People of the Bay is proudly sponsored by Mastertons Coffee & Tea Specialists.
ELEANOR DOUGLAS-MEYERS
When asked what his role at Mastertons Coffee & Tea Specialists involves, Raymond Roesstorff jokingly explains that he’ll do just about anything needed, from sweeping the floors to roasting the beans. It is a fairly accurate description of a role that has him involved in everything from sales and barista training to developing blends and helping establish new coffee bars across Nelson Mandela Bay.
Raymond joined Mastertons in 2020 and currently serves as its Food Services Manager and Master Barista. With more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, he brings considerable knowledge to the position, although his career originally looked set to take an entirely different direction.
He also has a rather impressive beard and a warm, easy-going manner that makes it immediately apparent why he enjoys working with people as much as he enjoys working with coffee.
From IT engineering to the coffee industry
Before entering hospitality, Raymond studied IT engineering while still at high school, completing his qualification alongside his matric.
A career in technology seemed the obvious next step, but he instead found himself working in restaurants, an industry he would remain in for more than two decades.
Interestingly, coffee wasn’t even something he particularly enjoyed when he first started out.
Today, he is an experienced master barista who has competed in coffee competitions and is responsible for training others in the craft. His work at Mastertons also includes contributing to coffee blend development and helping new coffee bars get established.
With the brand expanding its presence through Mastertons Coffee Bars at Fig Tree and Coimbra, Raymond plays an important role in ensuring that the coffee and service customers associate with Mastertons are maintained across its different outlets.
He admits that getting coffee right is a process that takes time, with much of the skill coming from practice, experimentation and understanding how different elements affect the final product.
Working alongside generations of coffee knowledge
Founded in Gqeberha in 1924 by Ronald John “Jock” Masterton, Mastertons has grown from a small tea and coffee business in Queen Street, now Govan Mbeki Avenue, into one of Nelson Mandela Bay’s most recognisable brands.
The business moved to Russell Road in 1966 before relocating its main roastery to Main Road in Walmer in 2018. More than a century after opening, it remains South Africa’s oldest operating coffee roastery.
Despite its growth, the family remains actively involved in the business.
James Masterton, who joined his father in 1969 and represents the second generation of the family, continues to be involved in roasting and the day-to-day workings of the business.
For Raymond, working directly alongside James means having access to decades of practical experience and knowledge built up through generations of coffee roasting.
James learnt the craft from his father, and the original gas-fired roaster on which he trained remains on display at the Walmer premises.
The combination of that experience with newer approaches to barista training, coffee preparation and retail expansion is helping Mastertons maintain its traditional identity while reaching new customers.
Nelson Mandela Bay has a favourite coffee
While coffee preferences have become increasingly varied, Raymond says there is one clear favourite among Nelson Mandela Bay customers: the cappuccino.
He explains that what makes a good Mastertons cappuccino is not necessarily a complicated recipe, but the preparation.
The coffee blend needs to be rich and strong enough to maintain its flavour when combined with milk. Equally important is the temperature of the milk, how it is heated and the texture achieved during preparation.
These are the details Raymond focuses on when training baristas.
Consistency is particularly important, with customers expecting the same quality whether they are visiting the main Mastertons premises or one of its coffee bars.
It’s a skill that takes time to develop, and Raymond says learning the finer details of coffee preparation has been one of the more enjoyable aspects of working in the industry.
Why Mastertons remains a Bay favourite
With new coffee shops and speciality coffee brands continuing to enter the market, Raymond believes Mastertons’ longstanding relationship with Nelson Mandela Bay residents is one of its greatest strengths.
For many local families, the brand has been part of their lives for generations.
It’s the coffee their parents drank, the familiar aroma they remember growing up with and a name that has become part of the local landscape.
That connection is particularly significant for a business that has been operating in the same city for more than 100 years.
While Mastertons continues to introduce new products and expand its coffee bar offering, Raymond believes the familiarity of the brand and the quality of its coffee remain central to its popularity.
The company’s extensive range of blends also means customers can develop their own favourites, often returning to the same coffee for years.
From non-coffee drinker to coffee enthusiast
Raymond’s own relationship with coffee has changed considerably since his early days in hospitality.
Having started out as someone who didn’t drink coffee, he now has an impressive collection of coffee equipment and gadgets at home, where experimenting with different brewing methods has become something of a hobby.
His wife has also developed an appreciation for coffee, and the couple enjoy their daily filter coffee together. They’ve become so familiar with the different blends that they can now identify subtle differences in flavour.
And when it comes to his own favourites, Raymond doesn’t hesitate to name Mastertons’ Blend 1388 and its slightly more chocolatey counterpart, Blend of the Bay.
Both are part of the extensive coffee range available from Mastertons Coffee & Tea Specialists, where coffee lovers can explore the brand’s different blends and brewing options.
Despite all the equipment, coffee knowledge and experience gained through competitions and training, he still enjoys a straightforward cup of filter coffee.
Not a bad endorsement from someone who didn’t even drink coffee when he first entered the industry.
A role that goes beyond the coffee cup
Although Raymond’s responsibilities at Mastertons have expanded since he joined the company in 2020, much of his work remains focused on the practical side of the business.
From training staff and assisting with new store openings to working alongside James Masterton, he is involved in several areas that customers may not necessarily see when ordering their morning coffee.
His background in hospitality has also given him an appreciation for the customer experience, something that is as important as the coffee itself.
After more than two decades in the industry, Raymond continues to enjoy the variety that comes with the work, particularly the opportunity to share his knowledge and see others develop their skills.
And while his career may have taken him a long way from the IT engineering path he originally studied, he appears to have found a role that suits both his technical interests and his enjoyment of working with people.
As for the job description, it seems his original answer still stands.
Whether it’s training baristas, developing blends, helping open another coffee bar or even sweeping the floors, Raymond is happy to get involved wherever he’s needed.
About People of the Bay
People of the Bay is a 041Online series celebrating the people, personalities and stories that make Nelson Mandela Bay what it is.
Proudly sponsored by Mastertons Coffee & Tea Specialists, a proudly local business that has been part of the Bay’s story since 1924.
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