Christchurch roasters Vivace Espresso have been judged as the producers of the best coffee in the country.
Vivace, which roasts at its Tuam St premises in Christchurch, won the supreme award for its Vivace Fairtrade Blend ahead of 270 coffees entered by 65 roasting companies in the Huhtamaki New Zealand Coffee Awards.
The judging panel, headed by coffee expert Instaurator, undertook a series of "blind tests" to pick the winners.
"The awards are proof that New Zealand's coffee industry continues to be among the finest in the world, thanks to the continuous, ongoing high standards from roasters and baristas country wide," Instaurator said.
Vivace's also won gold in the ethically traded category; Caffe Prima won best supermarket espresso; Jungle Coffee won best flat white; Coffee LaLa, Hawthorne Coffee and Veni Coffee shared gold in the best decaffeinated section; IncaFe won best plunger; Kreem won best espresso; Coffee Lab won best organic coffee.
