NEW Te Uku Roast Office presents The Cartoon moon…

The Te Uku Roast Office is drive-by coffee, on your way over or back from the hill. Opened for a month now, the renovations took ten weeks from whoa to go. The integrity of the building remains with minimal alterations to the original Post Office built in 1924, however it is now coffee that is dispensed rather then stamps. The gallery is at home in the former postal accommodation that was added on in 1935; the focus is to support local emerging artists providing a platform irrespective of media or genre.
The Cartoon Moon by Mike Cooke seemed a serendipitous start to what is sure to become a welcome arena for exhibiting artists at the newly opened Te Uku Roast Office; formerly the Te Uku Post Office until its closure in 1988. Ernest C. Moon was the very first postmaster of Te Uku in 1894 and held the position for 30 odd years — whilst not remarkable in itself — the coincidence of his name and that of the inaugural exhibition is. Furthermore Ernest C. Moon was born unable to walk and without the use of his hands. He was an intellect passionate about the arts and known for his watercolour paintings, some of which are now overseas. Not one to be set back by a disability, he painted with his feet. Te Uku Roast is a partnership — part extension of the popular Raglan Roast/ Bobo’s in Volcom Lane — between Tony Bruce, Bobo Tenbroek and Andrew McGregor. Each has their respective role in the business ensuring that we — that collective of discerning caffeine fiends — shall not go without, whether in Kaitaia or Stewart Island or anywhere in between. However the beans are sourced from much further afield. Purchased through Trade Aid, from fair trade coffee growers in Asia, Africa and South America, Raglan Roast is part of an independent funding initiative that nurtures the next generation of coffee growers by ensuring ethical trading and sustainable planting.
Raglan Roast was voted Raglans Best Coffee in a recent on-line poll of 170 people and it shows in the dedication of the crew. The Te Uku Roast Office is open from 6 am to catch the mad o’clock commuters which means most mornings Tony Bruce is already out on the water by 5 am, paddling over on his board from Te Akau. Something in the coffee perhaps?
www.raglanroast.co.nz
Available for purchase at Te Uku Roast and Raglan Information Centre is the lively and entertaining History of The Te Uku Post Office by local artist and writer Dot Williams.