CAPE Australia

CAPE Australia is a family owned business, which has operated since 1989 as the trading arm of Zentvelds Plantations at Newrybar.

Managing Director, Mr John Zentveld first planted coffee in 1987 as a replacement crop for avocados. The reasons for selecting coffee were as follows:


Firstly, it was known that world-class coffee could be grown on the Northern Rivers area because in the late 1800's local coffee was acknowledged as being among the world's best.

Despite this success, the industry became unviable during the early twentieth century, due to increasing labour costs. However, with the advent of a coffee harvester built by Austoft in Bundaberg (QLD) the industry was economically viable once again.

The world demand for gourmet coffee was increasing in leaps and bounds, and

As there are no coffee pests in the area, the industry is acknowledged as being "clean green" as no pesticides are used.

John Zentveld realised that mechanisation enabled the industry to be viable again, so he searched the world for the most efficient, cost-effective methods for propagating, harvesting, processing and roasting coffee.

CAPE Australia subsequently obtained the distributing rights from overseas and Australian companies to distribute equipment throughout Australia and the Pacific Rim. CAPE also gained exclusive rights to a patented 'cell' 'system for growing coffee seedlings which ensures straight tap roots.

In many ways it has been fortunate that the Northern Rivers Area has resurrected the growing of coffee now (rather than say, 50 years ago) because it has been possible to structure the growing and processing of coffee around the very best equipment available. New plantations can be planted and designed making use of the most technologically advanced knowledge and equipment, thus providing a decided economic & farming efficiency advantage over many countries with 'old' plantations and habits.

Zentveld's Coffee Plantation is now home to a fully integrated product. Operating the largest coffee nursery in Australia, importing and exporting coffee Processing equipment, mechanically harvesting the coffee crop and on-selling the dried coffee bean to a separately owned company, Zentveld's of Byron Bay, which roasts and markets its award winning coffee on the plantation.

Through enthusiasm for the product coupled with education and encouragement, CAPE Australia and Zentveld's Coffee have played a pivotal role in developing an embryonic industry in Northern New South Wales. The entire Zentveld Family is dedicated to maintaining the region's reputation for quality 100% Australian Grown Coffee.