Nelson Mandela Municipality’s heritage — new partnership blend to caffeinate the Bay in SA

Two of Nelson Mandela Bay’s most iconic brands, Volkswagen and Mastertons, have joined hands to create a limited-edition coffee blend known as “The People’s Blend”.

The blend will celebrate Volkswagen’s legacy in South Africa (SA) and was created by SA’s oldest coffee roastery, Mastertons, which has been producing coffee in Gqeberha since 1924.

Volkswagen announced on Tuesday that Mastertons would be producing the one-of-a-kind, limited-edition People’s Blend in honour of Volkswagen’s heritage in the Bay and SA, and emphasised that they will only be using coffee beans sourced on the African continent.

Beetle juice

Volkswagen is celebrating its 75th year of operations in SA this year. The car manufacturer is based in Kariega, in Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) where the first vehicle, a Volkswagen Beetle, rolled off the assembly line in 1951.

The final blend was selected by a group of coffee-loving Volkswagen employees, who unanimously agreed on the roast.

The eight “roast masters” were Sean Robertson, Volkswagen’s Bodyshop Maintenance Manager, Janine Sheard, Operations Officer for the Communications Division, Cuan George, Interior Commodity Manager: Procurement, Dr Yves Omboko, head of marketing intelligence and new energy vehicles, Tauriq Fataar, Costing engineer: Finance, Vuyelwa Makhetha, Section 5: Production, and motoring journalist Jacob Moshokoa.

They tasted the different blends and chose a winner under the guidance of Mastertons barista Raymond Roestorff.

“When we started thinking about celebrating our heritage in South Africa, Mastertons was an ideal partner to collaborate with, given their long history in the Bay and their reputation for excellent quality,” said Martina Biene, Volkswagen Group Africa Chair and Managing Director.

“I am excited to share this special coffee with our customers and friends of Volkswagen, who have been an integral part of our story over the past 75 years,” she added.

Mastertons also has a long history with Volkswagen. “Our very first delivery vehicle was a 1973 VW Kombi, which is still in use today and holds a special place in our hearts, so having the opportunity to collaborate with Volkswagen … has been an exceptionally rewarding and really quite a fun experience,” Ryler Masterton, Managing Director of Mastertons Coffee and Tea Specialists said.

“I am confident that The People’s Blend will be enjoyed by all, and we look forward to celebrating this milestone with Volkswagen.”

A limited quantity of the special blend will be available for purchase from August as it is still in production. DM