During his travels, Derek found inspiration with European cafés being a meeting place which was inexpensive and not based around getting blotto on alcohol. A place of ideas and conversation.
In 1982 Dereks first baby (and where he pioneered the classic Flat White), the legendary DKD café, was born. An institution that ran for around 17 years, and it would be fair to say that "life passed through its doors”. A full-on ambience that preached good coffee, which was always best paired with great conversation.
It soon became apparent that the roasted beans could be much better, so Derek was inspired to craft the best coffee available to New Zealand. That’s when all the magic happened and the Karajoz Coffee Company you know today entered the chat.
In 1997, we had one of our busiest years. Perfecting this blend took 4 months and 2 tonnes of beans, and a great deal of ‘putting in the hard yards’. After a million attempts at making a coffee, a coffee so good that we were proud to call it ours, we achieved it. Smooth, full, and with an overlying sensation of sweet chocolate.
Karajoz Coffee Company was created from the inspiration Derek drew from those cafés and their cultures, while still holding tight to the independent, fun loving spirit of NZ in the 80's.
Now? We're a locally owned and roasted coffee brand crafted for every Kiwi, roasting our beans fresh, every day, right here in Eden Terrace.
