Kitchen Hand
Aengus has been team Crave since the start, growing up in the cafe and now helping out in the busy kitchen. You'll often spot him around the neighbourhood walking his dog Jed, or on his skateboard out and about. Signature style... baseball cap, Team England tshirt, great smile.
Front of House
Anais grew up just across the road from Crave, and is the next generation working hard to make Morningside rock as a neighbourhood. As well as growing up in the 'hood, Anais has lived in India and has extensively travelled throughout Europe with her family. She's also the owner of Rupee, one of Crave cafe's resident dogs, who you'll often see sitting outside the cafe on a sunny day.
Front of House/Barista
Camila completes our favourite Brazilian duo, partner to Igor and owner of the lushest hair you’ll ever see. Camila knows her way around the front of house cafe like no other. She is humble, kind and generous, and is the real sweet treat that Crave has to offer.
Front of House
Graceful and thoughtful, Celeste will go out of her way to make sure everyone is having a great day. The part-time model is studying fine arts this
Head Chef
A zesty creative in the kitchen, Don produces delectable food that brings life to any tongue. His food philosophies, attention to detail, and flare in the kitchen make him one of the best around and you can be sure that every dish he produces is something to marvel at.
Front of House
Ellyse is studying a law and arts conjoint degree at Auckland Uni, is a youth leader at her local church and loves to hike with friends when she's off the clock. She also knows how to mix up the perfect salad and her menu suggestions are always on point. Ellyse suggests you order the eggs benedict (with manuka smoked bacon), like, right now. The hollandaise is a dream, apparently. We tend to agree.
Front of House
Behind Esther's bright smile is a super smart lady, studying physiology, psychology and French at Auckland Uni. A little birdie told us she also plays the clarinet beautifully... talented much? Esther grew up and still lives in the neighbourhood, but often swaps the big smoke for a good hike in the Waitakeres.
Head Barista
If you're wondering how Heather gets her healthy glow, it's from all of those beach hikes and forest walks she partakes in when not pouring excellent coffee at Crave. Make sure you come in for the great coffee, and a chat with Heather about the best city escapes.
Chef
Not only is this guy as enchanting as they come, he’s also a thoroughly respectable chef, karate AND judo master. Some would say Igor has it all – we’re definitely in that ‘some’ camp and are proud to call him our own. Trained in Brazil, Igor cooks with some black belt badness – and by badness, we really mean goodness!
Barista/Captain
Jay is passionate about connecting with people, more so than he can do from behind a coffee machine admittedly. He's a keen footballer and a Liverpool Football Club supporter, and also likes to jam a few tunes on the guitar when he has the time. He loves this world and all the diversity that comes with it.
Barista
Levi spent his childhood in Germany and Switzerland, moving to NZ when has a teenager. He's passionate about coffee, honing his skills behind the coffee machine during a year-stint in Seattle. His mum is also the one responsible for creating our much loved oaty cookies. Yum yum.
Captain
Lili grew up in Hamburg, Germany, before moving to New Zealand as a teen. She's a professional surf and dive instructor, which has taken her as far as Ecuador and Malaysia teaching others to enjoy the ocean as much as she does. She admits to drinking waaay too much coffee, which isn't helped by working at Crave with our delicious Supreme brew. Outside of working at our cafe, Lili studies at Elam Art School in the city.
Sous chef
Moniel is our second-in-charge in the kitchen, expertly cooking up delicious fare for our customers, day after day. He moved to New Zealand from Fiji when he was 13-years-old, and has worked in top kitchens around Auckland. Moniel's also been given the prize of best dressed of the Crave staff, for his impeccable style.
Manager
Three beautiful girls and a remarkable wife can be attributed to Nigel. Knowing his way around a Chemex, Nigel, is addicted to good food, wine and coffee – in moderation, obviously. A big fan of community and people, Nige spends his days either loitering about Crave or facilitating the development of young adults. We think he’s a pretty neat kid.
Runner
Ollie may still be at school but he's an old soul, preferring to tune into 80s music and jazz from the 40s. His life is full, composing music, playing soccer and cricket, skating, and being the eldest of four kids. You'll catch him serving at Crave on the weekends.
Restaurant Manager
It's hard not to smile when greeted by Renee, our restaurant manager. Apart from her super-friendly demeanour and her expert coffee skills (she's been in the biz for 13 plus years!), she also speaks Japanese fluently and is a service provider for youth with disabilities for Recreate NZ. If you want to linger around for more conversation, ask her about road trips in the USA and her other adventurous and creative pursuits.
Front of House/Barista
Sophie is a delight, of that there's no doubt. She surfs, skates, illustrates and joins us twice a week to make sure our neighbours' coffee needs are met. She's also alright with a paint brush... and by that, we mean heavily talented. Keep an eye on her work here.
Front of House Captain/Maitre d'/Barista
Suli knows what it's like to be part of a big family; she's the baby sister of ten siblings. Suli is also part of the Crave family, and in her spare time plays touch rugby, netball and dances hip hop and salsa. What a champ!
Barista
Tim lives and breathes the dream that is Crave, basking in the wonder of the flat white even on his days off. A part of the collective as well, Tim’s quiet leadership and sturdy hand on the milk jug make him one of Crave’s greatest assets.
Front of House
Another Crave kid grown up, Torin is one of our weekend warriors. You can expect good advice from him on where else to visit in Morningside, after you've finished hanging out with us.
Baker
Before working with Crave, Vani was a writer/editor who turned her love of baking into a new career... and we're so lucky to have her working with us (her chocolate doughnuts are out of this world). Vani grew up in Sydney, Australia, and later settled in Auckland. Outside of work hours, you'll find her baking at home and tending to her well-loved veggie garden.
Restaurant Manager
The warm and wonderful Wendy comes to us from the coast of Titirangi, having heard of us through her sister. With extensive experience as a barista all over the world, our Wendy is