Pomeroys Old Brewery Inn on Kilmore Street is the Central City Christchurch home of a name that matters to New Zealand coffee and tea drinkers: Pomeroy's, family owned and operated since 1989, and roasting and producing award-winning coffee from Nelson for over 30 years — making it one of the oldest family-run coffee businesses in Aotearoa.
Coffee runs from house blends to single origins, with subscriptions for regular deliveries and a collaboration roast with What a Lad, one of the country's top sports podcasts. Tea is just as serious: more than 100 different loose leaf teas spanning black, white, green, oolong, herbal, fruit, rooibos and teas from China — no tea bags in sight.
Around the drinks sits a well-chosen range of gear and treats: espresso machines, filter machines, stovetops, plungers and grinders for home brewers, teapots and infusers for tea drinkers, and shelves of New Zealand and Nelson-made sweets — craft chocolate, chocolate covered coffee beans, fudge, panforte and more. It is a stop with real depth, whether you are after your next bag of beans, a tea to get lost in, or a gift for the brew-obsessed.
On Kilmore Street in Central City Christchurch, Pomeroys Old Brewery Inn carries a name with serious pedigree behind it. Pomeroy's Coffee and Tea Co. has been roasting and producing award-winning coffee from Nelson, New Zealand for more than 30 years, making it one of the oldest family-run coffee businesses in Aotearoa. Family owned and operated since 1989, it has grown up alongside New Zealand's love affair with good coffee without ever losing the personal, hands-on character that only a family firm keeps.
The Pomeroy's philosophy starts with experience. As the team puts it themselves, there is something about experience that can't be replicated no matter how hard you try. Three decades of roasting builds exactly that: an instinct for blends, an eye for single origins, and a feel for what makes a cup worth coming back to.
The coffee range covers the essentials and then some. House blends deliver the dependable, balanced cups that suit every morning, while single origins invite curious drinkers to explore what individual growing regions bring to the table. For regulars, subscriptions take the chore out of running low — set your favourites to re-order automatically on your own schedule, adjust upcoming deliveries, and pause or cancel any time.
There is even a coffee with a storyline attached. What a Lad is Pomeroy's collaboration with one of New Zealand's top sports podcasts, hosted by James Marshall, a professional rugby player who has played in New Zealand, the UK and Japan. Marshall catches up with some of the greats of the game and lets them share their journeys to the top, classic yarns included. The idea is simple: sit back with a brew from Pomeroy's and hear what these sports stars are really like off the field.
If coffee is one half of the Pomeroy's identity, tea is very much the other — and it is a serious half. The range runs to more than 100 different teas, one of the largest selections you will find, and true to form there is not a tea bag in sight. Black, white, green and oolong teas sit alongside herbal and fruit infusions, dedicated teas from China, and rooibos. Whether you want a brisk breakfast brew, something delicate for the afternoon or a caffeine-free wind-down, there is a shelf here with your name on it — and every cup promises a small sensory journey.
Tea drinkers are properly equipped too, with teapots, infusers and accessories for doing loose leaf justice.
Brewing a great coffee or tea takes good gear, and the shelves run end to end: from top-of-the-line home espresso machines and filter machines to stovetops and plungers — whether that is a proper brew at the bench or a decent cup out in the wilderness. Grinders come in domestic, hand and commercial styles, and there is brew gear, barista tools, cleaners and spare parts to keep a setup humming.
The treats and gifts selection is a highlight in its own right: artisan sweets and New Zealand and Nelson-made products including chocolate, biscuits, sweets, chocolate covered coffee beans, fudge, crackers, panforte, truffles, nuts and honey. Look out for award-winning Hogarth craft chocolate, Bennetts chocolate bars, Pomeroy's own chai powder and drinking chocolate, and a spicy hazelnut and chipotle chilli brittle for anyone who likes a little heat with their sweetness. Add Shott syrups, Acme teaspoons, Zero Japan teacups, a hand-painted Robert Gordon creamer and gift vouchers, and present-buying largely solves itself.
Pomeroys Old Brewery Inn sits at 292 Kilmore Street in Central City Christchurch. It is a natural stop for anyone building a home coffee setup, hunting down a particular tea, or after a gift with genuine craft behind it. Opening hours and a phone number are not listed for this location, so it is worth confirming details through Pomeroy's website or social channels before you set out.
Two final pointers: Pomeroy's online brewing guides are well worth a read before you start tinkering with your setup, and if a bag of beans becomes a fixture in your kitchen, the subscription option means it never quietly disappears. Few things improve an ordinary Tuesday like great coffee arriving just before you realise you needed it.