Switch is your locally-owned and operated Christchurch coffee roaster

Switch is your locally-owned and operated Christchurch coffee roaster

At Switch we’re super proud of the fact we’re 100% New Zealand owned and operated. This is a genuine Christchurch operation that started in New Brighton in 2006 and we now operate out of our boutique roastery in Middleton.

Founder Hamish worked his way up through the Christchurch café scene, and since he now runs a roastery you could say he never really left. The roastery has had a few homes over the years, but it’s never left the city, and it remains the passion of the coffee-loving team who run it.

We’re a small crew who live and breathe coffee. Switch is an independent roaster, so we’re not ruled by the big fellas in the coffee world, and we get the freedom to do our own thing. That means we can follow our passions of sustainable and ethical coffee and packaging, and source great-tasting beans directly from some of the world’s coolest growers for unique and flavourful coffee blends. We’ve also got state-of-the-art technology like our Joper coffee roaster and industry-leading sustainability initiatives and delivery methods. In Christchurch, we hand deliver coffee beans in reusable buckets to prevent plastic bags going in the bin, which gives us a great chance to check in on how things are going around town.

We’re part of a tight-knit local network in Christchurch and around the South Island, supporting local businesses, cafés and coffee stores to provide excellent and sustainable coffee. Our partners are all great businesses we trust who brew up fantastic Switch Espresso.

The Switch team is made up of a bunch of coffee professionals who are experts in their respective fields. Wholesale manager Jeremy is a coffee retail expert who in a previous life was head roaster at an Auckland roastery. We’ve also got Shane, a technician who speaks the language of espresso machines, and Chiara. She’s one of only two New Zealand Specialty Coffee Association (NZSCA) accredited barista trainers in the South Island and helps baristas at our partner cafés make the absolute most of the Switch Espresso they’re working with.

And we walk the coffee talk – as well as supplying coffee to great cafés we run three of our own: the award-winning Black Betty on Madras Street, coffee chemistry lab Bunsen at The Arts Centre, and Industrie right here at the roastery.

And of course, we’re your local supplier of high-quality coffee beans, ground coffee, brewing equipment and loose-leaf tea. You can order from our website, or swing by the roastery in Birmingham Drive for roasted beans direct from the source. While you’re there, pop in to our Industrie Espresso Bar to taste our award-winning The Rev blend – as local as it gets.