Lavazza has launched its newest coffee range in Australian cafés, a collaboration between local flavour artists aptly named Mosaic. The Australian-roasted portfolio has been years in the making, developed through consumer research and tastings with a range of traditional and alternative milks.
Lavazza’s team conducted a comprehensive mapping of the Australian coffee landscape using sensory research to explore the nuances of the local taste profile.
Through multiple different blend variations, the team found increasingly higher quality results when blending for higher sweetness, and away from bitterness, with intensity being a secondary consideration.
The research also indicated an overwhelming preference for milk-based coffee, both hot and cold. With a strong customer interest in alternative milks – versatility was required for the blends to complement both dairy and plant-based coffee orders. As such, a priority was placed on ensuring hero notes of chocolate, nuts and biscuit, all of which are effective when combined with a variety of milks.
The resultant portfolio includes three blends, Tidal, Ochre and Retreat, roasted in Melbourne from an imported rotating single-origin.
Inspired by the Australian beaches, Tidal is a balanced, medium-body blend with notes of green apple, raw chocolate and almond. Contrasting this is Ochre with flavours of orange zest, milk chocolate, and macadamia and packaging reflective of the outback. Born from the bush is Retreat, comprising notes of malt, chocolate, walnut and toffee.
Lavazza general manager, Mimmo Orlando, said that Mosaic celebrates local ventures from a brand founded on craftsmanship.
“We’re very proud of our long-standing presence in Australia’s café scene – one of the most sophisticated coffee markets in the world,” said Orlando.
“Bringing in this next chapter for Lavazza, with Mosaic roasted in Australia and developed in partnership with local artisans, we look forward to introducing this exceptional range.”
The name Mosaic was chosen as an homage to a range that is greater than the sum of its parts, intending to reflect the fusion of Lavazza’s blending expertise with the insights garnered from Australian artists known for their craftsmanship.
Starward Whisky’s Carlie Dyer inspired Lavazza to explore unique blending techniques, and master chocolatier and founder of Pana Organic, Pana Barbounis, inspired the team to push the range’s complex chocolate notes further.
Musician and artist Daimon Downey developed the packaging, with brand development by The Taboo Group. The result aims to evoke a modern interpretation of the unique elements that compose the Australian landscape.
