Raglan Roast Tahunanui is the brand's only South Island store, sitting across from Tahunanui Beach in Nelson. It's described as offering good coffee, good people, and plenty of space to kick back.
Raglan Roast itself started back in the early 2000s when a few barefoot surfers went looking for a strong brew to power through their day, brewing coffee on an old machine out the back of a Raglan surf shop and serving their community on a koha (donation) payment system. Tony and Bobo went on to develop their own coffee blend using an old roaster and found parts, and the hole-in-the-wall spot on Volcom Lane began drawing a steady flow of locals and tourists.
From those beginnings, Raglan Roast has grown into a small chain of stores across the country, each with its own feel shaped by local staff and community, while staying true to small-batch roasting and Fair Trade Certified beans.
Raglan Roast Tahunanui is the brand's only South Island location, sitting across from Tahunanui Beach in Nelson. It's described simply as offering good coffee, good people, and plenty of space to kick back — a fitting outpost for a coffee brand that started life on a beach.
Raglan Roast's story began in the early 2000s, when a group of barefoot surfers went looking for a strong brew to get them through the day. Using an old coffee machine out the back of a surf shop, they started serving their local community, running on a koha payment system built on trust. Tony and Bobo took things further, using an old roaster, a weed killer blow torch and some found parts to develop their own coffee blend, and the resulting hole-in-the-wall on Volcom Lane in Raglan began pulling in a steady stream of locals and tourists.
Out of that grew 'The Book Deal,' an extension of the koha system built on honesty and loyalty — handy for surfers who turned up without their wallets. From those humble beginnings, Raglan Roast has grown into a nationwide chain of stores, each shaped by the staff and community around it, while still chasing the next spot to set up shop.
Raglan Roast roasts its coffee in small batches, using custom-built roasters and green beans sourced from Fair Trade Certified origins around the world, where growers' fair wages and working conditions are treated with the same importance as flavour. The brand describes its approach as staying true to tasty, quality coffee served with speed at an honest price.
The Tahunanui store carries that same ethos into the South Island, giving Nelson locals and visitors a coffee stop right across from the beach. It's a spot with room to settle in, whether you're grabbing a coffee on the way past or taking your time.
For regular drinkers, Raglan Roast also runs a subscription service, letting customers set up a recurring order of their favourite blend delivered straight to their door.
Raglan Roast Tahunanui is open Monday to Saturday from 6:30am to 2:30pm, and Sunday from 7am to 2:30pm. It's located at Shops 4/5, 623 Rocks Road, Tahunanui, Nelson, and can be reached by phone for enquiries.