprise that people are buying more coffee to drink while spending more time working from home, but what’s been particularly reassuring is seeing that Aussies aren’t just particular about the taste of their coffee, but also about the impact their purchase is having on the environment,” says Alana. This ‘halo factor,’has been a key driver behind the business’ success.
“Our customers are making micro-changes to their lives for a better sense of wellbeing and buying coffee pods which are both organic and biodegradable can be one of these small changes to increase a sense of ‘doing good’.”
Beyond the organic and sustainable credentials, the Scenic Brew coffee pods are unique in their celebration of Australian scenery (and taste buds). Inspiration for the packaging comes from the burnt rust reds of the outback and the lush green tree tops and valleys of Australia’s mountain areas.
Alana says working with Amazon Australia made the occasionally daunting process of selling direct to customers for the first time a smooth one; particularly in an uncertain time.
“It’s been a challenging but rewarding experience,” says Alana. “Amazon Australia has been really engaging to work with since the beginning and it’s an exciting opportunity to make a product exclusively for their customers.”
The shift to work from home for many Australians, and in some cases, reduced personal finances, has meant an increase in demand for quality, at-home coffee. Like many other pantry products available on Amazon.com.au, Scenic Brew is part of the Subscribe and Save service - a program that enables customers to sign up for scheduled repeat deliveries on select products they routinely shop for with the benefit of a 10% discount and free delivery. This means customers can ensure they’re getting their caffeine fix on the regular, and saving money in the process. Importantly for the Beatties, this means building up a loyal group of customers who continue to buy from them.
Ultimately though, the success comes from the product itself. “We’ve had great feedback on the coffee,” says Alana. “It’s not just about the ‘feel good factor,’ but about the ‘tastes great one’ too.”
Amazon.com.au is putting small Australian businesses front and centre through their ‘Shop Local’ store in the run up to the massive shopping event, Prime Day and beyond. Head to www.Amazon.com.au/shoplocal to shop products from hundreds of Australian small businesses.
