We’ve been getting our coffee beans from Prima since 2018 when we relocated in our current premises at the Tannery. But we’ve known the guys at Prima for a much longer time: we were practically neighbours for years before they moved into their current location on Brougham Street. They now operate a cafe and have recently expanded their roastery. We sat down with Managing Director Lee to find out more about what sets Prima apart.
Can you introduce Prima Roastery to our readers? How did it all begin?
Caffe Prima was established in 1995, in ÅŒtautahi, Christchurch [95.03]. We were initially based in Woolston just around the corner from Bellbird. Around 2020 we rebranded to Prima Roastery and moved to our current premises on Brougham Street.
What are the core values that guide Prima? How do these principles influence your daily operations?
Our team is the heart of Prima Roastery. We are all passionate about great coffee, sustainability and community.
In a country with so many roasteries and cafes, what sets Prima Roastery apart?
We focus on sustainability as a point of difference, but these days more and more businesses are doing an amazing job managing their environmental impacts, which is great. Something we think really sets us apart is our service. We have an amazing team, at the roastery and on the road, ready to help our customers out.
Where do you get your beans from? How do you select them?
All over the world! We buy coffee from Asia, the Pacific region, Africa, Central America and South America. We look for coffees that serve a purpose in our blends or work well on their own as single-origin coffees. We’re also focused on sourcing ethically and a big part of that is our relationship with Fairtrade. The majority of the coffee we source is Fairtrade certified so we can be sure social and environmental standards are being met throughout our supply chain.
What are some of your personal favourite single origins or blends that you have roasted recently, and what makes them special to you?
Probably the most meaningful for me is our Verde blend which we use in our own cafe and supply to cafes throughout the city. It’s special because the blend includes coffee from Okapa in Papua New Guinea. I was lucky enough to travel there with Fairtrade last year and meet many of the growers producing this coffee to share our story and hear theirs. Of course, there are amazing stories behind every cup of coffee, but this was one I was able to experience first-hand and that makes it pretty special.
We heard about your recent roastery expansion. Could you tell us more about this development and what it means for Prima?
Yes, we recently joined the Mojo Group along with Vivace Espresso, another well-known local coffee roastery. We’re just finishing up our project to move the Vivace team and roasting operation into our Brougham Street site. This has been really exciting as it brings a whole bunch of additional coffee expertise and energy under one roof. It also happens to improve roasting energy efficiency in a meaningful way which is a nice bonus.
Can you tell us a little bit about the team at Prima Roastery?
Our team, on the roastery side, is made up of Karen, who manages orders and customer service, Jesse and Colin, who roast amazing coffee every day, and Nick, Steve and KJ, who provide service, training and deliveries to our wholesale customers. We also have an amazing cafe team, made up of Jess, Saori, Amber, Paige and Ritu.
How does Prima Roastery engage with the local community?
Probably the best way we engage is through our cafe, providing a relaxed space for people to meet and spend time together. Apart from that, over the years we’ve worked with Roimata Food Commons, Richmond Community Garden and the Summit Road Society providing coffee sacks, grinds and chaff for composting as well as making some financial contributions and volunteering our time for planting. Honestly, it hasn’t been much and we really ought to do more!
What steps is Prima Roastery taking to ensure sustainability and environmental responsibility in its operations?
We’ve taken lots of different steps to improve our operations in this regard. Sometimes it feels like taking two steps forward and one step back, but we are always working to improve. With respect to local environment, we’ve taken steps to reduce our waste to landfill by removing all single-use cups from our cafe for the past 7 years. We’ve been using compostable packaging made in New Zealand for 12 years and working to ensure the packaging is composted after use (initially by doing it ourselves, and later working with Total Waste Solutions). Finally, we deliver the majority of our Christchurch cafe and business customers’ orders in reusable tins. On the social side, a big part has been working with Fairtrade to ensure equitable sourcing from origin.
Are there any upcoming projects or initiatives that you are particularly excited about?
We’re currently working our way through the Toitu Enviromark certification which has been challenging but rewarding as well. It will be a proud moment when it’s complete.
Thank you Lee for this insight into the world of Prima! We love working with you guys, not just because our values align but also because you’re a nice bunch 🙂
Haven’t tried Prima coffee before? We make filter coffee with Prima beans every day at our Tannery shop. Bring your cup or use one of ours, and enjoy the simple pleasure of a hot cuppa with a pastry. Or visit Prima Cafe on Brougham Street for your caffeine fix. You might get lucky and get a glimpse of them roasting coffee out back through the huge glass window. If you’re after a bite to eat, you’ll be pleased to know they also have some Bellbird goodies in their cabinet!
