Just Planet’s Neptune’s Brew coffee launched in September with a story that began well before anyone started working on the new blend.

A chef aboard a Captain Paul Watson Foundation vessel randomly requested coffee for a 3-month voyage to the Southern Ocean near Antarctica.

That request led to a donation of about 90 kg of coffee beans, lunch with the crew and, eventually, a coffee created to provide continuing support for the foundation’s work.

A portion of Neptune’s Brew sales will go to the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, bringing an ocean conservation cause into an everyday coffee purchase.

For Norman and Lee Palumbo, the collaboration grows out of an 18-year shared belief that their business can impact causes they care about.

An ‘out of the blue’ request

The ship’s chef had approached several coffee brands seeking donations for a trip to Antarctica.

When Just Planet realised who was asking – one of the world’s leading direct-action marine conservation organisations - they immediately said ‘Yes!’.

“When we realised who it was, we simply had to support them,” Lee says.

Lee recalls that the voyage was expected to last three months, with around 32 crew members to supply. The team calculated the coffee needed and offered to cover the full amount: about 90 kg of beans.

“We can do it. We will donate the whole lot,” Lee recalls telling the foundation.

Just Planet roasted and boxed the coffee, and Norman and Lee drove to the vessel in Victoria to deliver it themselves. The crew welcomed them aboard for a tour and lunch as preparations for departure continued.

Norman recalls the vessel heading towards Antarctica to oppose krill fishing. Supporting that work connected with an interest he had held since childhood.

“My love for the oceans has always been there since I was little,” he says. “It’s environmental care. It just fits in with everything that we are.”

Turning a donation into a lasting relationship

After the delivery, the conversation at Just Planet turned to what could come next, as everyone wanted the relationship to continue beyond a single donation.

A dedicated blend offered a way to raise awareness of the foundation and contribute a portion of sales on an ongoing basis.

Norman sees a simple benefit in that approach: supporters can contribute through something they already buy, giving organisations another way to fund their work alongside conventional fundraising.

“We can make fundraising easier for organisations that do amazing things around the world,” he says.

The name developed through discussions with the foundation, whose branding already used Neptune. Norman recalls the foundation suggesting ideas, a vote on the name and Lee taking the choice back to head office. Neptune’s Brew gave the collaboration an identity of its own.

Three months to develop the blend

Making the coffee took about three months of sourcing, securing stock, roasting and tasting, according to Lee. Fairtrade sourcing was central to the brief. The team needed three beans that worked together in the cup and a supply they could rely on for future batches.

That proved demanding. When one of the beans became unavailable during development, the team had to regroup.

Just Planet’s team tried different proportions and roast levels, then tasted the results together. Lee describes the aim as balancing sweetness and fruitiness with chocolate tones. Each round involved waiting three weeks before tasting and assessing the coffee.

“It’s a big investment of time and effort. Huge,” Lee says.

The September launch brings that work together with the reason the project began: helping the foundation keep doing its work at sea. Neptune’s Brew gives coffee drinkers a way to take part, with a portion of sales contributing to that ongoing support.

“But we got there in the end, and it’s a cracking coffee,” Lee says. “I think it’s going to do really well.”