Four Stops for Coffee Lovers in Hamilton NZ

Grey St. Kitchen, Hamilton East

I can’t believe that I didn’t like coffee until my mid-20’s. I still predominantly have the tastebuds of a toddler, but coffee is one of life’s great pleasures for me and I enjoy both the taste and the social ritual of meeting friends for coffee. Hamilton may not be synonymous with coffee culture in the same way as Wellington, but we have a burgeoning coffee scene here and several brilliant local roasteries, so I thought I’d tell you about four of them that necessitate a stop on a trip to the Tron.

Grey Roasting Co Drink their coffee at their flagship cafe Grey St. Kitchen, Grey St., Hamilton East

Grey St. Kitchen has its own associated coffee roastery. You can buy at the cafe, from the website and they also supply wholesale. Roasting beans from Ethiopia to El Salvador, they have something to suit everyone and you can even get a coffee subscription with coffee delivered to your NZ address at a frequency of your choosing. Dove, the man behind the Grey Roasting Co, is a two-time NZ Barista Champion, so he has coffee chops to contend with.

Manuka Brothers’ Coffee Roastery Cafe Bar, 129C Norton Rd., Hamilton

Founded by two coffee-loving brothers with a bent for engineering, Manuka Brothers roasts Arabica beans from around the world over Manuka wood embers. A labour of love, they built their own prototype roaster and then upscaled “Piglet” as demand started to grow. You can buy their coffee on their website, at their Roastery Cafe Bar (which also smells amazing) or catch them at the Cambridge or Hamilton Farmers’ Markets each week.

Raglan Roast At the Brown Lighting Bros., 539 Te Rapa Rd., Hamilton

Although Raglan Roast started out just up the road in Raglan, their largest site and distribution hub is now in the industrial area of Te Rapa. Roasting daily on site and open from 6am on weekdays and 7am at the weekend, you can sit in the rustic “mudroom” and drink their coffee as you watch and smell the beans being roasted. They’ve also done some great collaborations, including an espresso martini blend, with another local success story, Good George Brewing.

Rocket Coffee 302 Barton Street (Tucked just behind the main shopping street), Hamilton Central

A presence in Hamilton since 1995, Rocket coffee offer brews at their Barton Street roastery from 8am-2pm on weekdays, but are open until 4pm for all manner of coffee-making equipment and paraphernalia. As well as selling to individuals, they supply wholesale and also run a subscription service. A favourite of locals, their location is tucked away making it all the more special when you stumble across it.

Rocket Coffee, Barton Street, Hamilton Central