By ALESHA CAPONE
WHEN Corporal Shannon French was part of the International Stabilisation Force in East Timor, pursuing militia through mountains and forests, he did not expect to receive a delicious cup of coffee afterwards.
The Keilor resident – and Army Reserve member – recalls chasing Indonesian soldiers when he was stationed in the country during 2000.
He also remembers the friendly East Timorese coffee farmers who, grateful to the Australian soldiers, would share their coffee with the international visitors.
“The locals who were traumatised and left with nothing would give us this coffee,” Corp French said.
Corp French described the East Timorese coffee as “smooth with dark chocolate and nut flavours, bold acidity and a lasting finish”.
“It was a welcome relief from the arduous patrolling schedules,” he said.
“We really like to get involved with the locals and its hard not to get emotionally involved in their plight.
“After spending time with locals close to our patrol base in East Timor during 2012, we had a chance to taste the incredible organic local coffee.
“After discovering that their market for sales are limited due to their situation, we began to think about ways of getting the coffee directly to Melbourne.”
This inspired Corp French and his friends, including Anthony Zammit, Private Cameron Wheelehen and Private Thomas Mahon, to establish the Wild Timor Coffee Co.
The innovative enterprise now supplies the coffee grown by East Timorses residents to cafes in Melbourne including Let Me be Frank in South Melbourne.
Corp French said thanks to these cafes, Wild Timor Coffee Co has been able to funnel its earnings back to Timor to provide “medical supplies, machinery and school books to those that need it most”.
“Most of us veterans feel we owe a debt to Timor. For us the most important thing is to leave a good legacy in there,” Corp French said.
“If could build a school or something along those lines for the Timorese to enjoy that would be great.”
See www.wildtimorcoffee.com for more information.
