This idea, and its importance in Eritrean and Ethiopian culture, were on display at the Pilgrim Uniting Church on Saturday for a traditional coffee ceremony.

The ceremony was part of the Tamar Valley Peace Festival and coordinated by the Migrant Resource Centre North.

MRC North chief executive Ella Dixon said the ceremony is about the Ethiopian and Eritrean coffee ceremony and showing people a part of their culture that is important in terms of relationships.

"It's [the ceremony] a little bit different to the Australian tradition of having someone over for coffee," Ms Dixon said.

"It's a bit more ritualistic in there is an expectation that you stay for three cups of coffee and each stage has some kind of significance.

"It's equally important for new arrivals to Tasmania because the broader community is interested in what they're doing, who they are, and how important this is for them."

Peace Festival trustee Donna Bain said the event was an example of how the community can reach out to each other through food and coffee.

"We've found that making connections over food and coffee is really powerful," Ms Bain said.

"It's [coffee ceremony] a way of removing barriers, people start having conversations about the food and the coffee, and before you know it those fears about who you don't know start to dissolve away.

"That's what the Peace Festival is all about, making connections, getting rid of that fear and building up trust. We get to know about a culture we might not be familiar with and make new connections with people in Launceston so it's really lovely."

Event facilitator and MRC North worker John Ali said it was excellent to be able to move the event from the MRC office to the Uniting Church walkway.

"When we had it in the office space it was packed, there was nowhere to move. This year we've moved it to a more open space to accommodate any number of people who might come to share this experience. It's so beautiful and the venue's so wonderful," Mr Ali said.