tags: [] - coffee/business - coffee/business/roasters aliases: - Allpress - Allpress Coffee created: 2026-05-10 updated: 2026-05-10

Allpress Espresso¶

Tags: #coffee/business #coffee/business/roasters Aliases: Allpress, Allpress Coffee Related: Specialty Coffee MOC | Coffee Business MOC | Espresso MOC Status: ✅ Complete

Overview¶

Allpress Espresso is a specialty coffee roastery founded in 1986 in Auckland, New Zealand, by Michael Allpress, making it one of the oldest specialty coffee businesses in the Southern Hemisphere. Beginning as a mobile espresso cart at Auckland markets, Allpress grew into a significant wholesale roaster with operations in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Japan. The company played a formative role in developing New Zealand's café culture and later helped introduce Australasian coffee standards to the London specialty scene.

Founding and Early History¶

Michael Allpress founded the business in Auckland in 1986, at a time when specialty coffee was nascent in New Zealand and espresso culture was largely unfamiliar to the general public. The original operation was a mobile espresso cart serving Auckland markets — a model that allowed Allpress to build a customer base and demonstrate espresso quality in a low-overhead format.

As demand grew, the business transitioned into wholesale coffee roasting, supplying cafés and restaurants across Auckland and eventually throughout New Zealand. Allpress's early commitment to espresso quality and consistent standards helped shape the expectations of both café operators and consumers in the New Zealand market.

Role in New Zealand Coffee Culture¶

Allpress Espresso is widely credited with contributing to the development of New Zealand's specialty coffee culture, particularly the emphasis on high-quality espresso and skilled barista technique that has since become a defining characteristic of the Australasian café model. The company's wholesale relationships with cafés helped raise the floor of espresso quality across the country during the 1990s and 2000s.

New Zealand's café culture — characterised by precise milk-based drinks, skilled baristas, and food-forward menus — developed partly in parallel with Allpress's growth and influence.

International Expansion¶

Allpress expanded beyond New Zealand to establish roasteries and operations in multiple international markets:

Sydney, Australia: An early expansion into the Australian market, establishing Allpress as an Australasian rather than solely New Zealand roaster.

London, United Kingdom: Allpress opened a roastery and café on Redchurch Street in East London from approximately 2010 onward. This location became an influential destination in London's growing specialty coffee scene and played a notable role in introducing Australasian café culture — flat whites, high technical barista standards, and food-forward menus — to British consumers and café operators. The Redchurch Street roastery is considered one of the early anchors of London's East End coffee culture.

Tokyo, Japan: Allpress established operations in Japan, where the company's commitment to espresso quality and consistent standards was well received by the Japanese market, which has a long tradition of appreciating precision and craft in coffee preparation.

Allpress is considered one of the first Australasian coffee businesses to successfully establish a presence in both the UK and Japan, demonstrating that the Australasian café model could translate across culturally distinct markets.

Business Model¶

Allpress operates primarily as a wholesale roaster, supplying cafés, restaurants, and hospitality businesses across its markets. The company maintains a range of blends and single-origin coffees, with the wholesale supply model remaining central to the business structure. Michael Allpress has remained involved with the company, which continues to operate as a privately held business.

Key Facts¶

Founded 1986, Auckland, New Zealand
Founded by Michael Allpress
One of the oldest specialty coffee roasters in the Southern Hemisphere
Began as a mobile espresso cart at Auckland markets
Expanded to Sydney, London, and Tokyo
Redchurch Street roastery, East London, opened approximately 2010 and became influential in the UK specialty coffee scene
Primarily a wholesale roaster supplying cafés and restaurants
Helped introduce Australasian café culture (flat whites, skilled baristas, food-forward menus) to the UK market
Remains privately held

References¶

This article is part of All-About-Coffee.com - The comprehensive coffee knowledgebase.