With a career spanning hospitality and specialty coffee, Megan Wyper built her expertise from hands-on roles to leading one of New Zealand’s most iconic coffee brands.
Now co-owner of Acme Cups, Megan continues to shape the way we experience coffee, both at home and abroad. We caught up to hear more about her journey, the art of design and functionality in coffee, and what’s brewing next for Acme Cups.
Your background spans the hospitality industry, particularly in coffee, and now you’re the co-owner of the iconic New Zealand brand, Acme. Can you share a bit about your journey and what brought you to where you are today?
Coffee for me has always been about people, and it then became about working with coffee. After training in childcare and working as a private nanny, I realised that I needed to be around people. I sat down with a phone book and called around cafes asking for a job, and I managed to land a job at Millers coffee.
I didn’t know that you could have a career in coffee, when I started I was just doing something that I enjoyed. After a brief stint nannying in Europe I ended up at a company in Scotland that was one of the first speciality coffee roasters. Alongside this job, I competed in the UK barista champs, judged competitions, managed and opened stores, learnt ecommerce and marketing all while learning to roast coffee. I saw all of it as an opportunity to not only grow the company, but also grow my own profile within the industry which could lead onto other roles. After moving back to New Zealand for a role as Head Roaster at Flight Coffee and then having my wee babe, I was offered a job at Acme Cupco in sales.
Acme Cups has always been a very small team, my business partner Paddy and one other that supports us. As the years went on Paddy and I stepped into the management roles and after leading the company through Covid, founders Jeff and Bridget approached us to purchase the company from them. This was 3 years ago now – I’ve been with Acme Cups for over 6 years and co-owner for 2 years.
Acme cups are synonymous with coffee across Aotearoa and beyond. What do you think sets them apart and makes them such an icon?
Our quality is something that I believe will always stand out above all else, plus they look really good too! Our priority has always been the specialty coffee market—the high end coffee consumer. We’re very lucky in Aotearoa that most cafes serve specialty coffee which has made our cups synonymous with quality – and is reflected in our customer base overseas. Cafes want to show that their product is the best and why would you serve a coffee in something that’s going to take the attention away from the product? We like our cups to sit in the background.
Does the design and material of a cup influence the way coffee tastes? If so, how does Acme approach this in its designs?
Absolutely! Coffee is a full sensory experience, so we think about touch, taste, smell, and sight in every design. Being passionate about specialty coffee and hospo, we’re always looking for ways to make the coffee experience even better. Take the subtle gradient inside an Acme cup, for example. It’s not just for looks—it helps create the perfect pour for latte art and ensures the milk and coffee blend just right.
We use a top-secret mix for our durable porcelain; perfected to be strong enough for busy kitchens, retain the heat and still keep that delicate lip of the cup intact. And of course, the size of each cup is designed to make sure the espresso to milk ratios are perfectly balanced every time.
We’re all about form and functional design, but we also love to mix in a bit of tradition. Our Bibby cup, for instance, is inspired by a 19th-century teacup, blending old-school charm with modern functionality.
Acme is known for impeccable colours. What is the creative process behind selecting and curating your palettes?
I wish I had a creative answer for you, but a lot of our colours are simply inspired by nature or picked just because Paddy and I like them. But we also look at how they will fit in with the rest of the range too of course. The Clay was picked because we liked it when we saw it in the pantone book!
Acme has recently released a tableware collection, expanding the popular Classic and Roman ranges to include plates and bowls. What inspired this move into tableware?
When we purchased the company Paddy and I made it our goal to set the table – they compliment our range, add to it instead of taking away. Customers have been asking for years for a side plate so we took the opportunity of ownership to not only carry the legacy but to also make our mark. We both had been itching to do plates and bowls, so it was very exciting!
You’ve recently been in Europe, can you share a little about what you got up to over there?
I was lucky enough to get to Portugal in September for the World Aeropress championships – a global event we have sponsored each year for the past 8 years. Lisbon is probably the most beautiful city I’ve ever visited, it really did take my breath away. As Europe is so far away, I like to also visit other cities to make the most out of the trip. Our Europe operations are based in the Netherlands, we don’t have an office yet but our warehousing and PR is based there. So I also visited some customers in Rotterdam, it’s the most interesting city. Full of modern architecture, and the most interesting buildings and new business. I’d recommend adding Rotterdam to your travel list for sure!
In what ways do you find the coffee/cafe culture in Europe differs from home?
Speciality coffee, or how we understand coffee in New Zealand, is fairly new in Europe. Which is reflected in the very modern styled cafes and pricing of coffee. Of course there’s cheap coffee in Europe, but the style of coffee we know and love here is treated very differently there. You generally have to know where to find it but it’s becoming a lot easier to find. I love it, there’s always something new to try and a new interior to see.
As the President of the New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association, we must ask—what’s your daily coffee order? And what's your preferred homebrew method?
It was until recently a flat white but currently it’s another kiwi classic, a long black. However, that's dependent on where I might be. If I’m traveling I will go out for breakfast which hopefully has an interesting coffee menu, if that’s the case it’s often a filter coffee of the barista's favourite or what;s on the menu that day. I’m lucky to have a Rocket espresso machine at home – which I inherited from my mum – so I’ll make flat whites for my husband and I, if he hasn’t beaten me to it and brewed a pourover filter coffee, his preferred method.
As a scent company, we’re passionate about how fragrances influence mood. The aroma of coffee has got to be one of the most evocative. How do you think the scent of coffee impacts your mood or sets the tone for your day?
I’ve always been very aware of scent, more so when I was a coffee roaster as I learnt to roast by aroma, (I learnt in the days before computer software could give you more information and guidance). When roasting coffee, there’s a sweet spot when the sugars have caramelised, you’re smelling a sample of coffee continuality while roasting, waiting for an aroma that’s just slightly different, it’s hard to describe but you just know.
The same is with brewed coffee, you can tell by the smell of a coffee if it’s going to be tasty or not, so yes, coffee totally sets the mood for my day!
With Christmas just around the corner, a time for coming together with loved ones, what’s your go-to meal when hosting during the festive season?
When we moved back to New Zealand I decided we needed our own Christmas tradition that could be adapted to wherever we found ourselves on Christmas Eve. So I started making fruit brioche with whatever fruit was available. Our favourite is fresh, Hawkes Bay cherries. Made on Christmas Eve, placed in the fridge overnight and then popped in the oven for breakfast on Christmas morning. Easy to adapt to suit how many people are with us on Christmas day.
Beautiful tableware adds the perfect finishing touch to a table setting when hosting. What are some other elements or personal touches you like to incorporate?
Always flowers. Either from my garden, but that totally depends on the season and how active I’ve actually been out there, or from our local dairy – he gets them from the flower markets regularly and always has a lot of different varieties to choose from. I’ll also make sure that there’s taper candles on the table. As our dining and living rooms are separate, I’ll also light a scented candle in the living room. Walking into a room that’s scented really lifts the space. The floor could be covered in toys but if you just keep your eyes on the top half of the space and can smell a scented candle, it really does feel like you have your life together.
Lastly, what’s on the horizon for Acme? Can you give us a sneak peek into what’s coming next?
Since you asked so nicely, we’re releasing some products for cold drinks late Summer early Autumn, but that’s all I can say…
Quick fire Q’s
Name a scent that invokes a special memory for you.
Jasmine – it takes me right back to high school in a heartbeat. Being a country girl, I was at boarding school and during my final year one of my roommates used to run every morning and would bring back handfuls of jasmine for the room. I think being my final year at school it was definitely my favourite year.
A daily ritual you can’t live without?
Of course coffee, but also the gym before coffee.
What is your favourite dish, and where would you like to eat it?
I recently had the most delish octopus dish at RagTag in Auckland with my mum and daughter and I’d love to go back with both of them again and eat it – it was all of our fave. But I’d add my husband to the mix as he’s a bit upset that he missed out.
What’s your favourite space in your home?
It’s a firm tie between the kitchen and bathroom – the only spaces we have renovated and I love them equally.
Your most-loved Ashley & Co. scent?
The new Yulepine has replaced the Tui & Kahili as my fave.
Thank you to Megan for such a wonderful insight into activities at Acme, make sure to pop to their website in the lead up to Christmas and find a special something for yourself or to gift.
Imagery by Pōneke-based photographer @bonny.beattie.
Shop our festive Twilight Collection and set the scene for a spectacular time with friends and family.