Red Rabbit Coffee Co.

Red Rabbit Coffee Co. is an independent roastery based in Wellington, New Zealand, founded by Steve Barrett, who operates as both owner and head roaster. The business traces its origins to Hannah Laneway in Wellington's Central Business District, where Barrett set out to build something distinct in a city with an already competitive specialty coffee scene.

A 2015 feature in Perfect Daily Grind described Barrett's core aim as simply wanting "to be different" — a stripped-down philosophy that resisted the brand-heavy posturing common in third-wave marketing. That same profile positioned Red Rabbit as a solo, independently owned operation rather than an offshoot of a larger hospitality group. Sprudge also covered the roastery's early presence on Hannah Laneway, noting its CBD footprint at launch.

The current lineup reflects a focused sourcing approach across two tracks. On the espresso side, Red Rabbit offers a house Burrow Blend, a Yirgacheffe from Ethiopia, a Hopper Espresso, and a Colombian mountain-water decaf. Filter roasts span Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe, Brazil's Mogiana region, and Colombia's Aponte — a geographically varied but tightly curated set of origins. Retail prices run NZD $18–$28, placing the roastery in the mid-to-upper specialty tier for the New Zealand market. The about page describes an "independent New Zealand roastery with a deep respect for process" — language that tracks with the operational ethos Barrett articulated in earlier press.