April 2022: 8 Acre Coffee Roasters
Secret Sip Coffee Club is so pleased to unveil April’s secret roasting partner. Tucked away in Sherwood Park, Alberta, is a remarkable team and roasting collective which has captivated our members attention with not only one of the most unique farm to cup partnerships we have showcased, but a delectable and rare single origin that was music to our taste buds! 8 Acre Coffee Co. continues to caffeinate the area’s patrons with incredible coffee.
As the very energetic and passionate founder puts it:
“We’d love to say our coffee story is like any other found within the industry....but, it’s not!
The story stems back to 2015, when I purchased coffee land located at 2000 meters above sea level (MASL) in the Antigua Valley, Guatemala. Over the next five years, this land was co-managed with my Guatemalan partner Félix, whose lifelong knowledge in coffee production resulted in two healthy micro lots of specialty grade SHB, fancy coffee. While Félix continued to tend to our young coffee micro lots, I pursued a Masters degree in Tourism Management at Royal Roads University in 2015, with the goal of enhancing my knowledge on sustainable coffee development from both a theoretical and practical point of view. This knowledge has informed my current business model for 8 Acres Coffee, which seeks to achieve long term sustainability with local coffee producers.
Since our launch in Canada in 2020, my quest for sustainability in the coffee value chain has resulted in a different kind of coffee relationship between myself, Félix, and other local coffee experts that maintain our land. It is a relationship that seeks to break down hierarchical power relationships prevalent in the industry, and centers respect and humility of local coffee producers’ knowledge and work ethic in the fields. It also breaks down top-down notions that local coffee producers are just “farmers”, and instead views them as partners, co-workers, and local experts. These values are also evidenced in guaranteed liveable wages and reinvestment options for the local producers.
All of this creates #bettercoffee, #betterrelationships and #betterpeople”
Needless to say, this month’s secret roast was an unbelievable Catuai / Caturra single origin Micro lot from the Antigua Valley, Guatemala. The tasting notes we identified on this specific bean were strong notes of cocao, caramel, stone fruit, and honey.
Secret Sip Coffee Club is so pleased to have partnered with 8 Acres to bring you this month's secret roast, and what we believe to be, one of Canada’s best coffees. To learn more about 8 Acres check out their website below:
