Editorial - The coffee capital

The coffee capital by Ben Christie
Coffee. It’s been called a brown reason to live – a sentiment I can certainly relate to. There’s nothing quite like a good cup of coffee to fortify yourself before heading out to face the day, and we here in Wellington are lucky to live in one of the coffee capitals of the world.

Twenty years ago this year, Jeff Kennedy opened Caffe L’affare and began roasting coffee out the back. Geoff Marsland had already opened Midnight Espresso on Cuba Street in 1989, and would start Havana Coffee Works a short time later. So which event was more important in the history of Wellington coffee? They argue about it in our cover story. Joining them is Chris Dillon, who opened Reds Café on Willis Street in 1992 and started Coffee Supreme… thus completing the holy trinity of Wellington coffee.

Seeing as we’ve been roasting our own beans in this city and perfecting the art of espresso for so long, we thought it was time to celebrate these pioneers who helped shape Wellington’s culture. Who knows how many brave decisions or great works of art were fuelled by our local caffeine connoisseurs?

Coffee sales will be on the rise over the coming months because winter is coming! But wait, don’t panic… before you rush to book a holiday in Fiji – unable to face the reality that summer has gone – take some time to pause and reflect on the wonderful time of year that is autumn. We introduce you to some of the constitutionals available to Wellingtonians; it’s time to take to the hills and witness what is the most colourful change of season.

We have some photos in the Aquarium this month of the lauch party for FishHead, held at the overseas terminal. It was a great night and we’d like to thank everyone who came and supported us.

Also in this issue, we visit the Wairarapa town of Carterton to explore the craft explosion happening there, and take a look at the blossoming artisan food producers on the Kapiti Coast. For fans of the beautiful game, we sit down with Ricki Herbert and discuss the rise of the Phoenix and the upcoming World Cup.

As we approach the winter months, health is an issue on many of our minds. It’s certainly on Duncan Garner’s mind, who offers something personal in his political column this month with a letter to health minister Tony Ryall.

Adie McClelland presents an all-in-one seafood stew that I can see becoming a staple this autumn/winter; a delicious way to spend a rainy Sunday. Perhaps one of the wines reviewed by Nicola Belsham would be a nice accompaniment? Even the much maligned varietal getting a modern-day makeover… Together with your copy of FishHead, you’re all set!

Summer may be gone but there’s no looking back. Some important events are on the horizon, including the local-body elections, so now’s the time to start examining the issues that matter to you and where each candidate stands. Our opinion column this month reflects one very unhappy group of local ratepayers – scooter riders – who believe they are being unfairly targeted. Yes, democracy is alive and well, and the people are making their voices heard! And we here at FishHead are very happy to be a part of that process.

Ben Christie
editor@fishhead.co.nz

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