Mark Tantrum
Nespresso and Wellington seem to be natural bedfellows: Wellingtonians pride themselves on a decent cup, while Nespresso aims to bring the café experience into the home with its high-pressure machines as well as its gourmet coffees. And while Wellingtonians love supporting their local brands, Nespresso’s new upscale boutique on Lambton Quay, which opened last week, appeals to those who want not only to replicate the coffee professionals make, but customize their blend exactly to their tastes.
The 21 Nespresso grands crus include a coffee for every palate, while the range of coffee machines seems to grow regularly with more innovations.
Hosted by Guillaume Chesneau, Nespresso’s country manager who travelled from Auckland, and in the presence of HE the Swiss Ambassador Mario Weichelt Krupski, the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon John Key, Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker, and actor–director Taika Waititi, the launch of the Wellington boutique was suitably classy and in line with the swish gadgetry Nespresso is known for. Wellington personalities such as famed restaurateur Martin Bosley, Museum Art Hotel proprietor Chris Parkin, Yellow Brick Road’s Rachel Taulelei, and The Wellingtonista editor Joanna McLeod were present, too, while Lucire was represented by fashion editor Sopheak Seng and publisher Jack Yan. Warren Maxwell (Ngāi Tūhoe) performed live music.
The PM relayed in his speech that of the Key household’s two coffee machines—one very expensive, professional one, and the consumer-market Nespresso—it was the latter that was still working, before noting that he would support the grands crus in the blue packaging in advance of the 2014 General Election.
Waititi, meanwhile, was responsible for the artwork outside the store, made out of Nespresso capsules (it can be seen on this fan site on Tumblr).
The boutique is located at 215–29 Lambton Quay, Wellington, New Zealand.
Mark Tantrum
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