Last month, I went to EPIC Vancouver, an expo that focused on all sorts of ways that you can lead a more sustainable lifestyle. A big part of this has to do with the food that we consume and that includes coffee. We all need our coffee.
Canterbury Coffee was one of the companies that had a booth at the show. Their ReSIProcate line is certified as organic and fair trade. They say that they are “giving back, one sip at a time.” They are committed to the farmers who grow their coffee and they refrain from using pesticides and other “harmful substances” in the soil. Canterbury also actively seeks out partnerships that further these goals, like the CIBC Run for the Cure, David Suzuki Foundation, and BC Children’s Hospital Miracle Weekend.
But of course, it’s hard for any of that commitment to gain traction if the product itself isn’t exactly appealing. And so, Canterbury Coffee was kind enough to send me some samples of their ReSIProcate coffee to try at home. It is available for purchase through IGA, London Drugs, Nesters, and Quality Foods.
Since they weren’t sure about my coffee preferences, Canterbury gave me a bit of a range. I received the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe light roast, Sumatra medium roast, and the Full City dark roast, as well as a decaf blend (not pictured). While I have been making an effort to switch to black coffee, I must confess that I went with one cream and one sugar for most cups.
My personal favorite of the three was the Full City. It offered a well-balanced flavor profile without having the harsher bitterness or “burnt” taste normally associated with darker roasts. Almost ironically, it’s also the one I enjoyed the most as black coffee. The Sumatra medium roast was also quite good, but I wasn’t as much of a fan of the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. Perhaps it is because the former two are said to have more of a chocolate profile, whereas the Yirgacheffe is more “winey” with citrus hints.
Overall, I found these offerings from Canterbury Coffee to be quite balanced. It helps when you get the coffee as fresh as possible and I’m confident that the organic aspect helped with giving them a more natural flavor profile. Pricing on ReSIProcate is roughly on par with competitors; a one-pound bag at London Drugs is currently selling for about $13.
Some people may decry the “water footprint” of a cup of coffee, but it’s good to see companies like Canterbury doing what they can to minimize the impact on the environment while paying the farmers a fair wage. If you’re going to brew a pot of coffee at home–which is already more economical than feeding your caffeine habit at the local cafe–you should be mindful of what you’re drinking. Canterbury sure is.
Since you are a coffee drinker I would listen to you more than the company themselves. The only thing I see is that I would have to special order it and it would cost a lot more than me going to the local market and getting the Folgers French Roast.
I wouldn’t expect too many people to bother special ordering something like this; it’s available locally here in the Vancouver area and I imagine that is their primary market on the consumer end of things. They probably ship more readily on the B2B side, though.