{"id":10004945,"date":"2018-11-16T16:24:55","date_gmt":"2018-11-16T15:24:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesignmoak.com\/?p=10004945"},"modified":"2018-11-17T09:18:58","modified_gmt":"2018-11-17T08:18:58","slug":"new-zealand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesignmoak.com\/en\/new-zealand\/","title":{"rendered":"New Zealand: caf\u00e9s are the most favourite places to meet and socialize."},"content":{"rendered":"

Interview with Michelle Stairmand of Nero Italia NZ ltd. Coffee in the land of kiwi.<\/h3>\n

In Italy, we are used to drink coffee at the counter, often on the fly. However, things are changing: in new coffee bars, more and more space is dedicated to tables, sofas and Wi-Fi, so to encourage people to spend more time in a caf\u00e9. However, this new setting has no originality. In fact, abroad it has always been working like this. In New Zealand,<\/strong>\u00a0\u201csocial\u201d country par excellence, for instance, a coffee break could even last several hours, while studying, working or just chatting. On one condition: the place should not be too crowded and you order at least one drink per hour.
\nWe took advantage of Michelle Stairmand\u2019<\/strong>s visit in Modica and asked her tell us a bit more about it. She knows the world of coffee very well and follows the habits of coffee lovers in the land of Maori<\/a> very closely. So, if you are thinking of traveling to Auckland<\/a> as a tourist or to open a coffee shop in the area, here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n

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From right: Michelle Stairmand, Annalisa Spadola, Marco Caudini and Francesco Neri<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Michelle Stairmand describes herself as a \u201ccoffee goddess\u201d. She started as a cabinetmaker and is now in charge of Nero Italia NZ ltd<\/a>, Caff\u00e8 Moak<\/a> distributor in New Zealand.<\/p>\n

From passion for wood to the one for coffee. Tell us about this change.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I have always been passionate about art and creativity. One day, while I was working as a cabinetmaker, I took a break and sipped my usual cup of coffee. I was looking around and my eyes lingered on the drink. That was the moment when I thought about what I would really like to do in my life (it might be true that you can read the future in coffee grounds). Hence, shortly after I started a new adventure in a coffee shop in Auckland: first as a dishwasher, then I became barista and learnt how to prepare a good coffee. The next step was my experience at Nero Italia, which I decided to buy after my six-year collaboration. I strongly believed in the growth potential of this place. And I believe I have won this challenge (she laughs).<\/p>\n

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How do you drink coffee in New Zealand?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

All our coffees are espresso-based. We have a lot of \u201cdouble espresso\u201d as well as \u201clong black\u201d (espresso served with some hot water) in our menus. However, the most consumed coffee-based drink in New Zealand is the \u201cflat white<\/strong>\u201d, which is basically a double espresso and frothed milk with a very liquid cream, usually featuring less foam than a cappuccino and more like a latte macchiato. We serve it in 12-ounce cups and drink it all day long. In Auckland, many people walk off to the office taking their big coffee cup with them and sip it during the whole day.<\/p>\n

What about the new trend of drinking coffee?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Definitely cold coffee, iced coffee and take-away cold coffee. On the other hand, filter coffee is not as popular as in other countries. We just consume huge amounts of milk and we don\u2019t give it up, not even with coffee.<\/p>\n