B.C.’s best coffee roasters

by Tara Henley

Not that long ago, if you hit the road for a cross-province adventure, you’d have to resign yourself to drinking burnt diner drip coffee the whole way. But, no more! British Columbia is now home to a plethora of independent roasters, who are bringing artisanal coffee culture to every corner of the province. According to B.C. Business, there’s at least 50 specialty coffee companies in operation, each roasting anywhere between 4,000 to four million pounds a year. Here’s a guide to discovering the province’s best beans. [Photo courtesy of Milano Coffee]

Fans of this food-loving, artsy mountain region won’t be surprised to hear it has been on the vanguard of the province’s coffee revolution. Founded in 1993, Oso Negro in Nelson is famous for its choice organic, direct source and ethically traded beans and imaginative, playful blends. These include The Road Rider, a smooth, citrus-tinged blend of Central and South American, Ethiopian and Sumatran beans, geared to mountain biking and outdoor adventure enthusiasts. Oso Negro's beans have become so popular, co-owner Anne Bokser Wishlow says it’s ordered from far-flung locales like Whitehorse, Yukon and Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia. Other A-plus producers in the area include Kicking Horse Coffee in Invermere and Kootenay Roasting Co. in Cranbrook.

The family-run Victoria roaster Bows & Arrows offers seasonal, sustainable beans from small-batch producers around the globe. Known for their excellent taste, they offer a three-month, six-month and one-year coffee subscription, so java enthusiasts can sample a selection of amazing micro-lot beans, shipped straight to your door. Also serving up next-level beans are Coyote’s Coffee Roastery in Parksville and Royston Roasting Co. in, you guessed it, Royston.

Coffee-obsessed Vancouverites initially flocked to Matchstick’s hip Fraser area café for its much-buzzed-about toast menu, but they stayed for the brilliant beans and their slow food movement philosophy. The owners, local java enthusiasts, have mastered the roasting routine – paying particular attention to supporting local producers. Also big hits in the coffee mecca that is the Lower Mainland? Milano, JJ Bean and 49th Parallel.

32 Lakes, a Powell River-based roaster, was founded in 2013 after owners Margot and Nathan Jantz made the move from Vancouver to the northern Sunshine Coast – and it’s swiftly become a favourite. (We can’t recommend their chocolatey, smoky Deadhead dark roast enough). Be sure, too, to try out Black Bean Coffee Co. in Gibsons and Sechelt, and Strait Coffee in Sechelt.

Frequent visitors to this spectacularly scenic archipelago will no doubt be familiar with the environmentally-minded Salt Spring Coffee, a roaster that steadfastly believes great beans need not compromise the planet. CEO Mickey McLeod and his wife Robbyn Scott opened their first roasting café on island in 1996 – and have never looked back. This certified organic, B Corp coffee is now served at charming bed and breakfasts and eateries throughout the archipelago – and beyond! You’ll also want to check out Galiano Coffee Roasting Company, a small passion project run by a group of socially-minded parents on the island.