Launceston's oldest coffee house still roasting after 41 years

The CBD is home to a growing number of trendy cafes, each servicing a growing number of dedicated coffee-drinkers.

Yet this was far from the landscape Tim Bardenhagen faced when he set up Croplines Coffee in 1983.

"It would have been [ahead of its time] - almost a risk back in those days," said Mr Bardenhagen's son Jason, who has worked in the store for 35 years.

"But we had a lot of European people that came in and took to it straight away because there was a lack of fresh coffee around the town."

Croplines has occupied its European-style hideaway in Brisbane Court for 41 years.

Hessian sacks full of unroasted beans sit decoratively around the counters, and a 1950s roasting machine from Copenhagen takes pride of place in the corner.

The machine roasts five kilos at a time and has serviced the coffee house since day dot.

"It's a beautiful old thing," Jason said.

"They're built to last and it roasts really well - the coffee comes out really nicely."

Croplines' house roast is its most popular, although Jason says all the roasts do well.

The store still has customers that have been coming in since the early days.

"Coffee's a big thing now but we've survived, we're still going well," Jason said.

"What we do here is just keep it consistent - we've got a good product, good quality coffee beans.

"It's just a good family business."