beanscenemag.com.au 29INDUSTRY PROFILE
Veneziano Coffee Roasters is just one facet of what parent company
Nomad Coffee Group has to offer. CEO Craig Dickson discusses the
group’s different arms and plans for growth.
V
eneziano Coffee Roasters
is a well-known brand
within the Australian
coffee industry, with
multiple Australian Coffee
Championship titles to its name. It has a
presence in every state, including roasteries
in Melbourne and Brisbane, and training
studios and cafés spread across the country.
However, there is more to Veneziano
than meets the eye. The specialty roaster is
just one part of the Nomad Coffee Group, a
parent company launched in 2018.
Craig Dickson, Managing Director of
Veneziano and CEO of Nomad Coffee
Group, says the new identity reflects the
parent company’s dedication to coffee.
“Nomad Coffee Group is a collection
of specialty coffee brands with different
roles, interests, and customers. We wanted
to establish an overarching identity for a
couple of reasons,” Craig says. “Firstly, to
connect our brands via common goals and
values, but also let them stand up on their
own and in their own space. Secondly, we
wanted to unify our people and providethem endless opportunities to explore and
build a meaningful career in the specialty
coffee space, demonstrating our merit as an
employer of choice. Nomad Coffee Group
lets us do that.
“Ultimately, the parent company
needed to epitomise specialty coffee. That’s
what we’re all about and we want to remain
true to that as we grow.”
The group takes its name from the
nomadic shepherds of Arabia who first
discovered coffee beans growing on the
hills where they grazed their flocks.
“In looking for a name, we explored the
commonly known and respected history of
coffee – ensuring that we leveraged a belief
the world shared,” Craig says. “Nomads
were the original coffee drinkers, so we felt
it a great term to explain the adventurous
and exploratory nature of our business
and our people.”
Craig says the values shared across
Nomad Coffee Group include integrity
and trust, people and community,
knowledge and curiosity, a winning culture,
collaboration, and sustainability.“These have underpinned the success
of Veneziano since we started it almost 20
years ago,” he says. “Now, we’ve been able
to take that to a broader group level and
share these values across each brand.”
Another of Nomad Coffee Group’s
brands is Black Bag Roasters, a
contract roaster launched in 2015,and
led by General Manager Lance
Brown, an accredited World Latte Art
Championship Judge.
Black Bag Roasters offers large retailers,
franchises, and catering companies the
opportunity to utilise the group’s specialty
expertise to develop their own blends and
packaging.
“We saw an opportunity in the
marketplace for people wanting access
to specialty coffee roasters, talent, and
the approach we take to coffee,” Craig
says. “Black Bag Roasters has a range of
customers. Some choose specialty and
others pick high-grade commercial coffee.
They can choose their price point by
deciding what quality of green they have in
their blend.”Nomad’s land
http://www.host.fieramilano.it/en
210x297.indd 1 01/07/19 14:49beanscenemag.com.au 29INDUSTRY PROFILE
Veneziano Coffee Roasters is just one facet of what parent company
Nomad Coffee Group has to offer. CEO Craig Dickson discusses the
group’s different arms and plans for growth.
V
enezianoCoffeeRoasters
is a well-knownbrand
withintheAustralian
coffeeindustry,with
multipleAustralianCoffee
Championshiptitlesto itsname.It hasa
presencein everystate,includingroasteries
in MelbourneandBrisbane,andtraining
studiosandcafésspreadacrossthecountry.
However,thereis moreto Veneziano
thanmeetstheeye.Thespecialtyroasteris
justonepartof theNomadCoffeeGroup,a
parentcompanylaunchedin 2018.
CraigDickson,ManagingDirectorof
VenezianoandCEOof NomadCoffee
Group,saysthenewidentityreflectsthe
parentcompany’sdedicationto coffee.
“NomadCoffeeGroupis a collection
of specialtycoffeebrandswithdifferent
roles,interests,andcustomers.Wewanted
to establishanoverarchingidentityfora
coupleof reasons,”Craigsays.“Firstly,to
connectourbrandsviacommongoalsand
values,butalsoletthemstandupontheir
ownandin theirownspace.Secondly,we
wanted to unify our people and providethemendlessopportunitiestoexploreand
builda meaningfulcareerin thespecialty
coffeespace,demonstratingourmeritasan
employerof choice.NomadCoffeeGroup
letsusdothat.
“Ultimately,theparentcompany
neededto epitomisespecialtycoffee.That’s
whatwe’reallaboutandwewantto remain
trueto thataswegrow.”
Thegrouptakesitsnamefromthe
nomadicshepherdsof Arabiawhofirst
discoveredcoffeebeansgrowingonthe
hillswheretheygrazedtheirflocks.
“Inlookingfora name,weexploredthe
commonlyknownandrespectedhistoryof
coffee– ensuringthatweleverageda belief
theworldshared,”Craigsays.“Nomads
weretheoriginalcoffeedrinkers,sowefelt
it a greattermto explaintheadventurous
andexploratorynatureof ourbusiness
andourpeople.”
Craigsaysthevaluessharedacross
NomadCoffeeGroupincludeintegrity
andtrust,peopleandcommunity,
knowledgeandcuriosity,a winningculture,
collaboration, and sustainability.“Thesehaveunderpinnedthesuccess
of Venezianosincewestartedit almost 20
yearsago,”hesays.“Now,we’vebeenable
to takethatto a broadergroupleveland
sharethesevaluesacrosseachbrand.”
Anotherof NomadCoffeeGroup’s
brandsis BlackBagRoasters,a
contractroasterlaunchedin 2015,and
ledbyGeneralManagerLance
Brown,anaccreditedWorldLatteArt
ChampionshipJudge.
BlackBagRoastersofferslargeretailers,
franchises,andcateringcompaniesthe
opportunityto utilisethegroup’sspecialty
expertiseto developtheirownblendsand
packaging.
“Wesawanopportunityin the
marketplaceforpeoplewantingaccess
to specialtycoffeeroasters,talent,and
theapproachwetaketo coffee,”Craig
says.“BlackBagRoastershasa rangeof
customers.Somechoosespecialtyand
otherspickhigh-gradecommercialcoffee.
Theycanchoosetheirpricepointby
decidingwhatquality of green they have in
their blend.”Nomad’s land