Port Elizabeth Coffee Crawl: Roast Master Cafe

There are only a few coffee shops in PE where their coffee beans are roasted right on the premises. Thursday's Crawl site, Roast Master Cafe at Moffett on Main Lifestyle Centre in Walmer, is one of them. The aroma of freshly roasting beans is one I find irresistable so whenever I'm at Moffett on Main I usually stop in for a take-away coffee.

Meet the Barista/"Roastmaster"
Veliswa

The Crawlers visited Roast Master's sister shop on Bridge St. in South End over a year ago (March, 2012 post).... I think over 20 of us showed up that day! This past Thursday's group was somewhat smaller, but no less enthusiastic with Beth Vieira, June Nash, Margaret Zoetmulder, Margaret and Arthur Marshall, Nomusa Nkomo, Sylvia Mynhardt, Gail Darne, June Nash, Colleen LeRoux, joining me for tea, coffee and Roast Master's famous bagels.

This Week's Crawlers
Sylvia, Gail, Beth, Colleen, June, Arthur,
Margaret Z., Margaret M., Nomusa

Roast Master's famous bagels

Roast Master Cafe is situated right in the middle of the shopping centre with many of its eighty seats spilling out into the perimeter of the main concourse. This open floor plan lends a sidewalk cafe style atmosphere to the shop. Roast Master has been at Moffett on Main for four years offering the centre's patrons a menu of beverages, breakfasts, lunches, and a large variety of fresh baked goods made on-site by their own baker.

Meet the Manager
Tracey Saker

Thursday's staff on duty included manager, Tracey Saker, barista/roaster, Veliswa, and waiter, Lubabalo (who made sure our bagels came fresh out of the oven!). The service, coffee and bagels were all outstanding! Roast Master's hours are Mon-Fri, 7:30-5:30, Sat, 8-5, Sun, 8-2.

Meet our Waiter
Lubabalo

Hot chocolate and cappuccino....
two of my favorites!

Conversation at the table on Thursday centered mostly around the Ironman South Africa event that would be held on Sunday, April 14. For the past nine years PE has hosted this event that brings over a thousand participants from all over the globe to the Nelson Mandela Bay area. PE experienced horrific weather for last year's Ironman..... reports predicted beautiful conditions for this year's event. Sunday did prove to be the perfect day for Ironman 2013. Lou and I usually just see the cycling and running portions but this year dsecided to check out the swimming start. Definitely well worth getting up before the crack of dawn to witness the Ironman start from the pier at the beachfront. The coffee stalls, which were open when we arrived, surely made the early morning experience more than bearable!