Best Kept Secret: Byron Bay’s Hinterland Produces Amazing Coffee

People around the world love coffee, and Australia is no exception. In fact, Australia inspired the global coffee giant Starbucks to adopt the Aussie ‘Flat White’ and add it to its menu. So if you happen to be a fan of coffee, then we just wanted to alert you to another reason to take a Byron Bay holiday: tons of incredible coffee is grown here!

You could spend your whole holiday sipping your way through a variety of Byron Bay coffee, figuring out which one is your favourite (although we guess that is just a bit too much caffeine for anyone. Best to check out the sights while you’re here too, so you don’t get too jittery!). But we certainly encourage you to taste some of the excellent Byron Bay coffee and either order online when you get home to remember your visit or purchase some bags to take home. The smell will always remind you of your awesome Byron Bay holiday, and hopefully make you want to return soon.

There are so many Byron Bay coffee companies that we couldn’t possibly list all of them, but instead we’ll highlight some, especially those where you can try their coffee while on holiday in Byron Bay.

Zentveld’s Coffee

Located about five minutes south of Bangalow, Zentveld’s Coffee has been producing coffee in the hinterland of Byron Bay since 1993. More than 20 years later and 23 medals in national coffee competitions, Zentveld’s Coffee still provides 100 percent Australian grown coffee to cafes, wholesalers and even has its own roastery café in Bangalow (Bangalow Espresso & Pizza Bar, worth a visit!).

You also can visit cafes in Byron Bay that serve Zentveld’s, like Get Toasted at 2/75 Jonson St.

However, if you’d like to see the plantation for yourself, you can visit them at 193 Broken Head Road, Newrybar. The front office will sell you their Byron Bay coffee products from 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday. Or, if you’re from Australia, then you can wait until you get home to Zentvelds Shop and have it shipped to your house.

Byron Bay Coffee Company

When the Ivancich family moved from Sydney in search of a rural lifestyle, Franco and Annie found their new home on 12 acres in the hills of Byron Bay. There they started a coffee plantation, and together Franco and Annie learned the art of roasting and blending as well as selling the beans. And they must be doing something right as Byron Bay Coffee has garnered plenty of awards at coffee competitions.

You can taste the results of more than 25 years of coffee brewing experience at many cafes around the area, including Byron Beach Café, Treehouse on Belongil and Kahwa Coffee Bar. After you taste the coffee, then you can order Byron Bay Coffee online and bring back memories of your holiday.

Kahawa Estate Coffee

Situated on the Alstonville Plateau in the Byron Bay hinterland, the Kahawa Estate Coffee Plantation was started in 2004 with the K7 variety of coffee Arabica, believed to originate from Kenya. To honor the bean seeds and the owners’ African background, the plantation’s name became Kahawa, meaning coffee in Swahili.

The plantation makes two blends of Byron Bay coffee, Magma and Lava, both of which are available through local cafes or Kahaw Estate Online Shop.

Bangalow Coffee

This Byron Bay coffee company uses more than eight acres to farm more than 7,000 coffee bushes.

Most of the crop is hand-picked, with the final crop of the season usually done by machine. Bangalow Coffee believes in farm to cup, so the beans are roasted fresh each week and sold to local markets and cafes.

You can try out Bangalow Coffee at the Byron Farmers Market, which is held every Thursday at the Butler Street Reserve from 8 to 11 am. Also, if you’re out in Bangalow, you can visit the Farmers Market there on Saturday from 8 to 11 am, behind the Bangalow Hotel, where you’ll also find Bangalow Coffee sold.

Ewingsdale Coffee

This coffee company produces 100 percent Australian organically grown coffee that is roasted locally on a weekly basis. The coffee beans are aged for 12 months before roasting to achieve maximum flavour. The final product results in four styles: Dark Roast, Café Blend, Estate Blend and Byron Blend.

This Byron Bay organic coffee is available locally at the Byron Bay Community Market, held the first Sunday of each month (and the third in December and January) at the Butler Street Reserve from 8 am to 3 pm. If you aren’t in town for your holiday at that time, you can also try the Supa IGA, Green Garage and Soul Bowl in Byron Bay. 

Bun Coffee

While Bun Coffee isn’t a coffee producer, this company roasts coffee in Byron Bay and is a popular brand. All of the company’s blends are organic, Fair Trade, shade-grown rainforest or Australian grown. Plus this roastery is certified organic and uses both local and international bean sources.

Bun Coffee is available in quite a few locations locally:

• the Arts Factory Kiosk,
• Brumby’s Bakery,
• Byron Bay Brewery,
• Circus Arts,
• Dip Café,
• Green Garage,
• Il Buco,
• Munch Juice Bar,
• Naked Treaties,
• Pantry 29,
• Santos Wholefoods,
• Supa IGA,
• The Community Table and
• The Source Bulk Foods.

Also for coffee lovers, we suggest checking out our post about the best Byron Bay coffee shops.

Plan your Byron Bay caffeine-infused holiday now!

If you’re looking for a way to test out all this Byron Bay coffee or just a great excuse to visit, then book your stay at Broken Head Holiday Park this month and next (June and July) for the whole family. You’ll be able to nab the School Holiday Special—kids stay for free when you book at least three nights at Broken Head Holiday Park! Rates start as low as $39/night. So stop making excuses and tell the family you’re going on holiday to get coffee’d up in Byron Bay!