Caffe L’affare was born on 25 February in 1990 in Wellington

At that time our founder Jeff Kennedy was virtually a lone player in providing fresh roasted coffee.

Jeff could be found at the College Street premises working away at his Petrocini roaster. It was here that he created our signature blend Primo.

Jeff would roast the beans every morning, post blend them, as we still do and then get in his truck in the afternoon and deliver them to cafes around Wellington.

Caffe L’affare literally means The Coffee Business. Our illustrations tell the story of Enzo L'affare, an Italian émigré who yearned for the brew of espresso from home and brought it to our shores.

The name might be Italian, but the company is definitely kiwi in spirit. We look for new and fun ways to live and work. Just come into the cafe and you'll sense the life and energy of Jeff Kennedy. In fact you'll probably see Jeff himself sitting on table 21, the large communal table at the back of the cafe, playing poker or talking to customers.

Jeff is affectionately known as the Godfather of NZ Espresso. He was the first recipient of the NZ Coffee Roasters' Association Lifetime Achievement Award.

Jeff made sure you could have the same great coffee at home by taking his fresh roasted coffee to supermarkets. It was a scandalous move at the time, today Primo is New Zealand’s favourite coffee.