The Story Behind Espresso Energy Nut Butter

Why Coffee Was Always Part of the Plan

Spend a few days with my co-founder, Andrius, and you’ll notice a few things. The quiet intensity of his online chess matches. The way he gets lost in a symphony, trumpet solos leaking out his headphones. But the most unmissable: the constant presence of coffee.

Where there’s Andrius, there’s a cup within reach. The Clever Dripper for pour-overs lives on the bench. Drip bags are stashed in his bag for clinic days. A moka pot patiently waits for an evening brew. Road trips come with a thermos packed, just in case. Coffee isn’t a habit for him — it’s a way of life.

So when we began developing Roam Energy Nut Butter five years ago, creating a coffee nut butter wasn’t just an idea. It was inevitable. Coffee belongs with almost everything, but it’s especially good alongside almonds roasted to a golden warmth and cashews with their soft, buttery sweetness. The question was never “should we?” but “how?”

From Takapuna to Today: Meet Ark Coffee

That’s where Ark Coffee came in. Tucked away in a quiet back street of Takapuna, Auckland, Ark had already become a second home for us. A reprieve from the day, a place where the coffee was always thoughtful and the cakes dangerously good.

At the heart of Ark is its owner, Ulala. Calm, unhurried, and always smiling, she had a way of making every cup feel personal. For purists like Andrius, she’d talk notes and origins. For people like me, she’d make a cappuccino so perfectly balanced it made you question other coffee. Her philosophy was simple: coffee should never taste burnt. Beans deserved to shine, and her roasts always brought out their clean, bright character.

Ulala’s Journey: From Japan to Coffee Farms to New Zealand

Ulala’s path to coffee was anything but ordinary. Born in Kagoshima, Japan, Ulala’s first taste of specialty coffee came from a Japanese Barista Champion. The experience set her on a path of learning the craft of roasting, competing, and travelling to coffee farms around the world. She finished in the top two at Japan’s National Barista Championships, learned from growers and roasters globally, and carved out her space in what was then a very male-dominated industry. She’ll tell you the same conclusion she reached years ago: the magic begins at the source. Coffee is only as good as the beans and the care behind them.

Crafting the Perfect Blend of Coffee and Nut Butter

So when we asked her to help bring coffee and nut butter together, she treated it like a craft. She tasted our almond-cashew blend on its own, then paired it with different roasts and grinds. We tested, tweaked, tried again. Finally, we found it: a Brazilian bean, roasted to a smooth medium, ground for espresso. The result was Roam’s Espresso Energy Nut Butter, a coffee nut butter, never bitter, never burnt. Just the right balance between the woodiness of almonds and the natural sweetness of cashews.

And that’s how Roam’s Espresso Energy Nut Butter was born — a meeting of two crafts, brought together by people who love them both. Every packet is a little reminder of the care behind it: the endless cups that inspired it, the roaster who shaped it, and the simple joy of flavours that just belong together.

We’d love for you to taste it, to share in that story — and maybe find your own adventure to pair it with.