Who we are.

Notice the title of this blog entry.  It is a declarative sentence.  It is not a question or something we ponder.  Our mission statement for our coffee company is pretty straight forward.  We seek out the top 1-5% of the world's green coffee crops.  Just like the wine sommelier, we are trained to understand what makes a crop of coffee structurally sound.  Specialty coffee follows what is known as the "great chain of custody".  It starts at farm level and it finishes in a brewed cup of coffee.  

A really amazing cup of coffee tells a story of connection. At Flight Coffee Co., we love a good back story. Sure brewed coffee is a sensual experience in and of itself but before it reaches the mug, that coffee traveled an intricate and exacting path. We like to call it the great coffee chain of custody. Every step is important, from the ripeness of coffee cherries when picked, to the way the beans are milled and dried, to the way it is shipped to our roasting plant, to the way we lovingly roast it and yes right down to the way it is brewed by you, our knowledgeable customers.

Due to the delicate balance of specifics, we must be vigilant – we must seek out direct and transparent relationships with coffee growing professionals throughout the world. Instead of simply labeling our coffee as “sustainable,” we have chosen to tell the whole story. We love talking about the uniqueness of each coffee. This way, we promise that each bag of Flight Coffee purchased was hand crafted with excellence at all stages, from cherry to cup. Directness and transparency are important to us. From day one we have been committed to buying coffee that is as closely aligned with our values as possible. 

As a roaster, I seek to highlight and capture the character of our carefully chosen green coffee. It is my job to lovingly create a consistent and gentle roast cycle, accentuating what makes a particular varietal or farm exciting. Every minute the coffee is roasting is contingent upon the minute before. It is like a great sonnet or symphony and as passionate as I am about the roasting cycle’s never-ending prequel, at the end of the day, I want the roast to become transparent. I have done my job correctly if after each sip of our coffee, all that is revealed is the coffee’s uniquely crafted celebrated cup profile.  I train and teach apprentices this skill and craft.  As well as the art and science of vigilant cupping. This is what we do in Bedford.

We have won many national awards; we have won many local awards as well.

                            

Additionally, a national magazine just ranked us in the top 25 coffee roasters in the country.  We have taken our rightful place among the other great  third wave coffee companies.  Counter Culture. Cuvee.  Heart.  Stumptown.

We really love what we do at the Bedford Roasting Lab and Tasting Room.  We have been crushing it since 2012.  Since January 1st, 2017, the Roasting Lab the sales for national mall order and wholesale are already at $800,000 and steadily climbing and accelerating.  We are one of the fastest growing coffee companies in the nation.

 

So alas, this is who we are.  This is why we will never dark roast.  This is why we will never sell our craft in big gulp containers,  We are Flight Coffee Co of Bedford NH

Tomorrow, I will tell you the story of our adventures into a new community and a cafe. And how we are evolving into Flight Coffee Cafe Dover.  In yesterday's post, I talked about the need to increase revenue.  That does not mean we are a small struggling business.  As I mentioned above, transparency is so vital in specialty coffee.  When I asked to increase revenue, I was asking how we could in fact increase our loyal customer base and our ongoing quest for community engagement.

The first thing we will do after Memorial Day is extend hours into the night.  But first, more of our cafe story is to come tomorrow.  

Cheers and many thanks as usual!

CQ