She tells Rebecca Fox how a ‘‘side thing’’ became an unexpected career.
Pulling shots at London’s now legendary Flat White and Milk Bar cafes, Celeste Wong had plans.
‘‘Coffee was always just like, this is the side thing until I like figure out what I want to do. Because I was doing a bit of fashion, I started like acting.’’
For Wong coffee had always been an interesting hobby, starting out as an after school job at Strictly Coffee in Dunedin being mentored by Jason Chan, a food science major who was doing latte art before the concept hit social media.
‘‘I'd never seen anything like it. So obviously I got the bug. I was like, ‘OK, I want to know everything’. And he kind of took me under his wing like a little sister and sort of taught me everything.’’
After finishing university, where she studied marketing and design, she headed for Melbourne following Chan, who had established himself in the city’s coffee scene.
‘‘I ended up running Jason’s cafe and got a bit of reputation there. But this whole time I didn’t think I was going to be doing coffee.’’
That was despite being quite serious about it and having a talent for it.
‘‘It was one of those things that if you are good at it and you're interested in it, it means that you can kind of have a job anywhere.’’
So it was no surprise that when she headed to London in 2007, she ended up working for Flat White cafe in Soho at the very start of the specialty coffee scene there — when Londoners had no idea what a flat white was.
‘‘It was just so amazing to be in a group of Australians and New Zealanders, like a family, like almost like an instant group of friends in a way. I was sort of a bit resistant to it, but because I always thought ‘I'm going to get out, but I really love the work’.’’
‘‘It almost gets to a point where, you know, when you're making coffee it feels like you're kind of in a trance, in a dance, because it's also so busy. So you don't have time to worry about any of the other things.’’
She ended up staying at Flat White and then helped open up and run its sister cafe Milk Bar.
‘‘So we were super, super busy, got a really good reputation. We were educating people about what a flat white actually was.’’
It was during this time she got her moniker ‘‘The Girl in the Cafe’’ as that was what people would say to her when they met her in the street.
‘‘I’d be like ‘you’re long black, or latte with two’.’’
In 2013, Wong was named as one of London’s top five baristas by The Financial Times.
‘‘I was like, ‘hang on, this thing that I've been trying to reject for so many years is the one concept’. Like boyfriends, they come and go. And I'm like, but coffee's always stayed. So I always joke that coffee was my longest relationship.’’
When Flat White was sold, she moved to award-winning Australian cafe Lantana. She wanted to bring food back into the mix with coffee, as in the Melbourne breakfast culture where good coffee always went with good food. She believes coffee and food is going to be the next trend.
‘‘London was just, you're either [a] great coffee and sort of a really minimal food offering. Or there was great food and the coffee was really average. And so I changed their coffee offering and I trained their staff. And I was sort of running one of their cafes as well. And that was really fun.’’
Wong then decided to test the waters with a blog and a web series under the title ‘‘The Girl in the Cafe’’, which combined her love of coffee, food, education and people. It played on Air New Zealand’s international flights for about two years.
‘‘I thought it was going to help people. So that’s when I quit my job, that’s when I had to become a little bit more entrepreneurial. Things just started to grow from there organically really.’’
These days she lives in Lisbon, Portugal and returns regularly to London for work, where she does a lot of consulting for cafes, brand strategies, coffee machine testing, tasting and marketing work.
She has also continued with some acting, starring in the critically acclaimed My Wedding and Other Secrets film and more recently TVNZ's Motherhood Anthology series, as well as more recently having a leading role in a short film, Further Away.
She has realised her love of coffee borders on obsession, but she believes it comes from the ability of the drink to bring people together.
‘‘That's the thing that's really interested me. Like you could be anywhere around the world and if someone likes coffee, you don't have to talk about it, but you've got a common interest, you relate.’’
Her sold-out book event at Dunedin’s Grid Roastery was a good example, she says.
‘‘It’s just an example of a community coming together over some brown roasted beans or a brown cup of liquid. I mean, it's kind of weird when you think about it. But the amount of people who just get really passionate about it and they want to know more, its kind of fascinating.’’
A book is something she always wanted to do, and it was important for her that it provided really accessible and achievable information for both specialty coffee lovers and those who have yet to discover its charms, as well as to be beautiful, and represent how she feels about coffee — ‘‘inspired’’.
‘‘I also realised, especially the coffee industry, can be really intimidating and kind of quite niche. ’’
The book includes information on types of beans, how they’re processed, different methods to make coffee, cold brew, different coffee drinks and plenty of recipes, including of course one for a flat white, but also ways to use coffee in surprising ways — flavouring food and in cocktails other than an espresso martini.
She liked that when she returned to New Zealand there was still a grassroots feeling about the coffee industry compared to Europe and some parts of America, where it has become very technical and elitist.
‘‘And my argument is that you could still make a really good coffee without that. I'm like, get good coffee beans. Get coffee beans that you like.’’
A cup of coffee is also not as expensive as it is in the United Kingdom, where a flat white is about £4.50 - about NZ$10.
Wong also likes mixing things up and using coffee as a flavour enhancer. One of her favourite recipes from the book is the Margarita Sunset.
‘‘That was a surprise. I didn't know that coffee would be pretty good with tequila. When I was testing that, I was like, ‘that's pretty good’. I’m always experimenting.’’
She admits going to a cafe, it can sometimes be hard to just switch off and not be critiquing her cuppa.
‘‘It’s an occupational hazard, its taken a while to get to that point where I’m not even thinking about it.’’
There have also been some tough times.
In her family expectations were high, and her parents found it difficult to grasp what she did.
‘‘I mean it's been a fight - a lot of tears in the basement of Flat White, just trying to explain what I’m doing.’’
She hoped the book would help with that understanding.
‘‘This is special to me, this is my kind of story as well. It’s kind of cool that in 2023 coffee surpassed tea consumption in the UK ... we would never back in the Flat White days [have thought] that you could ever infiltrate such a strong culture.’’
Espresso energy balls
Makes 12 to 14
I can’t believe I'm sharing this recipe. These were so popular at my pop-ups, other cafes started ordering them from me!
Despite constant requests for my secret recipe, I kept it under wraps... Until now. You’re welcome!
These make the perfect healthy snack. They are gluten free, vegan and use all natural ingredients (with no salt or sugar). Organic ingredients are best too.
Ingredients
2 double shots of espresso or strong filter coffee
1 Tbsp raw cacao nibs
175g pitted dates
125g cashew nuts
1 tsp vanilla extract or ˝ vanilla pod soaked in espresso
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 heaped tsp coconut oil
Desiccated coconut, to coat
Method
Blend all the ingredients together in a food processor until combined.
If the mixture seems a little soft, add more cashews or coconut oil (this will help them set once cold).
Use a teaspoon to form the mixture into 12 to 14 balls weighing about 20g.
Roll the balls in desiccated coconut to coat them all over, then serve.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Coffee margarita sunset
Fond memories linger of an unforgettable taco and margarita affair in Los Angeles, curated by Bill Esparza. It showcased a delicious introduction for me into the vibrant world of Mexican flavours.
Though I love the tangy embrace of a margarita, I can’t take too many. Introducing coffee into this established cocktail adds a somewhat nuanced element on the palate.
Picture a ripple of cold brew or cold filter delicately floating on top, offering not only a visual feast but a sophisticated taste to elevate the experience.
Ingredients
Salt
Ice cubes
15ml agave
Syrup
30ml lime juice
30ml Cointreau or triple sec
50ml tequila blanco or reposado
30ml strong cold brew, filter coffee or espresso, cooled
Method
Salt the rim of a chilled glass and add some ice.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add the syrup, lime juice, Cointreau and tequila, and shake.
Double strain into the glass and float the coffee on top - go for a cold brew for a delicate, refined look.
Coffee sauce for beef
Inspired by one of my favourite spots in Lisbon - a hidden gem where locals gather, laugh and connect over food - this recipe holds a special place in my heart.
The old-school taberna, complete with an ageless stainless steel bar, is my go-to spot where I enjoy a solo date-night meal and a beer. The patient and long-standing wait staff, who have come to know me over the years, endure my attempts at Portuguese as I order the same thing every time to perfect my dash of Portuguese authenticity.
Curious to try something new, I perused the menu and discovered a dish called bife a cafe - beef with coffee sauce. Intrigued, as I’d never heard of this, I decided to step out of my routine.
The waiter assured me it’s a traditional Portuguese dish and described the sauce - coffee, cream and mustard. Served with medium-rare beef, fries and rice, it was surprisingly delicious and a whole new experience. The coffee flavour really came through strongly, and it combined beautifully with the cream. The waiter revealed the secret: two espressos in the sauce.
Eager to recreate it but with a touch more acidity, and maybe slightly less coffee, I’m sharing this adaptation.I prefer using French wholegrain mustard, but Dijon will work too.
The sauce is quite thick and the coffee flavour shouldn’t be overpowering. Enjoy this unusual but flavourful journey!
You can serve this sauce with field mushrooms or cauliflower steaks for a vegetarian option.
