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THE OLD MILL CAFE, Tairua

Linda Crozier, owner of T

he 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

www. theoldmillcafetairua.com an

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

www.colensocafe.co.nz or

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’S

Café

CRAZE