The Bean Merchant Story

How a Sunbeam machine and curiosity created New Zealand's coffee discovery platform

Chapter 1

It Started with a Sunbeam

G'day, I'm Jono.

Like many Kiwis, I thought I knew coffee. Every morning, my trusty little Sunbeam machine would hum to life, brewing supermarket beans for my fiancé and me. It was perfectly adequate. Functional. Forgettable.

Then came Christchurch, 2018.

I wandered into a local café and spotted beans I'd never seen before. The packaging was different. The roaster's name was handwritten. Something made me buy a bag.

"That first sip wasn't just coffee. It was a revelation."

Suddenly, coffee had flavours. Notes. Character. My mind was blown, and there was no going back.

The Sunbeam that started it all (still going strong!)

Chapter 2

Down the Rabbit Hole

What followed was pure obsession. My fiancé and I became coffee detectives, hunting down every New Zealand roaster we could find. Each new bag was an adventure:

Origins Explored

Ethiopia, Colombia, Guatemala - each country telling its own story through beans

Processing Methods

Washed, natural, honey-processed - who knew coffee could be so complex?

Roast Profiles

From light and fruity to dark and chocolatey - a spectrum of possibilities

We ordered from individual roasters, joined mailing lists, drove hours for special releases. It was thrilling but exhausting. And that's when we noticed the gap...

Chapter 3

The Missing Piece

We searched everywhere for a single place that brought together all of New Zealand's incredible roasters. It didn't exist.

Roaster Roaster Roaster Roaster Roaster ?

Here was this incredible coffee scene happening across New Zealand, but you needed to be a detective to find it all. Great coffee was out there, but it was hidden, scattered, hard to discover.

That's when the idea hit: If it doesn't exist, build it.

Chapter 4

Bean Merchant is Born

2020

The Launch

Started with 5 roasters who believed in the vision

2021

The Quiz

Created our famous Coffee Quiz to help people find their perfect match

2022

The Community

Grew to 20+ roasters and thousands of coffee lovers

Today

The Platform

30+ roasters, 5,000+ members, countless perfect matches made

What started as a personal quest became something bigger. Bean Merchant became the discovery platform I wished existed when I first tasted that life-changing coffee in Christchurch.

Chapter 5

More Than Just a Store

Bean Merchant isn't just about selling coffee. It's about discovery, connection, and supporting the passionate people behind every roast.

We Believe in Local

Every purchase directly supports independent New Zealand roasters, helping them create new flavours and grow their craft.

We Believe in Discovery

Our Coffee Quiz isn't just clever tech - it's a bridge between curious coffee drinkers and roasters they'd never find on their own.

We Believe in Quality

We taste everything. If it's not exceptional, it doesn't make the cut. Your morning ritual deserves nothing less.

Today

The Journey Continues

My old Sunbeam is still going strong, now brewing beans from roasters across New Zealand. Every morning brings a new flavour, a new story, a new adventure.

Bean Merchant has grown beyond what I imagined, but the mission remains simple: help every Kiwi discover coffee that makes their mornings extraordinary.

Whether you're just starting your coffee journey or you're a seasoned explorer, we're here to help you find your next favourite cup.

Jono
Founder, Bean Merchant

Join Our Community

5,000+ Coffee Explorers

30+ Partner Roasters

1000s Perfect Matches

Every week, we help hundreds of Kiwis discover their new favourite coffee.

Ready to Find Your Perfect Coffee?

Start your own discovery journey today

Take the Coffee Quiz or Browse All Coffee