Sketchbook Coffee

Barista competitions in New Zealand and overseas have helped build the skills of a quartet of coffee professionals. Their café, Sketchbook Coffee, is a hub of top-tier barista skills, along with a welcoming atmosphere. 

There is a glittering array of coffee options when you walk into Sketchbook Coffee. The Taranaki Street sun trap offers standard espresso coffees along with an array of other choices. Be a little adventurous and select from cold brew, batch brew, pour-overs, and signature drinks. The cabinet of beautifully presented café snacks provides a great accompaniment. 

Every two months the team at Sketchbook Coffee invites a new coffee roastery to supply beans. Depending on when you visit you might try a local, New Zealand, or international roast. Most cafés align themselves with one roastery, so Sketchbook Coffee’s approach is a unique one. 

Sketchbook Coffee is the brainchild of four baristas with a passion for coffee — and a competitive streak. Logan Collinge, Nico Nozaki, Honoka Kawashima, and Long Nguyen all cut their teeth competing in barista competitions. “We’d all been kicking around the coffee scene for a while and discovered that we shared similar values. It naturally led to opening a business together,” says Logan. He sums up the Sketchbook values as always aspiring to be better and creating a holistic experience for visitors. 

The calibre of the team is impressive. Logan coaches barista competitors. The other three owners are judges, latte art specialists, and international award-winners. Logan says their technical prowess comes in handy “We’ve created a team that can pivot to any curve ball”. It’s not just about the perfect extraction, however. Sketchbook Coffee wants the whole experience to wow you. From the greeting you get when you walk in, to the vessel they serve your coffee in — everything is calibrated to make your coffee ritual relaxed.