When you step into Pirate Coffee, you’re not just grabbing a cup — you’re walking into a space that’s built like a marae: open, welcoming, and family-friendly. A place to connect, kōrero, and share stories over a brew.
Our head roaster, Damo, is a proud Kiwi (and yes, according to Big Seven Travel, the Kiwi accent is officially the sexiest in the world — we’ve been coasting on that since 2019).
His whakapapa reaches across Ngāti Kahungunu and Taranaki, with threads back to Scotland and England.
In our wider whānau you’ll find stories of explorers and warriors — George Lowe, who climbed alongside Sir Ed; Hinemanuhiri, a fierce leader from Ngāi Tamaterangi — and while Lewis Hamilton only shares the surname, we’ll claim him anyway!
What’s in a name?
Some of our most loved coffees carry Māori names that hold deep meaning for us and our customers - the names Tangaroa (meaning god of the sea) and Tu Meke (choice one, too much, too good) are Maori names and give a strong sense of meaning to our family business, roots back to NZ, specifically our Maori heritage.
Tangaroa associates itself with the surrounding waters of where we roast in Port Stephens, with connectivity back to our waterways in New Zealand. Tangaroa is also our most awarded coffee and really is a bit of a standout blend for us.
Tu Meke is our strong dark roasted coffee. “Too much” is a colloquial term for something that’s awesome and is usually preceded by “far out, that’s too much” – shortened in te reo maori (maori language) to “Tu Meke”. So next time someone does something exceptional or very cool – you can say “tu meke bro/cuz/mate”!!
More than just coffee
For us, these names are more than branding — they’re living reminders of our whakapapa, our connection to the land and sea, and the aroha (love) we bring into every cup. We know they can be tricky to pronounce, and that’s part of the fun. Every attempt, every question, every conversation is another chance to share a little bit of Te Reo Māori.
So when you visit us at Pirate Coffee, don’t worry if you stumble over the pronunciation. Give it a go, try, laugh, relish the Kiwi sexiness you're partaking in —we love that you're giving it a shot, and just like a marae, you’re part of the whānau the moment you walk in.
Nau mai, haere mai. Welcome to Pirate Coffee.
Footnote: Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Golden Anniversary
In the lead up to the recent Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (14–20 September 2025), Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (the Māori Language Commission) launched activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Māori Language Week. This kaupapa built on their previous campaign “Reo Māori Moment”, which brought over a million people together at the same time to speak, sing, read, or sign in te reo Māori. All in all, it's about moving from celebrating the language to living it every day — something we try to encourage here at Pirate Coffee too.
