Here at The Coffee Collective, we are pleased to bring you a great range of Rabbit Island Coffee from Mapua Wharf, Tasman, New Zealand. Including Coffee Blends, Single Origin Coffee, Swiss-Water Decaf and more. Shop online and have your order Freshly Roasted, Delivered To You - The Coffee Collective.
Get to know Rabbit Island Coffee Co. below!
About Rabbit Island Coffee Co.
Rabbit Island Coffee Co. exists to stimulate the lives of their community and to put a spring in peoples' step.
Rabbit Island Coffee Co. is a family owned and operated business who share a passion for all things coffee. They believe that the act of taking time to enjoy a daily coffee is one of the most important moments in your day. Coffee is more than just a caffeine hit (although theirs is pretty good...), at the core, coffee is about connecting with yourself, friends, family and the environment that you find yourself in.
Their specialty coffee beans are enjoyed in cafes and homes across New Zealand and they take pleasure in knowing that the farmers who grow their beans have been rewarded for their exceptional product.
The Rabbit Island Coffee Co. roastery and artisan pantry is based on the idyllic Māpua wharf in Tasman, which is also home to the owner’s small family of five.
Coffee Selection
Whether you choose one of their carefully curated blends or one of their single-origin varieties, you'll experience a roasting style that is unique and slightly different from other traditional Kiwi-style roasts. As a result, their coffee highlights sweetness, retains the perfect amount of acidity and showcases the terroir of the beans.
Ethical Values
Rabbit Island Coffee Co. supports all initiatives that work toward a fair and equitable exchange between coffee seller & coffee buyer. They are humbled by the commitment and work carried out by coffee farmers all over the world, who bring us truly amazing coffees each year.
They take great pride in knowing that all of the green beans purchased, are of the highest quality, have been fairly traded and that the coffee farmer has been rewarded for an outstanding product.
Meet the Roaster!
Name: Bryn Lloyd
Location: Māpua Wharf, Tasman
Position: Director and Head Coffee Roaster
Tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, and how you got to where you are today?
My story does not begin with coffee roasting but it’s fast taking over our lives as we grow our new business and live and breathe it on a daily basis. After spending 15 years in the tourism sector, I was ready for a change and was eager to own my own business. The ladder I was climbing in the tourism industry came with a lot of great experiences and learning opportunities but deep down I knew there was something else out there for me. I just didn’t know what it was until I stumbled across Rabbit Island Coffee Co. for sale which is only a 30 second walk from our house. I couldn’t shake the idea and after my wife Carley was all for it (I initially didn’t think that she’d entertain the idea as we’d only just launched her Interior Design business the year prior) we were both all in.
Changing careers is not something that people take lightly but for me, it was a no brainer. What made it easier was the loyal following and quality product that the previous owners had established so we knew the bones of the business were good. We’re almost a year into it now and absolutely loving it. We share the responsibilities with Carley managing the artisan pantry side of the business and me the coffee. I tend to roast at 5am when no one else is around and I have the whole Māpua wharf to myself. It’s certainly a special place being right on the water with the sun streaming straight into the roastery and extra rewarding drinking coffee that I’ve roasted!
What attracted you to a career in coffee?
I’ve always been into coffee and have gone through many brew methods over the years refining the craft and working out which method was best for us. I worked in a seafood restaurant in Bristol that served coffee so did a year behind a machine but don’t consider myself a fully-fledged barista.
We lived in Wellington for 15 years and in one of my jobs I was involved with international marketing for the city and region. I would often take international film crews to coffee roasteries for interviews, to give them a taste of the coffee culture in Wellington. I always enjoyed the experience, but never considered it as a career path. Looking back on it I should have really stopped and given it some thought as I’m loving the journey that we’re on now, but maybe the time wasn’t right even though it was staring me right in the face.
What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?
The most rewarding aspect of my job is the lifestyle that it’s providing our family. I’m now biking the kids to school each day and spending much more time with my wife. No corporate ladder position could lure me away from the quality time that I’m spending with them now.
What sets your cafe apart from others?
Our gorgeous brick and mortar Roastery and store, located on the Māpua Wharf, is the heart of the business. We are really lucky to be considered a bit of a destination for locals and tourists visiting the region. We’re focussing on all touch points and trying to create a multi-sensory experience with great music, aesthetically pleasing products and displays, beautiful aromas, six different specialty coffees to choose from, and friendly and helpful customer service. People are often blown away by the wide range of brewing methods and coffee accessories that we offer. Therefore, there’s always great coffee yarns being told and lots of advice being dished out on how to get the best out of your home brew.
What's your go-to coffee order?
I drink a long black, however, since going deeper down the rabbit hole of coffee (pun intended), I’ve developed a love for V60 Pour Over. We have a Rocket machine and Rocket grinder at home and that’s a great way to start the day, but I look forward to the V60 when I get into the shop. Not only are the flavours more prominent, but the process with scales and pour technique make it that much more satisfying.
When you’re not working, how do you like to spend your time?
Ha, we’re a 7 day a week business, so it’s hard to fully switch off… we’re also still in the honeymoon phase of the business and constantly discussing ways to improve our systems and processes.
As we’re still in our first year of business I’m not sure if I fully switch off, but when I have a day off it’s all about family and staying fit. We’re very fortunate to have three healthy kids who are growing up way too fast. Buying the roastery and artisan pantry business was for the lifestyle and has enabled me to spend a lot more time with our gorgeous kids. I always made time for them, but wasn’t often involved in the day to day stuff like school drop offs/pick ups. By sharing the load, it’s given me more time with them on the ‘normal’ stuff and I absolutely love it. This is why we bought the business and need to remind ourselves from time to time to put the laptop away and be there for the kids whilst we still have them at a young age.
