Coffee, well, caffeine of any form, plays a major role in the Media Suite day. I would say . . . integral. A central focus similar to the way a bank might focus on money, or a hipster might focus on the manscaping of their beard.
It’s essential.
At the office, we have a proper commercial coffee machine. It’s deep red, and deeply loved. A post-quake rescue story, the coffee machine lived a former life in the hallowed halls of a central city cafe before being auctioned off online to the highest bidder. Media Suite nabbed it online, and the company coffee culture grew. It takes pride of place in the kitchen space, with its own little milk fridge, proper burr grinder and stainless milk jugs.
When a new employee joins our ranks, their induction includes a tutorial – how to steam milk, how to extract a shot . . . how to clean up after yourself (this one’s a work in progress).
It certainly gets a workout. Things kick off around 7.30am with the first coffees of the day. Some people (Mark Stuart) make multiple stops at the machine every day. Towards the middle of the afternoon, it’s become a treat to jazz up the remainder of the day with a cheeky affogato (made with espresso and ice cream, no booze). We like salted caramel ice cream! Unfortunately, the Countdown is within walking distance, so ice cream refills are a little too convenient.
The coffee culture extends beyond espresso. George and Abi, our fearless Heads of State, recently brought us back a treat – coffee from Oman. Served in a huge teapot with rosewater and cardamom, you drink this in tiny cups with a fresh date on the side. To die for.
We’ve also started working our way through cold brew options from around Christchurch. Cold brew is created by pouring cold water over beans and relying on gravity to extract the coffee. A lot of cafes are offering this cool treat (best served over ice) during the summer months. We like Coffee Embassy and C4 cold brew. More to come here.
I’d like to say we’re all big coffee drinkers. There are a few that aren’t, and a few that (inexplicably) enjoy an energy drink more (!). I even saw one person, who shall not be named (Ed), making a Spider (ice cream float) using energy drink . . .
I like to think that our appreciation of a good brew is a key part of our culture here at Media Suite. We all gather around the machine in the morning for a bit of banter. It’s a team effort lining up half a dozen affogatos, and to be honest, it’s a creative daily pursuit that makes a nice change from computer screen and code.
This week, we move into our new office, and the coffee machine takes pride of place in a custom-built corner of the kitchen.
Banner image: Photo by Mike Kenneally on Unsplash
