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Auckland · New Zealand

Allpress Espresso

Since 1986 · Michael Allpress

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Overview

Allpress Espresso was established in 1986 by Michael Allpress, who left a chef career to run New Zealand's first espresso cart at an Auckland market after a Seattle trip in his late twenties exposed him to the Pacific Northwest specialty revival. Allpress designed his own hot air ('A.R.T.') roasters in-house, expanded into Sydney with restaurateur Tony Papas in 2000, opened London Shoreditch in 2010, and opened Tokyo Kiba in 2014. Japanese beverage giant Asahi acquired the company in 2021 in a deal reportedly above NZD 50 million.

Known for

  • Proprietary A.R.T. (Air Roasting Technology) hot-air fluidized-bed roasters designed in-house
  • Allpress Espresso Blend — the signature Brazil/Colombia/Guatemala/Sumatra recipe refined since 1986
  • Roasteries in Auckland, Dunedin, Sydney, Melbourne, Tokyo Kiba and London Dalston supplying 1,500-plus tonnes annually to over 2,000 cafes worldwide
  • Acquisition by Asahi (2021) — one of the largest specialty coffee acquisitions in Australasia
  • Around 20% wholesale share of New Zealand's fresh coffee bean market

Why it matters

Allpress is the reference point for how an Antipodean specialty roaster scales internationally without abandoning espresso-first identity. The hot-air roasting platform — built rather than bought — gives the company a distinctive, consistent flavour profile that has defined New Zealand espresso style for two decades and helped establish credible specialty operations in Tokyo and London.

Production

destoning
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head roaster
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color sorting
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roaster machine
Proprietary A.R.T. hot-air (fluidized-bed) roasters designed in-house
filter equipment
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cupping frequency
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roastery location
Auckland (founding); plus roasteries in Dunedin, Sydney, Melbourne, Tokyo Kiba, London Dalston
espresso equipment
La Marzocco partnership since 1992 (named La Marzocco AU/NZ Roaster in Residence 2023)
annual volume tonnes
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Café

Multiple Allpress Roastery & Cafe and Espresso Bar locations across six cities

Recognitions

  • Acquired by Asahi (2021) — reported deal value above NZD 50 million
  • La Marzocco Roaster in Residence — Australia and New Zealand (2023)

Sources

More roasters