Coffee Culture Redwood is a community coffee shop on Main North Road in the heart of Redwood, Christchurch. Ian and Sheree Herber opened the doors in September 2006 and have been thrilled by the support of both locals and visitors ever since. Their goal is simple and unchanged: excellent service and great coffee in an environment where people from all walks of life can enjoy a break.
The store is part of the Coffee Culture family, a New Zealand coffee brand dating back to 1996 with more than 20 stores. Coffee is made from the company's carefully in-house roasted beans, prepared by baristas trained through its E.S.P. programme, and great food is available in store alongside the coffee menu.
Practicalities are well covered too. Doors open at 7am on weekdays and 8am on weekends, closing at 6pm, seven days a week. Free WiFi is available in all stores, and the Textpresso service lets you order ahead by text on (021) 0519471 — so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy your coffee without the wait.
Coffee Culture Redwood occupies a friendly spot on Main North Road in the heart of Redwood, Christchurch. It is exactly what its own page promises: a place to come on in, sit back, relax, and enjoy a coffee. For locals in Christchurch's northern suburbs it has become a dependable daily stop — a community coffee shop where the coffee is taken seriously and everyone, from all walks of life, is welcome.
The store was opened in September 2006 by Ian and Sheree Herber, and the couple have been pouring for the neighbourhood ever since. They have described themselves as thrilled by the support the shop has received from locals and visitors alike over the years. Their aim has stayed the same from day one: to provide excellent service and great coffee in an environment where people from all walks of life can enjoy a break.
That openness shapes the experience. Whether you are grabbing a quick pick-me-up before work, meeting a friend mid-morning, or calling in on a quiet afternoon, the welcome is the same — and it is a big part of why the shop has kept its regulars for so long.
Redwood is one of more than 20 Coffee Culture stores around New Zealand, from Christchurch spots like Riccarton, Sumner and The Palms to Kaiapoi, Rangiora, Lincoln, Timaru and Wanaka. The brand has been part of New Zealand cafe life since 1996, and that experience shows in what happens behind the counter.
Coffee Culture roasts its own beans — the carefully in-house roasted beans its teams are trained to bring the very best from. Baristas learn their craft through the company's E.S.P. programme, designed to teach the secrets of pulling the perfect espresso. The group takes coffee seriously enough to keep its stores open 364 days a year, and beyond the counter it runs the Coffee Culture Charitable Foundation and the Culturecard for regulars. For Redwood, that means big-brand consistency with a neighbourhood feel.
Coffee is the headline act. Expect the classics done properly: a well-pulled espresso — 'the perfect espresso is something we all love', as the company puts it — or a smooth latte, both built on those in-house roasted beans. If you are new, the espresso and latte are the natural starting points. Nothing on offer is complicated. It is coffee done consistently, day after day, which is exactly what most people want from their local.
Great food is available in store as well, making it an easy answer to breakfast, a lunch break or an afternoon treat alongside your cup.
If you are in a hurry, skip the queue with Textpresso: text your order to (021) 0519471 and it will be ready for you. The store can also be reached on (03) 354 0407 if you would rather call ahead. Free WiFi runs in all Coffee Culture stores, Redwood included, so bringing a laptop and settling in for an hour is a perfectly reasonable way to spend the morning.
Coffee Culture Redwood opens seven days a week: from 7am to 6pm on weekdays, and from 8am to 6pm on weekends. Early birds can get their first coffee of the day from 7am Monday to Friday, while weekend visitors enjoy a slightly gentler start.
You will find the shop at 286 Main North Road, easy to reach for anyone in Redwood or passing through the north of Christchurch. Whether you have been coming since the Herbers first opened in 2006 or you are a visitor passing through, the formula that has kept this place busy is refreshingly simple: excellent service, great coffee, good food and a seat where you can sit back, relax, and take a proper break from whatever the day holds. And if you plan to become a regular, Textpresso is worth saving in your phone.