It all started over 20 years ago when I went to work at a newly opened cafe in the sleepy Village of Forest Hill in Toronto. This little cafe roasted coffee and over time grew to become the most popular coffee destination in Toronto. I remember a gentleman who came in one day and asked for a cup of Colombian Supremo Vienesse Roast. It was not the coffee that was on brew that day nor was it one that we normally kept roasted. We chated while I roasted it specifically for him and brewed up a cup. After he finished he said that he owned a coffee company in Europe and had plants on 3 continents and that it was one of the best cups of coffee he had ever had.

I learned my craft there and roasted most of the coffee for the store. After 15,000 hours of roasting coffee it was time to leave the nest and set out on my own. I started Java Roasters and my dream was born. We were a small wholesale coffee company, by far the smallest in Toronto but grew over time and aquired most of Toronto's top restaurants as clientelle including North 44, Bymark and One Hazelton owned by celebrity chef Mark McEwan. Most of our customers were long time customers and stayed with up from the begining to the end.

But all things in life do come to an end and you have to look at what is important to you so after 10 years of Java Roasters it was time for another change and move to Manitoulin Island to be closer to my partner who manages Manitoulin Chocolate Works. Last fall I sold Java Roasters and made the move up here to the Island.

Manitoulin Coffee Company was created to fill the need for fresh roasted coffee on the Island and accross Canada. With our small batch roaster (just like the one I started with all those years ago) we are able to roast all our coffee to order and carry one of the largest selections in Canada.