Megan Wyper: a local guide to coffee

Megan Wyper is co-owner of local business Acme with business partner Paddy Kennedy. Under the Acme umbrella, they design and make products for the café industry. Their cups, crockery, and cutlery can be found in the hands of coffee aficionados across Aotearoa and the world. As a talented roaster and barista herself, Megan knows a thing or two about what makes a good coffee. And as a local Wellingtonian, she’s got her finger on the pulse for where to find one. 

‘C’ is for coffee and community 

There’s nothing quite like the hubbub of a busy café. Megan loves the big venues like Prefab and L’affare. These seat 150 to 180 people and work like well-oiled machines. For Megan, spaces like these “create a strong sense of community”. Despite its modest size, Megan thinks Goods in Thorndon has all the bustle and buzz of a large café. “There’s always a queue waiting to get in and the staff are happy. It’s where you want to be on a Saturday morning.” 

Customs on Ghuznee Street captures a similar sense of community. A communal table sits in the middle of a narrow room, along with some small wall-mounted tables down one side. Its north-facing aspect and wide footpath out front attract sun seekers. “You can’t be incognito at Customs — you always bump into someone you know. That’s the fun, you feel part of the neighbourhood.” Megan thinks people sometimes forget what a café really does. It’s not just about providing coffee and food, it builds a sense of community. “Previously, we would have met at the Cossie Club [a type of private social club] or Working Men’s Club in the evening. That trend has moved to cafés. It provides a meeting point where we connect as a community”. 

It’s more than just a good cuppa 

Being sandwiched between a harbour and the Cook Strait, Wellington is not short of fabulous views. But when Megan is looking for a view to accompany her coffee, she looks inside instead of outside. Cafés attached to roasteries and bakeries are her go-tos. “The sense of industry is wonderful to be around”, she says. Baker Gramercy in the city fringe suburb of Berhampore is a regular haunt. “You can sit up at the window seating waiting for your coffee to be made and watch fresh croissant coming out of the ovens”. The House of Good Fortune in Petone has the same set-up, but instead of a bakery producing fantastic smells, it’s a coffee roastery. 

A profession reaching new heights 

For Megan, the ultimate Wellington coffee experience involves Sketchbook Coffee on Lukes Lane. “These guys are coffee professionals — redefining the idea of having a career in coffee.” The four owners at Sketchbook cut their teeth on the coffee competition circuit. For them, presentation is paramount to coffee drinking. Serving in different vessels creates different experiences. They also have a rotating roster of guest roasteries supplying beans and offer brew bars (an area for specialist coffee-making methods). Megan explains that this is a manual process that takes time and effort. “The barista must give all their attention to the one process.” It allows for a nuanced and flavourful extraction. Megan thinks this sums up the Wellington coffee experience. “It’s evolved into a professional art”.