Indigenous coffee brand hits Woolworths shelves

Dhuwa Coffee, a coffee brand owned by First Nations, is now available on the shelves of select Woolworths shops across the country.

Dhuwa, pronounced “Dee-Wah” and meaning “to feel alive” in Bidjara, is 100% Indigenous-owned and roasted in collaboration with Griffiths Bros. Coffee Roasters in Australia.

Supply Aus, an Indigenous supplier company, spawned the DHUWA Coffee brand. Shawn Andrews, DHUWA co-founder, Supply Aus Director, and proud Mununjali Palawa man, says the business wants to bring people together via coffee.

“We feel that a wonderful cup of coffee links us as we share stories, establish alliances, and nourish connections as a modern Indigenous-owned, managed, and controlled business,” he stated.

“We refer to it as ‘Reconciliation in a Cup.’” Jyi Lawton, a Bidjara man and Brisbane Indigenous Media Association chief executive, has created eye-catching artwork for DHUWA, a celebration of First Peoples culture.

“Dhuwa honours Indigenous peoples and their cultures, especially the more than 300 languages they speak,” Andrews stated.

“From the coffee we make to the individuals we honour to the chances we provide to other Indigenous people, it’s a Reconciliation ecosystem in and of itself.” The Dhuwa brand intends to become a self-sustaining coffee firm that provides Indigenous people with training and employment as part of a larger strategy.

Andrews explained, “It seemed logical to mix the world’s oldest culture with Australia’s oldest coffee roaster to deliver clients a terrific way to commence their day.”

Three percent of the proceeds from each packet of Dhuwa Coffee sold at Woolworth shops is contributed to Dreaming Futures, a nonprofit that helps Indigenous adolescents in out-of-home care connect to Country, community, and culture.

Coffee beans are sourced from Brazil, Colombia, India, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, and the product is prepared in Naarm/Melbourne. Griffiths Bros. Coffee Roasters Managing Director Peter Patisteas expressed his delight at the opportunity to collaborate with DHUWA Coffee.

“Coffee is a luxury that many are unwilling to give up. DHUWA was founded over a shared passion of rich traditions, great coffee and good cause. For those reasons we take this partnership very seriously,” Patisteas said.

Read more • nit.com.au