Best coffee

New Zealanders love their coffee and it's not difficult to find a decent cup. Competition to roast the best coffee in the country is intense and roasters spend two days a year trying to convince 12 judges they're good enough to be judged champion coffee at annual championships.

The winner of the Supreme Award at the 2009 New Zealand Coffee Awards was Auckland roasters Altura Coffee. They beat about 250 other coffees from 63 coffee roasters.

Altura's Eclipse blend, which won Gold in the Flat White category, received the highest number of points of any coffee at the awards.

The Supreme Award is awarded to the coffee that receives the highest number of points over all eight coffee categories.

Winners

Supreme Award

Altura Coffee (Auckland)
Eclipse Flat White Blend

Cafe magazine Trophy - New Zealand Espresso

Gold
Rush (Wellsford)

Silver
Celcius (Wellington), Matakana Coffee

Bronze
Robert Harris, Excelso (Tauranga), Fixation (Papamoa)

Anchor Trophy - Traditional Flat White

Gold
Altura

Silver
Rush (Wellsford), Barista@Home, Orb

Bronze
Chiasso (Auckland), BP Wild Bean, Altezano (Auckland)

Detpak Trophy - Ethically Traded Coffee - Espresso

Gold
Switch (Christchurch)

Silver
Bruno Rossi, Kokako (Auckland), Switch (Christchurch)

Bronze
Pomeroys (Nelson), Toxic (Nelson)

Waiwera Mineral Water Trophy - Organic Coffee

Gold
Robert Harris

Silver
Volt (Auckland), Altura (Auckland)

Bronze
Celcius (Wellington), Coffee Lala (Coromandel), Switch (Napier)

Heritage Hotels - Supermarket Plunger Blend

Gold
Jungle (Auckland)

Silver
Barista@Home, Celcius (Wellington)

Bronze
Avalanche (Auckland), Coffee Lala (Coromandel), Karajoz (Auckland), Switch (Napier)

MIT Trophy - Supermarket Filter Blend

Gold
Havoc (Wanganui)

Silver
Robert Harris, Revive (Wellington)

Bronze
Hawthorne (Havelock North), Karajoz (Auckland), Celcius (Wellington)

Foodservice Filter/Plunger

Gold
Wildcat (New Plymouth)

Silver
Robert Harris, Hawthorne (Havelock North)

Bronze
Volt (Auckland), Switch (Christchurch), Toasted Espresso (Auckland).

Decaf Coffee

Gold
Volt (Auckland)

Silver
Karajoz (Auckland), Coffee Lab (Auckland)

Bronze
Altura (Auckland), Coffee Lala (Coromandel), Bruno Rossi