A working roastery.
Your group, exclusively.
Exclusive access to Common, a real commercial coffee roastery in Orakei, Auckland. No shared spaces, no other groups. The only hands-on roasting experience available to groups in Auckland.
THREE WAYS TO VISIT
Choose what fits your group
All sessions are private and led by the people who roast here every day.
Choose the format that suits your group's size and how you want to spend the time.
OPTION 01
From green to cup
4 to 10 people · 3 hours
$250
per person incl. GST
Roast coffee, learn how to pull the perfect espresso shot, taste what you made. Everyone leaves with a 100g bag of coffee they roasted and labelled themselves.
Groups of five or more split into two teams for roasting and barista parts, then re-group for the cupping.
OPTION 02
Behind the roast
6 to 20 people · 2 hours
$150
per person incl. GST
A roastery tour, a live coffee roast demonstration, and a coffee tasting. The whole group together throughout.
Everyone moves through the session together as one group.
OPTION 03
A coffee tasting
Up to 20 people · 1 hour
$500
flat fee incl. GST
A private session inside a working coffee roastery. Intro to roasting, then a guided tasting of six to eight coffees side by side.
$500 covers the whole group regardless of size.
OPTION 01
From green to cup
4 to 10 people · 3 hours · $250 per person incl. GST
The full experience. Your group roasts coffee, learns to make espresso on a commercial machine, and tastes what you made together at the end. Everyone leaves with a bag of coffee they roasted and labelled themselves.
Your group will try out a new skill together and come away with a new appreciation for their daily cup.
What happens
Groups of five or more split into two groups. One starts on the sample roaster while the other works through the espresso station, then they swap. Everyone re-groups for the cupping and packing at the end. Two facilitators run both stations simultaneously so nobody is waiting.
Roasting
01
Each person takes a turn on the sample roaster. You control the heat, listen for the beans, and decide when to end the roast.
Barista
02
You learn to pull espresso and texture milk on a commercial machine. Grind, dose, tamp, extract.
Cupping
03
A tasting of the coffee your group roasted. No vocabulary required.
Packing
04
Everyone packages and labels their own 100g of roasted coffee to take home.
OPTION 02
Behind the roast
6 to 20 people · 2 hours · $150 per person incl. GST
A private roastery tour, a live roast on the sample roaster, and a guided coffee tasting. The whole group stays together throughout. You walk through a real production floor and hear from the people who run it every day.
What happens
The whole group moves through every stage together. One facilitator leads throughout. The coffee roasted during your session is a real production batch, and everyone packages and takes home 250g of it at the end.
Roastery tour
01
You see an overview of the full process from green bean intake to finished roast.
Live roast
02
Our roaster runs a roast on the production Probat roaster and talks your group through it as the coffee develops.
Cupping
03
A tasting of a range of roasts and origins. Like a wine tasting, but for coffee.
Packing
04
Everyone packages 250g of the coffee roasted during your session to take home.
OPTION 03
A coffee tasting
Up to 20 people · 1 hour · $500 flat fee incl. GST
A private session inside a working roastery. A short intro to how coffee roasting works and why it matters, then a guided tasting of six to eight coffees side by side. The right option for larger groups who want something more than a standard activity.
What happens
Roastery introduction
01
A short walkthrough of how the roastery works and what makes one roast different from the next.
Coffee tasting
02
Six to eight coffees across different origins and roast styles. A facilitator explains what you are tasting and why the coffees differ.
Ready to book?
Sessions are available Monday to Friday. If you need a different day or time, email us at hello@commonco.nz and we’ll see what we can arrange.
FOR CORPORATE GROUPS
Planning a team event or client experience?
All three sessions work well for corporate groups. If you need an invoice, have more than 20 people, want to run back-to-back sessions, or want to discuss a bespoke format, get in touch directly at hello@commonco.nz, or using our contact form.
Invoice payment available
Corporate bookings can be invoiced. Email us and we will send a quote and invoice to match your process.
Add your company's label to every bag. Something worth keeping after the session is over.
Custom-labelled coffee as a group takeaway
Weekday sessions, Monday to Friday
Out of hour bookings can be arranged on request.
Common questions
Everything you need to know about booking a group experience at our Auckland coffee roastery.
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No. All three experiences are fully private. Your group has exclusive access to the roastery for the duration of your booking. No other groups share the space, and the session is never opened to the public.
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From green to cup is the full hands-on session for smaller groups of 4 to 10. You roast coffee, learn espresso, and take home a 100g bag you roasted yourself.
Behind the roast is a 2-hour tour, live roast, and tasting for groups of 6 to 20, where everyone stays together throughout and takes home a 250g bag of freshly roasted coffee.
A coffee tasting is a 1-hour guided tasting for up to 20 people at a flat fee, and it is the lightest format, good for larger groups or anyone wanting a shorter session.
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Yes. The sessions work well for team offsites, client experiences, onboarding, and end-of-year events. The hands-on formats naturally pair people who do not usually work together, and the tasting at the end brings everyone back into one room around something relaxed and low pressure. Nobody walks in knowing how to do this, and that shared starting point makes it easy to connect. We can also invoice corporate bookings and arrange formats for groups larger than 20. Email us at hello@commonco.nz.
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Cupping is the standard method professional tasters use to evaluate coffee. You smell and taste a range of coffees side by side to compare their flavour, aroma, and body. Think of it like a wine tasting, but for coffee. You do not need any vocabulary or prior knowledge. We show you how, and you taste and assess at your own pace. You do not have to drink everything.
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Yes. Common is a working commercial roastery with heavy equipment that runs at high temperatures, so all participants complete a brief health and safety induction before the session begins, and the session is supervised by Common staff throughout. Closed-toe shoes are required on the roastery floor. If you have any specific concerns about a participant, get in touch before booking and we will work through it with you
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The ground floor roastery, where the tour, roasting, and tasting take place, is accessible. The only part of the building that is not step-free is the upstairs training room, which is used for the barista section of From green to cup.
If anyone in your group has accessibility needs, email us at hello@commonco.nz before booking and we will work through the options with you. -
It is not a problem. The roasting process is mechanical and interesting whether or not you drink coffee.
For the tasting, you taste and assess rather than drink, the same as a wine tasting, and you can engage with just the aroma if you prefer. Nobody has to finish anything. -
For the barista section of From green to cup we provide oat milk as well as standard milk, so the session works for most dietary needs. If anyone in your group has a specific allergy or requirement, let us know at hello@commonco.nz before your session and we will accommodate where we can
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The sessions are led throughout. You do not need to prepare anything or know anything going in. The roasting and barista elements involve focus, but the kind that feels like making something rather than sitting in a seminar. The tasting at the end is relaxed and social.
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Closed-toe shoes are required on the roastery floor. No open sandals or heels. Comfortable, casual clothing is fine. You do not need to bring anything else
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We are at 4/228 Orakei Road, Orakei, in the Orakei Bay Village, next to Ampersand Eatery. Free parking is available in front of the roastery or in front of Plant Barn nearby.
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Two to three weeks ahead is ideal, particularly if you want a specific date or a morning slot. Morning sessions are recommended for the tasting experiences. You can book weekday sessions directly online. For corporate bookings or groups needing an invoice, email hello@commonco.nz.
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We ask for at least five business days notice to cancel or reschedule. Cancellations inside that window may be subject to a 50% fee. We will always try to find an alternative date if something comes up.
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Yes. If you want to add time, customise the format, or arrange something for a larger group, email us at hello@commonco.nz and we’ll work something out.