1 of 4
New Zealand Coffee
2 of 4
Photo courtesy YELP!
New Zealand Coffee
Baristas prepare a pour-over at Kokako coffee in Grey Lynne, Auckland.
3 of 4
Photo courtesy Flight Coffee
New Zealand Coffee
Flight Coffee’s flagship store in Welling- ton is known as “The Hangar.”
4 of 4
Photo courtesy of NZSCA
New Zealand Coffee
Aymon McQaude, executive director, New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association
On a world map Australia and New Zealand are physically far removed, separated by a 2,500 mile stretch of Pacific Ocean. On a cultural level, both countries share many similarities. Although they may not readily admit it, Australians and New Zealanders are very, very close brethren. This clearly extends to coffee, where almost all aspects that define Australians’ coffee drinking habits generally hold true for New Zealanders.
The pleasure is in the detail
As more and more consumers begin to appreciate the nuances of specialty coffee, the café landscape in New Zealand’s cities and towns is expanding in sync with its larger neighbor a few flight hours north west.
“Factors like the country of origin, processing method, roasting, and brewing of coffee are becoming not only better understood by end consumers, but are now also a point of interest to them, as they’re increasingly offered a range of brewing methods such as Chemex, V60 and AeroPress at various cafés,” said Aymon McQuade, executive director of the New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association (NZSCA). Never before has the value of a cup of coffee in the country’s cafés been greater in terms of quality in the cup than today, according to McQuade. This reflects the efforts of numerous people involved in the supply chain, from farmer to importers to roasters right down to café operator and baristas.
Intrepid coffee explorers
If there is any difference between New Zealand coffee lovers and their Australian contemporaries, it surely must be the formers’ willingness to experiment a bit more and discover uncharted territory. “It’s hard to say which [coffee types] are most popular, but we’re seeing that consumers are increasingly eager to explore single-origin coffees instead of blends, as well as different roast profiles and brewing methods, which is a promising development,” explains McQuade. And while Australians still value their milk-laced espresso-type coffees above anything else, in New Zealand there appears to emerge a consumer preference for coffees with smaller milk proportions.
Like wine, so coffee
On the domestic front, the growth in coffee expertise of the average coffee drinker has had an impact, too, with people now being able to take home a range of specialty coffees to brew.
“In New Zealand, we frequently compare coffee with the wine industry, where wine lovers’ palates have evolved in leaps and bounds. It wasn’t very long ago that many [wine] drinkers could not reliably identify a variety of red grape, let alone tell you the difference between a pinot noir from Otago and a pinot noir from Marlborough. But now consumers not only know the difference, they can name which vineyard demonstrates which characteristics, and the wine maker,” explains McQuade. He adds that he sees coffee expertise following a similar path among increasingly sophisticated consumers. This development is also reflected in the fact that this tiny country of 4.5 million people comfortably sustains well over 200 roasters. “And that number is growing. I believe we presently have the most roasters per capita in the world,” claims McQuade.
A veritable quilt of café venues
Coffee is enjoyed across a wide demographic spectrum, said McQuade. “I don’t think you could describe a ‘typical’ modern coffee consumer. The style of coffee or the amount consumed is not generally associated with a certain demographic. Cafés continue to mushroom all over the country. Primarily concentrated in urban areas like Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch the majority falls into the café-cum-food category, routinely offering a vast selection of savory dishes, but also desserts and bakery items to complement their coffee menus.
Examples include Kokako roastery and coffee shop in Grey Lynn and the Bread & Butter Bakery and Café, both in Auckland; and Plum Café, Ben Gusto Café and Flight Coffee in Wellington.
In Christchurch C1 Espresso is a roastery that markets its own coffee brand. In Queenstown Vudu Café is frequently mentioned by the internet community for both its fantastic brews and wonderful cuisine. Now and then one or another of the relatively few coffee-only places such as Auckland’s Camper Coffee receives rave reviews as well.
Crunching the numbers
While reliable consumption figures are difficult to come by, the official Statistics New Zealand website (www.stats.govt.nz) reports that in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013, the total weekly expenditure on coffee by all private households in the country amounted to NZ$3.6 million (approximately $2.75 million). In the corresponding period of 2010 that figure was $NZ3.1 million, implying a weekly expenditure increase on coffee by the average household of roughly 15% over the span of two years.