Seriously good coffee at the Resurgence
The Resurgence roastery
On our Christmas break I was very pleased to come across a small coffee roastery I’d previously never heard of. I was going to call it “boutique” but that sounds terribly pretentious. Nevertheless, Resurgence Riwaka Roasting is run out of a converted garage on the outskirts of Riwaka (just out of Motueka) and does seriously good coffee.
The roaster — that’s William on the right — has a long history of roasting in Christchurch, and has now set himself up in Riwaka. His beans are all good quality Organic and Fair Trade. He knows his stuff and roasts them well. There’s a (very) small café run out of the roastery where he can make you the best short black you’ve ever had. Seriously.
You can find their coffee in some of the local stores or buy through the web site (like the rest of the web site, the online shopping experience is nothing to write home about, but it’s there). However, if you’re anywhere near the roastery it’s well worth dropping in and seeing for yourself. They’re on the North side of Riwaka, on your right as you leave town heading for the Takaka Hill or Kaiteriteri.
If you’re coming some distance just for the coffee it might pay to call ahead — they’re not always there, and there is talk that they might be moving soon — but it’s worth the trip. I’m always keen to support the small business taking on the large faceless corporates, and in this case it’s an easy choice — the coffee is some of the best I’ve tasted in a long time.