A coffee pick-me-up that may save someone’s life

Hawke's Bay Rescue Helicopter crew taste tested different brews before picking the perfect coffee for their Rescue Me blend. Photo / Matua Media

Sometimes that first coffee in the morning or that late afternoon cup really does feel like a life-saver.

Now you can help save a life while having your morning coffee.

Hawke’s Bay coffee roasters Bay Espresso have teamed up with the Hawke’s Bay Rescue Helicopter Trust (HBRHT) to bring a special coffee to the Bay.

Every bag sold of the new coffee blend “Rescue Me” will give $5 to the HBRHT.

The idea for Rescue Me came after a new coffee machine, provided through the support of the Taradale RSA, arrived at the rescue helicopter hangar, and Bay Espresso sponsored a fresh supply of coffee beans to keep the team caffeinated and ready to go day or night.

Every time Bay Espresso co-owner Chris Jarvis stopped to deliver beans the crew would learn a little bit more about coffee and eventually one of the crew said “wouldn’t it be cool if we could create our own coffee one day?”

Hawke's Bay Rescue Helicopter Trust team up with Bay Espresso to make 'Rescue Me' coffee. Photo / Matua Media

A couple of emails later, the crew was attending a coffee tasting and launching the Rescue Me coffee blend.

Hawke’s Bay Rescue Helicopter Trust CEO Andy Quayle said Chris from Bay Espresso had prepared a range of blends that the team tasted blind, first by smell and then by taste. He then asked the crew to vote.

“When we got to ‘option two′ every hand in the room went up, and Rescue Me was born.

“It was a really great experience,” Quayle said.

Bay Espresso co-owner Jonelle Jarvis said the Rescue Me coffee is 100 per cent Arabica, organic fairly traded coffee beans and is a strong punchy blend that will give a good kick start.

When asked why Bay Espresso wanted to make Rescue Me Jonelle said the rescue helicopter is “such an amazing service to have here in Hawke’s Bay”.

“Day and night, 365 days a year, and completely free of charge to everyone who needs help, who knows when we might need their help?

“It was a very easy yes from us.”

$5 from every bag of Bay Espresso's 'Rescue Me' coffee sold will go to HBRHT. Photo / Matua Media

The Hawke’s Bay Rescue Helicopter Trust does get some funding, but still needs to raise about $1.3 million a year to remain operational.

The $5 from each bag sold makes a big difference to HBRHT as Quayle said: “Each bag of coffee purchased will help bring us one step closer to our fundraising target and continue to support us to save lives in Hawke’s Bay”.

Rescue Me has been on the shelves for a week now and is already very popular.

“We sold lots of packs of coffee beans at the open day last weekend, which was a good indicator that people are going to really embrace the idea,” Jonelle said.

Bay Espresso said it planned to continue roasting and donating as long as the blend remained popular.

“It really depends on the demand from the community,” Jonelle said.

While buying a bag or two will help support the HBRHT it is also supporting a local business and your local community.

The HBRHT CEO said he was thankful to Chris Willis and Chris and Jonelle Jarvis for their support and that working with Bay Espresso to realise the Rescue Me coffee blend was a pleasure.

“We hope the public will use it as an opportunity to not only support our service but also a great local business.”

The coffee is available from the Bay Espresso coffee roastery and Bay Espresso website.

Maddisyn Jeffares became the editor of the Hawke’s Bay community papers Hastings Leader and Napier Courier in 2023 after writing at the Hastings Leader for almost a year. She has been a reporter with NZME for almost three years and has a strong focus on what’s going on in communities, good and bad, big and small. Email news tips to her at: maddisyn.jeffares@nzme.co.nz.