Kim Thompson, 56, is the founder and managing director of Raw Coffee Company, a boutique roastery supplying cafes, restaurants, businesses and households in the UAE. The New Zealander has lived in Dubai for 23 years and started Raw Coffee in 2007. Though trained as an oncology nurse, Ms Thompson worked as a cafe manager at Jebel Ali Sailing Club and then started Raw Coffee after becoming frustrated at not being able to find high-quality, ethically sourced, organic, locally roasted coffee in the UAE. She and business partner Matt Toogood opened their first outlet in Dubai Investments Park before later setting up in a converted warehouse in Al Quoz. Ms Thompson has three grown-up daughters – two living in Dubai and one in Bali, Indonesia – and two grandchildren.
We have lost 92% of our normal business, but the positive side is that [online] orders are increasing by 20% week on week.
How did your upbringing shape your attitude towards money?
I didn’t grow up in a privileged or a wealthy family, but I didn’t know that because we were also really lucky. We were in a town called Nelson in the South Island. We’re on the coast, so there’s a seaport, there are a lot of national parks, it’s a beautiful place to raise a family. We got to do everything that we thought we wanted to do, but we didn’t have any international travel. It was a very lower middle class upbringing.
My father was someone that didn’t want my mother to work – he wanted to provide – but he kept that financial responsibility very much to himself. He didn’t talk about his financial stress and never gave me any financial advice. He had a menswear store selling customised tailored men’s suits and quality shirts. But men in New Zealand didn’t buy a lot of those, because they were made to last. It wasn’t a strong business looking back.
How did you learn about money?
I had to learn the hard way. I left home at 15 to go to nursing college, completely unprepared for the adult world. [After becoming a registered nurse], for the first six months I would spend my salary before it was to last a month. It would all be gone within the first 10 days because I didn’t know anything about budgeting and I definitely didn’t know anything about saving.
What was your first job?
My grandmother worked her whole life in a company called Griffin’s, a confectionery factory that’s quite a well-known New Zealand brand. She helped me get a summer job before I went away to go nursing, to earn some money for my ticket and the other things I would need to get started. It was just before Easter, and I stood on a line with all these lovely middle-aged women sticking chocolate marshmallow Easter eggs together. For the hours worked, the money I earned felt criminally underpaid.
What led you to leave New Zealand?
My ex-husband is an airline pilot. We left New Zealand to go and live in the Netherlands and then we moved to Bahrain with DHL and eventually to Emirates here. That was the big break for him. About 10 years ago we got divorced, but we’re both living here.
Why didn’t you continue your nursing career?
When we came here, the nursing hours were 12-hour shifts and I wanted to be focused on being a mother. At that time it wasn’t easy to find part-time work or job sharing. So I thought the cafe [at the Jebel Ali Sailing Club] would be something I could lead. I didn’t realise it was going to be full-time and all-consuming. But [the girls] were teenagers. I was still very much trying to be a mother, but I definitely had time to be working.
What led you to start Raw Coffee?
I noticed a gap in the market, as it was difficult to source coffee when I was running my first cafe in Jebel Ali. Back then all coffee was imported, so there were no fresh roasters here. There was no support of any kind to maintain the equipment. Espresso machines are like a car – they need to be serviced and maintained. There was no barista training.
I did a business plan and spoke to friends that own small businesses here. I brought on a consultant to help with the early stages. My partner [Matt Toogood] didn’t join me for two years. I made the original investment, but we were both very lucky that we had spouses getting a salary every month. I didn’t take a salary for the first five years and Matt didn't for the first three. We had completely underestimated the amount of money it would take to get going before we had money coming in.
How did you grow the business?
When I first started, we were three people. I recruited my first two employees from the Jebel Ali café and we learnt to be baristas in the kitchen at my house. We’re now a team of 42. We were the first speciality roastery in the UAE – now there are 54. We have nearly 300 commercial customers [such as Leto, Friends Avenue, Bystro Café and Spill the Bean] and then we have about 240 domestic customers that are registered online that will take maybe 500 grams a week that we deliver to.
How has the Covid-19 outbreak affected your business?
We closed the cafe on March 22 following the government guidelines and moved our business to 100 per cent online delivery. We were very lucky that we already had our drivers and our website set up. With the cafes closing and people staying at home, a lot of people would make a French press or a percolated coffee at home.
We have lost 92 per cent of our normal business, but the positive side is that orders are increasing by 20 per cent week on week, and 55 per cent of our online orders are new customers. We are hearing many of these customers have found us by #supportlocalDXB and other local community initiatives.
How will the business manage financially?
We don’t have any debt. Matt and I own the company completely. So I think we’re in a strong position. We can pay salaries for a few months easily and with the deliveries, we have money coming in. We approached our landlord and delayed our rent check for April, because he wants to keep us as a tenant. My business partner, my finance and strategy manager and I all elected not to take salaries this month to keep extra money in the company. We can do that for a number of months without being in great danger. Looking after our team is really important.
Do you have a financial cushion on a personal level?
No, I have no cushion. My whole nest egg is the company. This is such a crisis that I’m focusing on the really important things at the moment and not worrying. I don’t have debts, I’m healthy.
Has Covid-19 affected others in your family?
My ex-husband has now gone on to 50 per cent pay [with Emirates]. He’s working on cargo and freighters now, although he probably will share that load with other pilots.
My youngest daughter, she’s 25, lost her job here. She was working with a professional fashion photographer and obviously when all the shoots started closing down … he just had to let go any staff that he was employing. She lives with me and I’m just really grateful that she’s here with me.
Do you have a retirement plan?
A couple of years ago I finished building a home in Indonesia and that took me about four years to completely pay off, so that was a choice I made to have a base in a country where I could afford to build a beautiful home.
Owning a small business, you’re not going to get a pension fund and I haven’t lived in New Zealand for almost 30 years. The decisions I make with my business are very important, because that’s my retirement.
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
More coverage from the Future Forum
More from Neighbourhood Watch
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The Breadwinner
Director: Nora Twomey
Starring: Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Laara Sadiq
Three stars
MATCH INFO
Karnataka Tuskers 110-5 (10 ovs)
Tharanga 48, Shafiq 34, Rampaul 2-16
Delhi Bulls 91-8 (10 ovs)
Mathews 31, Rimmington 3-28
Karnataka Tuskers win by 19 runs
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
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8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint
Greenheart Organic Farms
This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.
www.greenheartuae.com
Modibodi
Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.
www.modibodi.ae
The Good Karma Co
From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes.
www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco
Re:told
One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.
www.shopretold.com
Lush
Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store.
www.mena.lush.com
Bubble Bro
Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.
www.bubble-bro.com
Coethical
This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.
www.instagram.com/coethical
Eggs & Soldiers
This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.
www.eggsnsoldiers.com
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'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
Brief scores:
Barcelona 3
Pique 38', Messi 51 (pen), Suarez 82'
Rayo Vallecano 1
De Tomas Gomez 24'
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Surianah's top five jazz artists
Billie Holliday: for the burn and also the way she told stories.
Thelonius Monk: for his earnestness.
Duke Ellington: for his edge and spirituality.
Louis Armstrong: his legacy is undeniable. He is considered as one of the most revolutionary and influential musicians.
Terence Blanchard: very political - a lot of jazz musicians are making protest music right now.
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
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Bio
Born in Dubai in 1994
Her father is a retired Emirati police officer and her mother is originally from Kuwait
She Graduated from the American University of Sharjah in 2015 and is currently working on her Masters in Communication from the University of Sharjah.
Her favourite film is Pacific Rim, directed by Guillermo del Toro
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
