Hello and Welcome to Our Brew-Better Blog!

When we say this is a 'Brew-Better' blog, we don't just mean we'll be talking about coffee tips. The internet has enough pour over recipes and doesn't need one more faceless voice telling you how to drip water over an even bed of coffee. But don't worry, we'll still have some.


When we talk about 'brewing better', we are talking about the whole concept behind drinking coffee, and what it can represent. In our case, that is meaningful employment for people living with disabilities, and directly supporting coffee producers and their ethical and equitable farming practices.


We'll be sharing different voices and perspectives on various topics related to disability awareness and advocacy, including from our very own amazing staff, like Erin's piece below! And we'll of course be sharing the latest news and happenings of The Artery Community Roasters (like our CBC interview in case you missed it!).


We will also be sharing guest articles and perspectives on coffee sourcing and ethics. Like this month's article from our partner and friend Brendan Adams, who is sharing with us a piece on accountability for coffee roasters.


We want consumers to know more about sourcing, so they are asking the right questions, like "why does coffee only cost 10 dollars a pound at the grocery store, and seems to have labels on it telling me it's ethical". Spoiler alert, it's not (you should take a peak to see which corporations own the supposed "ethical" coffees you are buying at large grocery chains - yikes!). You'll be 'kicking' yourself for thinking your 'ethical beans' are, well, ethical. They aren't and truth be told, the stale coffees that litter chain grocery stores will just never taste like freshly roasted goodness (not to mention their beans can't hang with ours).


So in that spirit, 'Brew-Better' also means supporting better coffee suppliers (small business roasters and coffee shops!). The average consumer often has this imaginary cap on what they consider to be an acceptable cost for coffee, without actually asking why? And who pays the ultimate price for cheap coffee? People are willing to spend 4-8 dollars a day at a Seattle based chain that sells coffee that tastes like campfires; yet many seem to think a $20 bag of freshly (and correctly) roasted beans of higher quality and ethics (that will last them the week or more), is overpriced (in reality, our prices are probably undercharing relative to the true cost of the product). Let's start to unpack that together to better understand the true 'cost' of coffee, the coffee value chain, and how we can all help support the most important people in it, the producers and their staff!


We want to be transparent about how we source coffee. When we say we work directly with farmers (1 degree of separation), we can show you what that means to us. In the next few editions of the Brew-Better Newsletter we'll be showcasing the rock stars in the value chain: the producers that grow the incredible coffees we have the privilege of roasting and drinking.


Life is too short for unethical and bland coffee. Let us show you all the factors that go into coffee with a conscience! But be warned, once you taste our beans, and learn about what you'll be supporting by drinking them, you won't be going back to the burnt swill the grocery stores call coffee.

Thanks for caring!

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