When the dream of New Ground Coffee was born in 2018, the vision was straightforward: to make good-tasting instant coffee. But that vision quickly evolved into something much bigger. The team couldn’t find anyone who could manufacture instant coffee at the quality they were aiming for – and weren’t even sure what that quality benchmark looked like yet. So, they rolled up their sleeves and started making it themselves.
Through relentless experimentation, they developed their own proprietary extraction system, NGT (New Ground Technology), and went on to produce three core products: specialty instant coffee, espresso-strength concentrate, and canned RTD coffee. Along the way, they started producing for other brands, including a North American startup and even the world barista champion. That momentum validated that New Ground was on to something much larger than a consumer brand: they had quietly become a category leader in specialty coffee manufacturing.
As New Ground's ambitions grew, their biggest challenge became clear: no one else could manufacture their products to the standard they needed. They cycled through multiple facilities who said they could, but the reality was far from it.
“One facility we visited had significant issues,” Connor says. “There was little evidence of care or process. They’d purchased equipment they believed was suitable, but it was outdated and never properly commissioned.” Another facility had great equipment, but zero experience with New Ground’s type of product. The scale made the results even worse: high-volume runs that turned into high-volume failures.
These experiences forced the team to scale back and run smaller, controlled batches, which is what ultimately brought them to FoodBowl and NZFIN. Their relationship began with a tour that opened their eyes and the door to manufacturing equipment and industry support that would become crucial to their growth. Early on, NZFIN gave them the freedom and access to test extraction methods and work with less common processing equipment.
The real breakthrough came when a supply chain collapse left New Ground without a place to produce. Facing mounting pressure to meet customer commitments, New Ground built a supply chain that included FoodBowl, as a critical lifeline during a pivotal moment.
“We had contracts signed, product to deliver, and nobody to make it. While we were building our own facility, FoodBowl was a key stage in us produce for nearly a year. We were burning cash, but we were validating our process, defensibility and keeping product in market. That was non-negotiable – we were trying to build a category.”
Beyond access to equipment, Connor says the relationship with NZFIN provided technical insight, mechanical confidence, and commercial flexibility. Fast forward to today, and New Ground is ANZ’s leading manufacturer of specialty canned coffee all coming out of Auckland. Not fazed by our scale, Connor describes New Zealand as an ideal place to validate ideas: “It’s quiet. You can play here. But your product has to be razor sharp to win.”
They continue to use NZFIN facilities for and trialing new equipment and processes. And while they've built their own production site, the partnership with NZFIN has remained a core part of their product innovation ecosystem.
