Ken Shi doesn’t just roast coffee, he lives it. From competition stages to the roar of Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, Aoraki Coffee Roaster has quietly become a place where craft, curiosity, and consistency meet. Back Behind the Roaster If you’ve followed our past collaborations with Aoraki, you’ll know Ken isn’t new to the game. His journey started back in 2007, but not behind a roaster straight away. After selling his own café, he stepped into Roma Coffee Roasters as a barista, and that’s where things shifted. Curiosity kicked in. Why did some coffees shine while others fell flat? What was happening inside the roaster? How much did equipment really matter? That curiosity turned into hands-on experience across roasting, machine servicing, and barista training, eventually leading to the launch of Aoraki Coffee Roaster in 2018. Today, based at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, Aoraki is more than...