An Exploration of
Wellington’s Café Culture

An Exploration of
Wellington’s Café Culture

Learn where our coffee beans come from, hear the voices of local baristas, and explore how we can keep Wellington’s coffee culture thriving.

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Sections

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Coffee's Journey

How our coffee gets to New Zealand.

Coffee's Journey

How our coffee gets to New Zealand.

Map

Recommendations from locals.

Map

Recommendations from locals.

Interviews

Baristas on coffee culture today.

Solutions

How we can help.

The Coffee Capital

Home to specialty roasteries, innovative companies, and many, many, many cafes. 

Currently, the Wellington coffee industry is going through a challenging time. Demand is decreasing. Coffee prices are increasing. Some cafes are closing their doors.


Why is this happening?

Home to specialty roasteries, innovative companies, and many, many, many cafes. 

Currently, the Wellington coffee industry is going through a challenging time. Demand is decreasing. Coffee prices are increasing. Some cafes are closing their doors.


Why is this happening?

The Coffee Capital

The Coffee Capital

Home to specialty roasteries, innovative companies, and many, many, many cafes. 

Currently, the Wellington coffee industry is going through a challenging time. Demand is decreasing. Coffee prices are increasing. Some cafes are closing their doors.


Why is this happening?

Home to specialty roasteries, innovative companies, and many, many, many cafes. 

Currently, the Wellington coffee industry is going through a challenging time. Demand is decreasing. Coffee prices are increasing. Some cafes are closing their doors.


Why is this happening?

The Coffee Capital

Home to specialty roasteries, innovative companies, and many, many, many cafes. 

Currently, the Wellington coffee industry is going through a challenging time. Demand is decreasing. Coffee prices are increasing. Some cafes are closing their doors.


Why is this happening?

Home to specialty roasteries, innovative companies, and many, many, many cafes. 

Currently, the Wellington coffee industry is going through a challenging time. Demand is decreasing. Coffee prices are increasing. Some cafes are closing their doors.


Why is this happening?

©Airbus DS 2023

On most coffee farms, there is one major harvest each year. The cherries are picked, either by hand or machine.

After harvesting, the coffee cherries are processed through one of three main methods2.

Natural Process

Coffee cherries are spread out in the sun to dry, then the outer dried cherry is removed, producing a sweeter coffee bean. 

Washed Process

The beans are removed from the cherry, and washed to remove residue. The coffee beans are then dried, producing coffee with a clear flavour profile.

Honey Process

The pulp of the coffee cherry is removed, but the mucilage layer is left intact. The bean is then dried, producing coffee with both sweet and clear flavours.

Once dried and graded, the green beans are exported. 

Once dried and graded, the green beans are exported. 

On most coffee farms, there is one major harvest each year. The cherries are picked, either by hand or machine.

Coffee's top exporters3 are located between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, an area known as the coffee belt (or bean belt).

Growing regions in this area are known for their warm tropical climates, rich soils, and high altitudes, optimal for growing coffee.

Growing coffee beans is only part of the process. 


The full journey is far more complex.

In the past few years, global challenges have impacted distribution, raising coffee’s price.

Coffee harvests are heavily impacted by extreme weather. Frosts in Brazil, droughts in Vietnam4, and unpredictable rainfall patterns have already cut supply5. 

Additionally, scientists warn that climate change could make half of current coffee land unsuitable by 20506. This puts strain on coffee supply both now and in future.

Rising Farm Costs

Coffee farmers already struggling with crop disease and climate change now also

face rising fertiliser prices and labour shortages, reducing crop yield and quality7.

The higher production costs and lower yield means that before beans even leave the farm, the baseline price of coffee has increased.

Supply Chain Pressures

Coffee travels thousands of kilometres from farm to cup, relying on a complex global supply chain of collectors, drivers, ocean freight, and distribution8.

In recent years, this chain has experienced major disruptions and cost surges, with container shortages, port congestion, and soaring freight rates8, hitting remote importers like us in New Zealand especially hard.

Growing Demand, Tight Supply

Global coffee consumption is rising, and predicted to hit record highs in future9, in part due to increased demand in China10. 

However global coffee stockpiles remain low9. With little buffer, even small supply shocks can push prices up sharply.

U.S. Tariffs

Trade policies in the United States, the world’s largest coffee importer, impact the global market. This changes prices everywhere.

The U.S. recently imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian coffee, lifting global Arabica prices11. Since Arabica is benchmark-priced globally, all importers now face higher costs.

These global issues push coffee prices higher, and those increases flow through to what we pay in New Zealand.

Roasting coffee removes moisture from the beans, producing their recognisable aroma and flavour. After roasting, the beans are immediately exposed to air or water to cool, then packaged for distribution.

After arriving in New Zealand, the green beans are roasted. Coffee roasters blast the beans with hot air, heating them to temperatures of around 200°C. The beans are kept moving to avoid burning.

Interviews

Interviews

Firsthand accounts from baristas on what it means to be part of Wellington’s cafés, and coffee culture today.

Jessie on Coffee's Shifting Landscape

Growth, connection, and why creativity within Wellington's cafés is important.

Owen on Authenticity in Cafés

New growth, rising costs, and why cafés with character matter in Wellington.

Chris on Resilience in Coffee

How making, learning, and sharing keeps coffee alive

Ella on People and Connection

Balancing love for customers with the realities of running a cafe in tough times.

Solutions

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Ways consumers can uplift Wellington’s coffee culture.

Support Local Cafés

Choosing local cafés and brands over larger chains supports the local economy and helps smaller independent cafes.

Solutions

Ways consumers can support cafés and uplift Wellington’s coffee culture.

Take Climate Action

With droughts, frosts and rising temperatures threatening crops, action against climate change is needed to protect coffee’s future.

Solutions

Ways consumers can support cafés and uplift Wellington’s coffee culture.

Be Patient with Price Changes

Most cafés don’t want to raise their prices, but have to due to pressures beyond their control. Understanding from customers helps cafés retain their community in this challenging time. 

Solutions

Ways consumers can support cafés and uplift Wellington’s coffee culture.

Make Sustainable Choices

Support environmentally conscious cafés and roasters that source beans from farms committed to sustainable practices and fair wages for workers.

Solutions

Ways consumers can support cafés and uplift Wellington’s coffee culture.

Brew Local at Home

If your budget means more coffee at home, buy locally roasted beans when possible. Supporting our roasters helps the local economy and sustains Wellington’s coffee scene.

Solutions

Ways consumers can support cafés and uplift Wellington’s coffee culture.

Advocate for a Fairer Future

Coffee’s price depends on more than just beans, it’s impacted by the wider cost of living. Supporting policies and initiatives that address this issue creates a fairer future for consumers and cafés.

Solutions

Ways consumers can uplift Wellington’s coffee culture.

Support Local Cafés

Choosing local cafés and brands over larger chains supports the local economy and helps smaller independent cafes.

Take Climate Action

With droughts, frosts and rising temperatures threatening crops, action against climate change is needed to protect coffee’s future.

Be Patient with Price & Supply Changes

Most cafés don’t want to raise their prices, but have to due to pressures beyond their control. Understanding from customers helps cafés retain their community in this challenging time. 

Make Sustainable Choices

Support environmentally conscious cafés and roasters that source beans from farms committed to sustainable practices and fair wages for workers.

Brew Local at Home

If your budget means more coffee at home, buy locally roasted beans when possible. Supporting our roasters helps the local economy and sustains Wellington’s coffee scene.

Advocate for a Fairer Future

Choosing local cafés and brands over larger chains supports the local economy and helps smaller independent cafes.

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Sources

  1. Trading Economics. (n.d.). Coffee Price Data. https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/coffee

  2. National Coffee Association. (2024, December 6). Lifecycle of Coffee. NCA - About Coffee. https://www.aboutcoffee.org/origins/lifecycle-of-coffee/

  3. Torg. (n.d.). Top 10 coffee producing countries in the world. https://usetorg.com/blog/coffee-producing-countries

  4. Brasch, B. (2025, February 26). Why your coffee fix has gotten so pricey — and it will only get worse. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/26/coffee-price-inflation-tariffs/

  5. Terrascope. (2025, April 17). Brewing a sustainable Future: the carbon footprint of your coffee. CDP. https://cdp.net/en/insights/brewing-a-sustainable-future-the-carbon-footprint-of-your-coffee

  6. Bunn, C., Läderach, P., Rivera, O. O., & Kirschke, D. (2014). A bitter cup: climate change profile of global production of Arabica and Robusta coffee. Climatic Change, 129(1–2), 89–101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-014-1306-x

  7. Zamora, M., & Kepes, Q. (2022, October 4). When Coffee Farmers Face Crises, Farmworkers Suffer Most. Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine. https://dailycoffeenews.com/2022/10/04/when-coffee-farmers-face-crises-farmworkers-suffer-most/

  8. Schwarz, S. (2025, August 10). Supply chains and shipping: The cost of getting coffee to cup. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/supply-chains-shipping-cost-getting-coffee-cup-dr-steffen-schwarz-hn2te/

  9. U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2025). Coffee: World Markets and Trade. In UDSA. https://apps.fas.usda.gov/psdonline/circulars/coffee.pdf

  10. Asia Pacific Coffee Market. (2025, June 20). Mordor Intelligence. https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/asia-pacific-coffee-market

  11. The Guardian. (2025, August 16). Trump’s cold brew: New York coffee shops warn of higher prices amid steep tariffs. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/16/coffee-shops-brazil-trump-tariffs

Image Sources

Unsplash

Pexels

Burst

Airbus. (2019, June 18). Melbourne Port Satellite image from Vision-1. https://space-solutions.airbus.com/resources/satellite-image-gallery/various/vision-1-satellite-image-melbourne-port-zoom/

Airbus. (2022, January 14). Port of Nemrut Bay, Turkey Satellite image from Vision-1. https://space-solutions.airbus.com/resources/satellite-image-gallery/various/vision-1-port-of-nemrut-bay-turkey/

Airbus. (2023, March 30). Coffee Plantation, Brazil, Satellite Imagery. https://space-solutions.airbus.com/resources/satellite-image-gallery/pleiades-neo/coffee-plantation-brazil/

MapSVG. (n.d.). World Vector Map. https://mapsvg.com/maps/world

World Map. (n.d.). Mapbox. https://console.mapbox.com/studio/styles

The Coffee Capital

Home to specialty roasteries, innovative companies, and many, many, many cafes. 

Currently, the Wellington coffee industry is going through a challenging time. Demand is decreasing. Coffee prices are increasing. Some cafes are closing their doors.


Why is this happening?

The Coffee Capital

Home to specialty roasteries, innovative companies, and many, many, many cafes. 

Currently, the Wellington coffee industry is going through a challenging time. Demand is decreasing. Coffee prices are increasing. Some cafes are closing their doors.


Why is this happening?

The Coffee Capital

Home to specialty roasteries, innovative companies, and many, many, many cafes. 

Currently, the Wellington coffee industry is going through a challenging time. Demand is decreasing. Coffee prices are increasing. Some cafes are closing their doors.


Why is this happening?