DHUWA: A First Nations Coffee Brand providing ‘Reconciliation in a cup’
DHUWA Coffee beans: Kickstart Blend. Courtesy of DHUWA, 2021.
DHUWA is Australia’s first Indigenous-owned coffee brand to be available at selected major supermarkets! The coffee brand - pronounced ‘Dee: Wah,’ meaning ‘to feel alive’ in the Bidjara language - is now available at select Woolworths stores. This First Nations-owned coffee enterprise grew out of the Indigenous supplier business, Supply Aus. As a Supply Nation-certified brand, DHUWA is able to deliver “premium coffee with a conscience to home baristas” (DHUWA, 2021).
Through DHUWA’s partnership with Griffith Bros Coffee Roasters, DHUWA is able to share their combined passion of tradition, great coffee and good cause. With 140 years of experience and a state-of-the-art production facility, DHUWA’s Co-founder Shawn Andrews said that it only “...made sense to pair the oldest culture in the world with Australia’s oldest coffee roaster to bring customers a fantastic way to kick start their day.” DHUWA’s premium beans are sourced from some of the finest producers in the world such as Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. They are then crafted into the signature blends in Naarm (Melbourne) on Wurundjeri Country within the Kulin nation (DHUWA, 2021).
DHUWA Co-founder Shawn Andrews (left) with Griffiths Bros Coffee Roasters’ Managing Director Peter Patisteas (right) roasting their signature coffee blends. Courtesy of DHUWA, 2021.
Supply Aus' Director and proud Mununjali and Palawa man, Shawn Andrews, explained (2021) how coffee is synonymous with conversation and community:
“As a modern Indigenous-owned, managed, and controlled business, we believe a great cup of coffee connects us as we share stories, build bonds, and nourish relationships. We call it ‘reconciliation in a cup.’”
Griffith Bros Coffee Roasters’ Managing Director Peter Patisteas highlighted how, through the ritual of coffee, reconciliation can be made with the wider Australian community (2021):
“The partnership with DHUWA has been a way for us to join in and start opening up conversations with non-Indigenous Australians...Feedback from retailers has been overwhelmingly positive. As the first Indigenous-owned coffee brand available at a major supermarket, it’s a good opportunity to provide broad access for people who not only enjoy a good cup of coffee, but who have an interest in a more equitable society for everyone.”
‘Reconciliation in a cup.’ Courtesy of DHUWA, 2021.
Ultimately, DHUWA’s aim is to create a successful coffee enterprise that supports Indigenous employment and training, and in doing so they can contribute to their communities. Andrews says (2021):
“DHUWA celebrates Indigenous people and their cultures, including the three-hundred plus languages they speak. It’s a reconciliation ecosystem in itself, from the coffee we create, the people we celebrate, and the opportunities we bring to other Indigenous people.”
Shawn Andrews with kids part of one of the many Dreaming Futures programs. Courtesy of DHUWA, 2021.
For every DHUWA coffee product sold in Woolworths, five per cent is donated to their charity partner Dreaming Futures. This community-led non-profit supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Out-of-Home Care (foster care) to strengthen their educational outcomes and employment pathways. As Dreaming Future’s Chair of the Board, Shawn Andrews, along with his partner team at Indigicate have developed a series of culturally-focussed programs to connect young people with Country, culture and community.
So, the next time you need to grab yourself some coffee, whether for work or home, go to your nearest Woolworths and support this amazing First Nations-owned coffee brand, DHUWA !