Prima Roastery

Prima Roastery’s 25th year of operation saw them move from their longstanding Woolston abode to bring their beans and expertise to the corner of Brougham and Brisbane St. In line with their practices around sustainability and re-use, Prima took over an existing warehouse space, breathing new life into an aging building with a fit-out conceived and largely executed in-house. This allowed them the opportunity to create a new space which reflects their values and approach to coffee roasting.

The front of the warehouse turned coffee hotspot almost couldn’t let in more natural light with floor to ceiling windows that beckon passers-by in for a look. Inside, large panel windows reveal the green Petroncini coffee roaster, surrounded by sacks of green beans which form the heart of Prima - every step of the process from bean to cup is on display here. This architectural transparency is reflected in other aspects of Prima’s business from Fairtrade certification through to staff involvement in all aspects of running Prima.

Some things haven’t changed though and you can still see the usual Prima suspects around the roaster, in the packing room or behind the counter in the café; roasting, packing and brewing the same range of blends and origins. They’re also available for any queries you may have about anything to do with coffee: from blend and origin types, different brewing methods, brewing and espresso equipment and café supply.

Many of Christchurch’s most loved cafes use Prima beans for their coffees and Prima similarly features many of Canterbury’s best in their own cafe. In the cabinet you’ll find Bellbird croissants and pastries, Fairlie pies and so much more. Aunt Jean’s milk can be purchased by the bottle here and is used in all of the milky coffees too.

Sustainability was built into Prima’s coffee-business model from day one and in 2011 they launched New Zealand’s first certified compostable coffee packaging made by Convex in Hamilton. They also ditched single-use takeaway coffee cups years ago and instead ask you to bring your own or borrow one through the Again-Again network (google it). Doing things in a conscious, positive way is anything but a fad here.

Order yourself a flat white or a long black and grab a seat in the sunshine. Before you go, pick up some beans for home, ground however you’d like. The coffee available at Prima ranges from super-consistent, carefully-crafted blends (some of which have been popular for over a decade) to interesting and delicious single origins. The friendly staff here are more than happy to have a chat about current offerings and can recommend something special for your next brew. Don’t forget to bring in your favourite coffee container for them to fill and you’ll get a dollar discount. If you don’t have a container, your beans will arrive in a compostable bag (either compost at home or bring it back to Prima and they’ll take care of it).

So whether you’re after a caffeine kick, a cool spot for a catch up, a resupply of beans or a new espresso machine, Prima is the place - they’ve got parking out the back, too.