OUR SLOGAN
OUR MANTRA
Made by Veneziano
From two men to a rock-solid community…
It all started when Rocky Veneziano and Craig Dickson founded Veneziano to lend their two decades of coffee knowledge to support cafes in discovering better ways to work. Today, Veneziano is a powerful force for positive transformation, making continual and consistent changes that improve everyday lives.
We’ve grown from a small batch to a talented and growing team, committed to making a positive and meaningful impact to coffee businesses across Australia. It’s the talent, determination and sheer passion of this team that makes Veneziano so special.
Passionate. Curious. Ethical. Ambitious. Dedicated…
They well and truly have it M.A.D.E
Rocky Veneziano
Co-Founder
Made for the love of coffee
Rocky remembers making his first espresso at age six while standing on a milk crate in order to reach the machine. With an uncanny ability to identify business opportunities, co-founder Rocky was instrumental in establishing Veneziano Coffee Roasters.
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Craig Dickson
Managing Director
Made for the love of coffee
Managing Director, and company pioneer, Craig, has more than 25 years industry experience. As former AASCA President, Craig initiated the annual MICE event and brought the first WBC to Australia. He is arguably Australia's barista 'Super Coach', mentoring numerous champions and industry luminaries.
Accredited WBC Judge
Ben Romeril
Chief Operating Officer
Made for the love of coffee
Ben brings 17 years experience managing national brands and sales in the hospitality and coffee space. He leads the sales & marketing crew. Ben starred as the lead talent in a national Vodafone commercial shot in our Melbourne roastery.
Certified Q Grader
Jack Allisey
Green Bean Buyer
Made for the love of coffee
2018 Australian Roasting Champion
2017 World Roasting Championship runner up
Jack evaluates our green coffee supply, manages all our packaging and develops relationships with our direct trade farms. Oh and he's pretty handy on a roaster!
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Jade Jennings
National Retail Manager
Made for the love of coffee
2017 Australian Barista Championship runner up
Jade is an experienced industry professional having mastered both specialty and franchise training and operations. She heads up our retail operations with 4 cafes across Australia and a 5th one coming soon!
Michael Taylor
National Sales Manager
Made for the love of coffee
Michael has worked in the specialty coffee industry for over 20 years and coffee is his way of life. His greatest joy is to see the people he's worked with continue to succeed in the same industry. Michael leads our National Sales Team, helping our customers stand out in a competitive market place and achieve more in their business.
Pete Licata
R & D Consultant
Made for the love of coffee
2013 World Barista Champion
Pete has 17 years of experience in the Specialty Coffee industry, with in depth time spent between cafes, roasting, and coffee farms. He has consulted with companies globally, and enjoys mentoring up and coming coffee professionals. As a World Barista Champion and published author, Pete is well versed in public speaking as well as world class preparation.
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Daniel Shadbolt
Production Manager
Made for the love of freshly roasted coffee
2022 Australian Roasting Champion
Dan will be representing Team Australia at the World Coffee Championships being held in Milan in June this year. He is currently training under the expert guidance of Pete Licata, Jack Allisey and others.
Dan is the man behind the team of roasters and packers in our Melbourne roastery.
Erin Sampson
Training Manager
Made for the love of latte art
2009 World Latte Art Championship placed 3rd
2009 Australian Latte Art Champion
Erin heads up our online training program providing a range of live, interactive classes for budding home baristas including espresso essentials and latte art. She is our lead trainer for our partnerships with Breville and La Marzocco.
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Michaela Gerard
QLD State Sales Manager
Made for the love of coffee
With over 22 years in the hospitality industry running cafes and training baristas, Michaela heads up our team in QLD. Not only is she a World Barista Judge, she is also apart of the ASCA completions committee. Talk about Wonder Woman!
Michael Flinn
ACT State Sales Manager
Made for the love of coffee
A strong background with a number of international beverage businesses Michael brings a wealth of experience, specialising in supporting the diverse and changing hospitality industry in the ACT and surrounding area. Michael and his team are dedicated to helping coffee outlets produce consistently great coffee, with a smile of course!
THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS
Colombia Cococentral Huila
BELOW YOU'LL DISCOVER
Altitude: 1,400 - 1,800m
Processing: Washed
Varietal: Caturra & Castillo
This coffee is sourced by our green bean buyer, Jack from Don Humberto at San Fernando Estate. Jack works closely with Don and farm managers Luis and Guillermo to experiment with processing methods to fine tune the flavour profile of our coffee. This coffee provides a balanced acidity and citrus notes with a sweet honey finish.
Used in Crave & Elevate coffee blend.
Guatemala Los Caballitos
BELOW YOU'LL DISCOVER
Altitude: 1,100 - 1,800m
Processing: Washed
Varietal: Bourbon & Caturra
Finca Los Caballitos is owned by Oscar & Christian Schaps; 'Lost Caballitos', meaning 'the little horses' in Spanish. Hidden amid the steep green hills of the 'Ixil Triangle' high in Guatemala's western highlands. Finca Los Caballitos overlooks three beautiful lagoons with magnificent views of the Chajul Mountain range to the south and Huehuetenango to the north.
This coffee is planted in loose soil, with a high content of clay and sand over a limestone base. The climate in the area is steamy, hot and humid, with around 200 inches of rainfall per year. This means that the farm's rain-drenched hills are also the source for several natural springs in the area. The rivers Lxtupil and Sacsiwan also provide more than enough water to irregate them.
Used in Pulse & Soar coffee blend.
Brazil Santa Maria
BELOW YOU'LL DISCOVER
Altitude: 520m
Processing: Natural
Varietal: Red Catuai, Yellow Catuai and Mundo Novo
Santa Maria is located in the town of Carlópolis, well known as a tourist destination because of its richness in Natural resources. Situated on the Paranapanema River which define the border between São Paulo and Paraná State, Fazenda Santa Maria blessed with access to fresh water and nutrient rich soil.
Fazenda Santa Maria applies industry leading agronomical techniques for the production of specialty coffees while protecting the surrounding environment and are well known for their intense use of organic fertilisation and mulching in their fields.
Paraná state was once one of the powerhouses of Brazillian coffee, producing around one third of the world’s coffee supply. However that changed in 1975 when the Black Frost devastated Paraná’s crops. A “black frost” is a more sever type of frost that results in internal freezing of the plant and results in death of the coffee tree. It is estimated that approximately 50% of Brazil’s total crop was destroyed by this frost with Paraná being the most affected. Many farmers planted other crops, mainly wheat and soy beans, however many left for the cheaper flatter lands in the North which are now synonymous with coffee growing.
However, in the last few years Paraná has returned to the specialty coffee scene with some amazing tasting coffees and we are proud to have been working with Fazenda Santa Maria for the last two years.
Used in Elevate and Crave coffee blends.
Ethiopia Djimmah
BELOW YOU'LL DISCOVER
Altitude: 1,400 - 1,800m
Processing: Natural
Varietal: Heirloom
Djimmah Coffee is grown in the Illubabor and Kaffa regions of Ethiopia at elevations from 1,400 - 1,800m above sea level within the biggest catchment area in Ethiopia, an area that produces and exports about 60,000 tons of coffee each year.
Used in Aspire coffee blend.
Peru Monte Verde
BELOW YOU'LL DISCOVER
Altitude: 1,400 - 1,800m
Processing: Washed
Varietal: Typica
Located in the region of Amazonas in northern Peru is the gorgeous Finca Monteverde. This estate is owned by Karen Araoz and her husband, Alfonso Tejada. Both are from the region, and sold their travel agency in Lima to return to Rodríguez de Mendoza and start their cooperative, Monteverde.
Finca Timbuyacu serves as a pilot project for experiments and as an opportunity to educate the 250 farmers who sell their coffee to Monteverde. All the families who sell their coffee to Monteverde are rewarded with quality premiums. When Araoz and Tejada planted trees at Timbuyacu, everyone told them the land was no good, but their harvest and coffee quality has increased every year since then and Alfonso was recently awarded 12th place in the pilot Cup of Excellence program in Peru.
Used in Aspire coffee blend.
