At Camano Island Coffee Roasters, we spend a lot of time thinking about what coffee means to the people that rely on it. Coffee producing towns and farmers need our full support to continue their trade, and that’s why we always commit to a fair price for the best coffee beans in the world. Sometimes, however, we take for granted what coffee means to you, our customers. We recently asked for some of our coffee club members to submit reviews and tell us why they love drinking Camano Island Coffee. One of the responses from Carolyn in Seattle blew us away, and reminded us that coffee can mean so much more than just a daily wake-up call.
I first started drinking Camano Island Coffee Roasters coffee in 2002. My Dad was living with us at the time, battling lung cancer, and we received a postcard in the mail offering a trial pound. Up until this time I had been only an occasional coffee consumer–usually from a stand/shop, and only if it was Torrefazione’s Perugia blend. I just couldn’t find any other coffee I liked well enough to drink any more often than just occasionally. But Dad loved a cup of coffee every morning so I’d been making him a pour-over using the Torrefazione’s blend used at stands/shops. With the postcard offer we decided we should give Camano Island Coffee a try and we ordered the Papua New Guinea Medium Roast, and as the cliché goes, the rest is history.
Our mail usually comes late in the day here, but on the day we received our trial pound, it was delivered straightaway first thing in the morning because the mail carrier didn’t like the smell of coffee in his truck. Go figure; I would love to ride around with the smell of your great fresh-roasted coffee in my van any day of the week!
With the first cups of Papua New Guinea Medium Roast I brewed for Dad, he thought it was the best coffee he’d ever had, and at 82 years of age he’d downed a lot of coffee during his life! That’s when I started drinking your coffee every morning with Dad. Not only was the coffee delicious, there was something extra special about that morning coffee time with Dad because that’s when I started to hear stories from my Dad about his life that I had never heard before. Dad passed in late 2004, but I have continued to enjoy my one-cup-a-day even though my coffee-buddy is gone.
The story continues . . .
A few years ago, we were in the Skagit area and we decided to explore Camano Island for no particular reason. As we drove onto the island I saw the sign for Camano Island Coffee Roasters and exclaimed to my husband in the way that I do when I’ve found something wonderful, “Hey, Bill, there’s my coffee roaster, let’s go there!” Bill made a quick turn as he has learned to do, and we ventured in and were met by the friendliest staff. When I exclaimed that we just happened across the shop and I was a mail-order customer, the staff insisted on making us each a complimentary beverage of our choice. They whipped up a double-tall non-fat extra-hot latte’ for me, and my non-coffee-drinking husband enjoyed a wonderful cup of hot chocolate. As we explored the wonderful gift shop it was so great to see the roasting area and enjoy the wonderful hospitality of the people responsible for my wonderful cup of coffee each day.
I love Camano Island Coffee Roasters coffee because the coffee tastes so good and because it’s fresh-roasted and shipped immediately, but also because the coffee is shade-grown, organic and this company goes the distance to make a difference in the lives of the coffee growers and their families. I feel good about drinking coffee that makes the world a better place.
Last but not least, with every cup of Camano Island Roasters Coffee I drink, I also get to enjoy the sweet memory of discovering this coffee with my Dad and enjoying a great cup of coffee together while hearing stories about his life every morning during the time he was with us.
To the wonderful staff at Camano Island Coffee Roasters, keep doing what you are doing, and thank you so much!
— Carolyn
Seattle
Thank you Carolyn, for this wonderful letter. We’re so happy our coffee is your reminder of time with your father, and hope that it brings the same joy to other coffee club members like you.