June update from Brewed

Hello, coffee lovers and valued patrons! We're excited to present the newest issue of our monthly newsletter, packed with updates, delightful news, and plenty of energizing excellence.
  

This month has been a busy one, with our new head chef on board, we've been menu planning, costing and of course our favourite part, tasting. Our new brunch menu is out now, and our beautiful hand made bowls have finally arrived from West Coast Stoneware, which means we can now launch our Phở (Pronounced as "fuh"), a Vietnamese soup dish consisting of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat, sometimes chicken. Phở is a popular food in Vietnam where it is served in households, street-stalls, and restaurants country-wide. Lou was fortunate to live in Vietnam for a few years and learnt a thing or two, and so far it really is showing in our new menu.
With brunch sorted, we moved onto our evening menu (the long awaited!) which will have an emphasis on tapas style shareable dishes drawing inspiration from Asian culinary traditions, elevated with modern flair. That launched on Thursday!

Evenings will be running Thursday-Saturday, 5pm-9:30pm

I've (Gareth) have started a bit of a journal about my journey into running our own restaurant, my unintentional journey into coffee and how we ended up in Mangawhai Heads, I'll keep this at the bottom of each newsletter for those who wish to read it.

Music is a big part of what we enjoy here at Brewed, and we make it a point to keep our playlists fresh. I, along with the team, listen to music every day, and to ensure a dynamic musical experience. This month we've been listening to Thievery Corporation, debuting in the mid-'90s, Washington, D.C, became one of the most popular acts associated with chilled-out, lounge-friendly electronic music. Initially known for making abstract instrumental, midtempo dance music whose classification fell somewhere between trip-hop and acid jazz, their sound expanded to include vocalists and live instrumentation on 2000's The Mirror Conspiracy (their most popular album in the United States) which was heavily influenced by bossa nova and soul. The album I've chosen is Treasure From The Temple (2018) but I highly recommend checking out The Mirror Conspiracy.

Upcoming events

Time: 4:30pm - 8pm

When: 2nd June, Sunday

Where: Brewed As courtyard

Amaranto food truck was established in 2018 with the aim of bringing authentic, high-quality, gluten-free Italian cuisine to the streets of Auckland.
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Pasta holds a special place in the hearts of every Italian family, so when Luisa discovered her gluten intolerance, Tommaso dedicated himself to devising a gluten-free pasta recipe that was not only delicious but also had a satisfying texture. After over a year of relentless effort and determination, he succeeded in gifting Luisa the joy of having delicious pasta in her life once again. Amaranto is now on a mission, via their food truck, to share this gift and prove that gluten-free food can be just as scrumptious, if not better, than "regular" food.
 

At Amaranto food truck, they prioritize using fresh, seasonal, and free-range ingredients as the foundation of their dishes, making everything from scratch. Whenever possible, they source Italian and organic ingredients to preserve the most authentic flavours. Their recipes embody a blend of family traditions infused with the innovation of being entirely gluten-free, reflecting the culinary influences of Piedmont, Marche, and Campania—three Italian regions that have greatly influenced Tommy's cooking. Their passion lies in crafting one of Auckland's finest food trucks by offering quick, healthy fare that is exceptionally flavourful.

Due to the incredible demand we experience, we highly recommend booking a table to guarantee the best possible experience. While we do reserve some tables for walk-ins, securing your spot in advance allows us to accommodate you and your group more efficiently.

Poetry 'Open Mic' Night

Wednesday 5th June

From 5:30pm

We're thrilled to announce the upcoming poetry night, promising another memorable evening filled with shared short stories, laughter, a selection of fine wines, and delectable bites to savour.
 

The last one was filled with laughs and even an impromptu dance & spoken word about dancing bees, we absolutely loved this.

Step up and let your voice be heard, whether it's a tale woven from your own imagination, a cherished poem, or the lyrics of a song that stir your soul. The source doesn't matter; what counts is the resonance it has with you. Share something that moves you, for in doing so, you may move others as well.
 

We will have our kitchen finally open to try our new evening menu.

Gareth's journey into coffee.

I've wanted to start a journal document my journey in the coffee industry. Operating businesses with my favourite person in the world, the challenges, the triumph's, and the wonderful lessons that came with it all.

As a child, my dream was to become a Marine Biologist, driven by a desire to swim alongside majestic sea creatures. However, I underestimated the academic qualifications required for such a career, akin to being a doctor or a veterinarian. Perhaps my fascination was sparked by movies like Free Willy. Sadly, to this day, I've yet to encounter an Orca in the estuary!

"Life is a wild ride and to be honest most of us don't know where we are going until we get there."

Chapter One:
For me, it all began innocently enough, attending a hospitality course when I left school, in my last year of school I had 3 Music classes, Drama, Biology, Math with Statistics and English, all subjects I had no intention going to university for, halfway through the year I did a Introduction To Business through UCOL during my study period I obtained from dropping Maths, "You're not going to have a calculator in the pocket all your life Gareth"- yes well, we all know how that worked out. Soon after leaving high school all together, I applied for a full time hospitality course that covered everything to operate a restaurant. I definitely didn't want to be a high school drop out, so figured if I was, at least I could make myself tasty meals.

It was a great insight into the industry, every Wednesday the school would open up to the public (at discounted rates of course, knowing full well everything was prepared by students), and each week you'd have a go at a different position, from Head Chef, to waiter, bar tender, sous chef, and dishwasher and how to make coffee, where I whimsically assumed mastering the art of coffee would be a straightforward endeavour.

Oh, how mistaken I was. Nearly two decades have elapsed since that day, and yet the more I learn about coffee, the more I realise how little I truly know. I confess, I had no inkling of the vast expanse of knowledge concealed within the humble seed of a tropical tree.

People get falling in love with wine, the culture, where it's grown, the same can be true with coffee.

Coffee has been around since the early 1800s, once relegated to the realms of commodities, has transcended its humble origins to become a revered artisanal treasure. In today's coffee culture, we're cultivating an appreciation for coffee that rivals the nuanced world of craft beer, the sophistication of fine wine, and the artistry of cocktails.

Consider this; just like coffee trees, wine grapes are nurtured and cultivated for years, susceptible to the whims of changing seasons and climates. Both undergo a series of intricate processes. When you pop open a bottle, the experience remains consistent, and most wouldn't flinch at paying $15 of a glass of wine.

Now, let's redirect our attention to the world of coffee, (not to mention coffee boasts more than three times the aromatic compounds found in wine) each cup a meticulously crafted beverage, embarks on a delicate journey through the ever-changing atmospheric conditions. Coffee is extremely hydroscopic (loves to absorb moisture), this affects how espresso works, so those days where the humidity is all over the place...spare a moment for the poor baristas trying to navigate it all while embracing the bustling café. Every moment is precious in this dynamic canvas where each order is a fresh stroke of artistry, as it should be, those beans have travelled for thousands of miles, from planting to picking, processing, roasting to brewing, coffee beans go through many steps to bring out their best qualities, they have been held by many skilled hands, experts in their respective fields, we're its final destination, so to fumble at the finish line is truly sad, and lets down all the hard work that has gone into those beans before arriving in your cup.

Perhaps it's worth pondering why we readily accept the value of one beverage journey and not the other. Coffee and wine are both enjoyed for the unique experiences they offer, and they are, in essence, the elixirs that make our days a bit brighter. So, what if we extended a similar appreciation to the artistry of coffee? often noses are turned up when a coffee is more than $5 or $6, after all, both coffee and wine are more than mere beverages; they're potions that contain a drug we deem essential, each sip an invitation to savour life's moments.

It appears I've gone off on a tangent, that tends to happen when I get yarning about coffee. We'll continue on the next newsletter.