Coffee Common

As part of the build-up to TED, we’ve asked that each of the participating roasters write a brief introduction for one of the others. This would typically be a tough exercise, but the mutual admiration shared by these companies is really amazing.

by Steve Leighton, Has Bean Coffee, Stafford, UK

Terroir Coffee was created back in 2004, but its legendary owner, Mr. George Howell, has worked in coffee for much longer and is one of the foundation stones of specialty coffee. Mr. Howell is the father and co-founder of what became one of (if not the) most important cupping protocols in coffee today. George is the co-founder of the Cup of Excellence program, which seeks the very finest coffees and offers them for auction to roasters around the World. Speed dating for roasters and for coffee producers, many long term, and sustainable relationships have been built as a result of his efforts. This has opened up a market that producers could only have dreamed of before the program was created. Mr. Howell is a true legend (an over-used word, but in this case fitting) in specialty coffee. 

Like the Cup of Excellence program he created, the goal of Terroir is to find amazing coffees, benchmark quality from single identified sources and build long term relationships in the market place. They have truly set the benchmark for achievement for which others stride. As a company, Terroir is an innovator. It was one of the first roasting companies to experiment with vacuum packaging of green coffee for shipment as well as freezing of green coffee to maintain quality over a long period of time. Always looking to improve and never standing still, Terroir is a true beacon of light for specialty coffee.