I’ve been seeing silicon and ceramic takeaway coffee cups everywhere and have been feeling really guilty about getting my coffee in disposable cups, even though they are recyclable. I have finally found a New Zealand made one though, check out Ideal Cup, made in Wellington. According to their website, if you purchase one drink a day in a disposable cup you create 10.5kg of waste in a year!

At the moment these cups come with a "classic takeaway" lid which is resusable and biodegradable but the company is hoping to release an 'ideal lid' later this week. The can also make the cups in any colour (if ordering over 300) and print company/cafe logos and infomation.

I know coffee isn't grown here but I consider it to be made here.

There are 136 roasterys in New Zealand about nine of which are in Christchurch.

Of the Christchurch ones Addington, Izon, Ris'tretto, Switch Espresso and Underground Coffee all have 100% Fairtrade organic coffee.

C4, Contract Coffee Roasters (or Caffe Prima), Hummingbird and Vivace Espresso all have the option of Fairtrade organic.

I usually buy Hummingbird or Switch coffee. That's probably because Underground seems to be in almost every cafe, especially on campus and the guy that set up Switch is a friend of a friend kind of thing...and both are really consistent with flavour!

That doesn’t mean the others aren’t good though. Addington Coffee Co-Op have a funky wee cafe and according to their website, “invest their profits back into the communities that bring us this growing range of exquisite products.” C4 also have an amazing cafe but it’s in the opposite direction of where I usually go. Vivace I have seen around but have only ever had one or two so can’t judge the flavour as every barista makes a different coffee. As for Izon and Ris’tretto, I haven’t seen them around town at all!