Coromandel Life Spring/Holiday 2014

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THE OLD MILL CAFE, Tairua
Linda Crozier, owner of The Old Mill Café, has seen
many changes in coffee preferences in Tairua over
her 18 years of serving coffee. Over a year she gets
maybe one request for instant now, whereas it was
a regular thing when she owned ‘Out of the Blue’.
“Many factors affect the taste of a cup of coffee,
including quality of beans, roast, grind, and the
care you take in preparation.” Their house roast?
AllPress, who provided extensive training to ensure
that perfect coffee. And husband Jimmy makes one
of the best, as well as a decadent hot chocolate....
Linda’s exquisite espresso corner adds to the café’s
appeal, and the artistic display of fine gifts make
this a ‘linger at’ café destination. Located on the
waterfront at the base of Paku Mountain, they are
open breakfast through dinner. Find them at
d FB to see photos of
their mouthwatering gourmet fare.
Historically coffee cafés have done double duty,
acting as coffee hangout and art gallery showcasing
paintings from local artists.
Coffee and pots inspire many artists like Susan
Dunster, who has painted numerous coffee themed
works. See her art at Colenso Café and the Little
Gallery of Fine Arts in Tairua.
Kiwi coffee connoisseurs will go a long way
to get their daily caffeine fix, and favourite cafés
can be anything from a ‘hole-in-the-wall’ or mobile
outlet to stylish venues with lounge-style seating
serving gourmet treats and meals.
Coromandel peninsula may not have the long history
of coffee houses that Wellington does, but cafés here
are making their mark, serving
that special memorable something
to their customers.
The old Tairua
Cow Shed was
once a craft shop
that served tea,
coffee and muffins
– perhaps one of
the the area’s first
coffee hangouts.
However, we hear
that the coffee
was instant. This
ad ran in the early
fifties.
THE PEPE, Tairua
This café is known for its good food at a great value.
Also enjoy an expertly made espresso from Aaron
Dunn (left), using fresh roasted beans from the
Coromandel’s local roaster, Coffee LaLa. It is open
for breakfast, lunch and dinner with both cabinet
foods and daily board specials from the grill.
Located near the bridge, at the edge of the Pepe
Reserve, you’ll enjoy views of the harbour and a
convenient new playground. What else would keep
you coming back? Well, if it only had free wifi! Oh, it
does! Entertainment? Check! Wine and beer? Yep.
Tapas? Come Friday and Saturday nights. They even
do wedding parties and community charity events.
COLENSO CAFE, Whenuakite
Early to Make the Leap to Espresso
Ruth Pettitt, previous owner of the award-winning Colenso
Café for 25 years, tells us they were one of the first on the
Coromandel to ‘go espresso’ over 20 years ago. They initially
served Ruth’s fine tea blends and fresh roasted French pressed coffee. She shakes
her head. “Oh no! We never did serve instant.”
The Pettitts recently sold Colenso to Judy and Gary Inglis, who relish the challenge of
keeping the allure of this well known establishment alive. “I look forward to the arrival of
my daughter, a trained chef,” says Judy, “who’ll join the team later in the year.”
The café and gift shop also features outdoor dining, artwork on the walls – and for the
kiddies, a playground and two donkeys, Mollie-Rose and Katie, (shown with the Inglis’) to
interact with – while the parents enjoy the view and their flat whites. A fabulous property
that would make an ideal venue for a celebration of any kind.
Colenso has served Auckland’s Atomic Coffee for the past six years. An established
roaster for 21 years; they also offer equipment and staff training. This beans-and-
training is common among café owners who take coffee seriously.
Open everyday. See like them on FB.
It’s seems that
a bit of lovin’ is
the only thing
that beats a
cup of coffee
for starting
off the day.
COROMANDEL’SCafé
CRAZE