Simon Gautherin, co-founder of APAX LAB in Sydney, Australia, and current Australian Brewers Cup Champion, shares his journey from educator and competitor to entrepreneur and innovator in the specialty coffee world. Over the past decade, he has explored the impact of water minerals on coffee flavor, earning him the nickname “Mr. Minerals” and multiple competition victories. APAX LAB grew organically from global demand for custom water recipes, emphasizing the importance of prototyping, gathering feedback, and focusing on practical results over technical jargon.
Hi Simon, thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions for us! Can you please, in a few sentences, introduce yourself to our audiences?
I'm Simon Gautherin, co-founder of APAX LAB in Sydney, Australia. I've dedicated the majority of the last decade to research the impact of minerals on the flavours of coffee, which earned me numerous competition victories and the nickname of Mr.Minerals.
With the many categories of coffee products out there, how did you first come up with the idea to start your own company, focusing on water minerals?
The company was born organically - I used to receive hundreds of requests from people all around the world to make custom water for them. As I got more demand, I started "shrinking" my recipes by concentrating them more to make shipping easier. Every competitor I shipped these "prototypes" to won their national competition, the demand skyrocketed and we made it a business.
As you transitioned from educator to competitor to company owner and inventor, what has been the most challenging part, and what keeps you going?
I have 2 Masters in Business and Management. Running companies was my bread and butter before I got into Specialty Coffee so the transition didn't feel difficult. The real challenge is now having to wear multiple hats, from technical, to sales to marketing/content.
What we find the most rewarding and what makes us wake up in the morning are the endless messages we get daily from people from all around the world who tell us how much APAX has changed the way they drink and enjoy coffee. 10 years ago I dreamt of revolutionising the way we consume coffee and this dream is in the process of becoming more and more true each day.
A lot of competitors go into developing brewers; what do you see in the water minerals for coffee world that inspired you to go into this very niche field?
I measure brewing variables in terms of impact in the cup and predictability. When we look at brewing devices, I think the predictability of the outcome is "OK" but the impact is marginal (I would argue every day that the paper filter is much more impactful than the geometry of a brewer).
To those who are inspired to produce their own product one day, what is one suggestion you can provide to navigate the journey from concept to launch?
Make prototypes, start over, listen to feedback, launch it even if it's not perfect. It will never be perfect.
The water minerals for coffee world can be overwhelming with information. How do you differentiate your product and provide outreach to your customers?
Water is a very simple ingredient at first sight but it can be infinitely complex.
We decided to spare the end users with all the technicalities and to "vulgarize" water and minerals by focusing on the outcome rather than the technical aspect. As a user, you want to understand the impact of the product you use, not the science behind it.
It also turns out that a lot of the information regarding water for coffee is either false or not useful for the end user, meaning we have made little to no progress in that area in the last 10/15 years. Mostly because we've been asking ourselves the wrong questions.
To first-time competitors approaching water mineral products, what approach would you recommend?
Focus on fewer variables, but only the most impactful ones.
Get to a point where your coffee tastes great and make all the final tweaks with small mineral changes only.
Of all the profiles, which do you enjoy the most, and why?
Tonik! I live for acidic coffees :)
You partner with Slow Pour Supply to distribute the Apax Lab products. How do you see a great fulfillment partnership benefiting the outreach of your business?
We see distribution relationships as win/win situations, and that's exactly what our relationship is with Slow Pour Supply. We both benefit from the promotion and the success of the product and we're incentivised to keep heading in the same direction and grow together.
Their attention to details and commitment to serve the coffee community has made them the best possible partner for us!
What trends or shifts do you anticipate will shape the specialty coffee industry in the next two years?
More and more people will brew at home, filter coffee will skyrocket and cafes will eventually catch up on the trend.
Anything you would like to add for our audiences?
Be open-minded about what you read and hear about coffee, but show a lot of critical thinking.
Over 90% of the things I was taught in my first barista course 10 years ago turned out to be completely false and inaccurate, but back then it was all universal truth.
Thank you, Simon, for taking the time amidst your busy competition schedule to share with us your insights. Also - a huge congratulations on winning the Australian Brewers Cup Championships 2025! We look forward to seeing you on the World Stage!
