One of my great passions is fostering connections between the people I meet every day. My husband Rich pilots a private yacht and for years I worked by his side as a chef. Having met other captains and their wives I decided to hold a party to introduce all these folks with similar lifestyles and interests. After 14 years we are still all close friends.
Now that I live a slightly different life as the owner of a gourmet coffee roastery I still find myself fostering these connections. The other day I introduced Jeremy, a loyal customer who lives down the street to another client. Turns out these two men live in the same small town, work in the same industry as operational consultants, yet they had never met. They talked for over an hour.
As a business owner in rural Vermont, I want to have a positive impact on the community and the people. This isn't the politically correct copy I print in brochures. This is the purpose that gets me out of bed in the morning. I want to make a difference here in my own backyard.
I just discovered a non-profit, Burlington based organization called Neighborkeepers that uses a "Circles of Support" model to build a stronger community to fight poverty and help local families meet their needs. Among the things they do are to coach members, share resources, and help with job training. I called when I saw a flier for a recent potluck dinner over in Johnson. Their next meeting (with childcare included) takes place in Winooski on December 1st.
I'm already talking with some different community members about what we can do right here in Cambridge. What are your thoughts and passions? I know this is a blog on coffee, but for me coffee and community are intricately woven together. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Friday, November 27, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Gourmet Coffee and Giving Thanks
Pour a cup of Tanzanian Peaberry, Vermont Breakfast Blend or your other favorite coffee and pull up a chair for a chat!
When my kids come home to visit, sharing a cup of coffee has always been one of our bonding activities. (My daughter from Rhode Island just called to tell me to make sure that I've got the Brown & Jenkins Sumatra on hand for her.) Ever since they left home for college, and now have families of their own, catching up over cups of coffee amidst their increasingly busy schedules is more important than ever. In fact, this is the time of year when college kids start to flock home and pick up gift box samplers for Mom and Dad.
How are you spending the holiday?
This Thanksgiving we are bringing the whole clan to the Pines Senior Living Center in Burlington where my mother lives. Her mobility is limited, and the facility has agreed to let us use their dining room for our family gathering. There will be 20 family members and about 6 other residents who live there that don't have holiday plans. We're each going to bring a main dish and an appetizer, and just enjoy each other's company. This seems like the perfect solution for minimal stress and maximum togetherness.
What are you getting ready to give thanks for?
Sometimes the answers are obvious. Some days or even years, you've got to look deeper and beyond the financial struggles, strained family relationships, loved ones overseas or failing health to find the good things.
These fortunes tend to ebb and flow with the various seasons of our lives. Right now, I'm extremely fortunate. I have a close knit family and I get to be a grandma to 7 beautiful children. The move we made just over a year ago from the old gourmet coffee roasting warehouse in Burlington to our scenic location in the Green Mountains of Cambridge is justified every time a new neighbor walks through the doors.
'Tis the season to get stressed out with money for holiday travel, cooking the perfect turkey, spending an entire day with your mother-in-law, or finding the perfect gifts on a strapped budget. We all need to take the time to listen to the signals our bodies are sending us. Racing hearts, raised voiced, and nagging headaches are all signs that we need to slow down and take a breather.
So pour yourself a cup of coffee, and just reflect on your good fortune. Whatever your plans are for the Thanksgiving holiday, I hope you can find a quiet moment to be thankful for the good things and people in your life.
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
When my kids come home to visit, sharing a cup of coffee has always been one of our bonding activities. (My daughter from Rhode Island just called to tell me to make sure that I've got the Brown & Jenkins Sumatra on hand for her.) Ever since they left home for college, and now have families of their own, catching up over cups of coffee amidst their increasingly busy schedules is more important than ever. In fact, this is the time of year when college kids start to flock home and pick up gift box samplers for Mom and Dad.
How are you spending the holiday?
This Thanksgiving we are bringing the whole clan to the Pines Senior Living Center in Burlington where my mother lives. Her mobility is limited, and the facility has agreed to let us use their dining room for our family gathering. There will be 20 family members and about 6 other residents who live there that don't have holiday plans. We're each going to bring a main dish and an appetizer, and just enjoy each other's company. This seems like the perfect solution for minimal stress and maximum togetherness.
What are you getting ready to give thanks for?
Sometimes the answers are obvious. Some days or even years, you've got to look deeper and beyond the financial struggles, strained family relationships, loved ones overseas or failing health to find the good things.
These fortunes tend to ebb and flow with the various seasons of our lives. Right now, I'm extremely fortunate. I have a close knit family and I get to be a grandma to 7 beautiful children. The move we made just over a year ago from the old gourmet coffee roasting warehouse in Burlington to our scenic location in the Green Mountains of Cambridge is justified every time a new neighbor walks through the doors.
'Tis the season to get stressed out with money for holiday travel, cooking the perfect turkey, spending an entire day with your mother-in-law, or finding the perfect gifts on a strapped budget. We all need to take the time to listen to the signals our bodies are sending us. Racing hearts, raised voiced, and nagging headaches are all signs that we need to slow down and take a breather.
So pour yourself a cup of coffee, and just reflect on your good fortune. Whatever your plans are for the Thanksgiving holiday, I hope you can find a quiet moment to be thankful for the good things and people in your life.
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Friday, November 20, 2009
Vermont Coffee Gift Baskets
Now that the fall foliage is done for the season, we get a different kind of traveler here at our Vermont coffee roastery. In addition to our local clientele, we have visitors down from Canada, from neighboring states like New York, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Massachusetts, a slew of retirees enjoying the quiet, and many folks from further away who want to explore the unique blend of Green Mountains, organic living and tasty local foods that make up Vermont.
We’re getting to that point in the year (Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away!) when those folks that don't procrastinate their holiday shopping until the night before (who me?) are already placing orders for gift baskets. I don't know about you, but coming up with even a hostess gift for yet another Thanksgiving dinner or holiday party can be a challenge. Of course, I have a steady supply of gift ideas right here in the shop.
As a big lover of breakfast (I was a gourmet chef in my former life), I'm going to send a Vermont Breakfast Trio to friends in Fort Lauderdale. This includes a maple walnut pancake mix, pure Vermont maple syrup, and 10 ounces of our Vermont breakfast blend coffee. This is one of my favorite private blend gourmet coffees that Glenn makes. It's vibrant, smooth and sweet. All products in our gifts baskets are from local providers like Laughing Moon Chocolates in Stowe, and the Boyden Valley Winery right across the road.
How about you? Are you a last minute holiday shopper, or do you have a closet already filled with gifts that you are just waiting to bring to a Yankee Swap or office party? Is the coming season filling you with anticipation- or trepidation?
We'll pull up a chair, a cup of coffee and continue our discussion next time.
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
We’re getting to that point in the year (Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away!) when those folks that don't procrastinate their holiday shopping until the night before (who me?) are already placing orders for gift baskets. I don't know about you, but coming up with even a hostess gift for yet another Thanksgiving dinner or holiday party can be a challenge. Of course, I have a steady supply of gift ideas right here in the shop.
As a big lover of breakfast (I was a gourmet chef in my former life), I'm going to send a Vermont Breakfast Trio to friends in Fort Lauderdale. This includes a maple walnut pancake mix, pure Vermont maple syrup, and 10 ounces of our Vermont breakfast blend coffee. This is one of my favorite private blend gourmet coffees that Glenn makes. It's vibrant, smooth and sweet. All products in our gifts baskets are from local providers like Laughing Moon Chocolates in Stowe, and the Boyden Valley Winery right across the road.
How about you? Are you a last minute holiday shopper, or do you have a closet already filled with gifts that you are just waiting to bring to a Yankee Swap or office party? Is the coming season filling you with anticipation- or trepidation?
We'll pull up a chair, a cup of coffee and continue our discussion next time.
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Naked Brewing for Better Gourmet Coffee?
Good Morning! Want to share some coffee and chat?
November in Vermont is shaping up to be a chilly one. Each morning, I sit here with my view of the picturesque Green Mountains, a steaming cup of my gourmet coffee of the day (today it’s the North Country blend) and get my news. Some days it almost makes me cry, someday it is thought provoking, and some days (like today)- it makes me laugh out loud.
A man in Springfield, Illinois was arrested for brewing coffee naked in his home. Seriously, I know there may be some legitimate concerns here, or maybe not. All I could think was- how many of us SO look forward to that first, smooth tasting, body warming cup of coffee that we would skip that getting dressed step to get there first? I'll bet more people have been tempted to do this than will ever admit to it. Frankly, it's getting too cold here to skip getting dressed! Maybe Illinois is warmer.
If only they would invent an alarm clock/coffee maker that starts brewing about 10 minutes before the alarm goes off! Then, we could gradually wake to the luscious aroma of freshly brewed coffee. It would grind the coffee beans too, of course! Until then, I guess most of us will stumble through the sacred morning ritual of dressing, grinding, brewing and waiting for the perfect cup of coffee.
Have you heard any good coffee related news? If so, send me your favorite blurb and maybe I'll include it in a future blog. It doesn't need to be as tantalizing as the naked brewing story to be interesting!
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
November in Vermont is shaping up to be a chilly one. Each morning, I sit here with my view of the picturesque Green Mountains, a steaming cup of my gourmet coffee of the day (today it’s the North Country blend) and get my news. Some days it almost makes me cry, someday it is thought provoking, and some days (like today)- it makes me laugh out loud.
A man in Springfield, Illinois was arrested for brewing coffee naked in his home. Seriously, I know there may be some legitimate concerns here, or maybe not. All I could think was- how many of us SO look forward to that first, smooth tasting, body warming cup of coffee that we would skip that getting dressed step to get there first? I'll bet more people have been tempted to do this than will ever admit to it. Frankly, it's getting too cold here to skip getting dressed! Maybe Illinois is warmer.
If only they would invent an alarm clock/coffee maker that starts brewing about 10 minutes before the alarm goes off! Then, we could gradually wake to the luscious aroma of freshly brewed coffee. It would grind the coffee beans too, of course! Until then, I guess most of us will stumble through the sacred morning ritual of dressing, grinding, brewing and waiting for the perfect cup of coffee.
Have you heard any good coffee related news? If so, send me your favorite blurb and maybe I'll include it in a future blog. It doesn't need to be as tantalizing as the naked brewing story to be interesting!
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Friday, November 13, 2009
Can Coffee Prevent Swine Flu?
Pour a mug of fresh coffee to stave off the November chill, and let's chat!
Everywhere, folks are battling different versions of the flu, colds and just trying to stay healthy. Here in our Vermont based coffee roastery, we have people wander in every day. Of course, we're hand washing, sanitizing and doing all the things we need to do to avoid illness.
I received an email that's been circulating the Internet by Dr. Vinay Goyal on Swine Flu prevention tips. And yes, drinking coffee is actually on the list. Frankly, I take anything sent to me via emails with grain of salt. So ask your doctor about any of these. But number 6 really got my attention. His recommendations are to:
1. Wash your hands frequently.
2. Don't touch your face.
3. Gargle with salt water or Listerine twice a day.
4. Clean your nostrils daily with warm salt water.
5. Boost your immunity with Vitamin C.
6. Drink as many warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can.
The idea is that you can only get swine flu through your mouth and nose. The disease is nurtured there for a couple of days before it actually proliferates. They say that drinking any warm liquid washes the bacteria into your stomach where it can't do any more harm.
That seems valid. But again, I'm not a doctor so you should check with your own. Of course, I'll be drinking freshly made gourmet coffee even without the recommendation! But I do love learning more about my cup o' Joe. This morning it's a Vermont breakfast blend that, whether it's helping me to prevent swine flu or not, brings warmth and comfort to my morning.
Stay healthy, and take time to smell the coffee beans.
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Everywhere, folks are battling different versions of the flu, colds and just trying to stay healthy. Here in our Vermont based coffee roastery, we have people wander in every day. Of course, we're hand washing, sanitizing and doing all the things we need to do to avoid illness.
I received an email that's been circulating the Internet by Dr. Vinay Goyal on Swine Flu prevention tips. And yes, drinking coffee is actually on the list. Frankly, I take anything sent to me via emails with grain of salt. So ask your doctor about any of these. But number 6 really got my attention. His recommendations are to:
1. Wash your hands frequently.
2. Don't touch your face.
3. Gargle with salt water or Listerine twice a day.
4. Clean your nostrils daily with warm salt water.
5. Boost your immunity with Vitamin C.
6. Drink as many warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can.
The idea is that you can only get swine flu through your mouth and nose. The disease is nurtured there for a couple of days before it actually proliferates. They say that drinking any warm liquid washes the bacteria into your stomach where it can't do any more harm.
That seems valid. But again, I'm not a doctor so you should check with your own. Of course, I'll be drinking freshly made gourmet coffee even without the recommendation! But I do love learning more about my cup o' Joe. This morning it's a Vermont breakfast blend that, whether it's helping me to prevent swine flu or not, brings warmth and comfort to my morning.
Stay healthy, and take time to smell the coffee beans.
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Coffee for the Troops
One of our best traditions here at Brown & Jenkins is to send coffee and other local goodies to our men and women who are stationed overseas in Afghanistan. If you read this coffee blog regularly then you are familiar with Glenn. He is our master roaster, and largely responsible for the high quality of the coffee beans that we offer.
Glenn is also the proud father of two beautiful daughters. One of his girls, Morgan, works locally as a school nurse caring for the children of our community. His other 24 year old, Ashley, has been stationed in Afghanistan and is on her third tour of duty. No matter your politics, as you can imagine, he is both proud of her and worries about her.
Inspired by Glenn's love and concern for Ashley, I decided that there needed to be a way for us to provide some sort of support for our troops overseas. Each year at Christmas we send a care package. Last year that included a Christmas tree, gourmet chocolates and sundries. For Thanksgivings and at other times of the year, we simply send Ashley a lot of gourmet Vermont coffee and she distributes it to her unit.
So again this year we will send gourmet coffee to the troops.
Tomorrow is Veteran's Day, and I can't think of a more appropriate time to thank all those people who support our country in so many ways. Some like Morgan do it here in the United States by protecting lives locally. Others, like Ashley, travel to a foreign country and put their lives at risk daily. I think both are heroes.Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Glenn is also the proud father of two beautiful daughters. One of his girls, Morgan, works locally as a school nurse caring for the children of our community. His other 24 year old, Ashley, has been stationed in Afghanistan and is on her third tour of duty. No matter your politics, as you can imagine, he is both proud of her and worries about her.
Inspired by Glenn's love and concern for Ashley, I decided that there needed to be a way for us to provide some sort of support for our troops overseas. Each year at Christmas we send a care package. Last year that included a Christmas tree, gourmet chocolates and sundries. For Thanksgivings and at other times of the year, we simply send Ashley a lot of gourmet Vermont coffee and she distributes it to her unit.
So again this year we will send gourmet coffee to the troops.
Tomorrow is Veteran's Day, and I can't think of a more appropriate time to thank all those people who support our country in so many ways. Some like Morgan do it here in the United States by protecting lives locally. Others, like Ashley, travel to a foreign country and put their lives at risk daily. I think both are heroes.Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Friday, November 6, 2009
Season of Thanksgiving
Welcome to November! Pull up a chair and a cup of coffee, and we'll put off the winter chill with the warmth of friendship and java!
Vermont has already seen snow fall, and it has been an early season for us. The leaves showed their peak colors in mid-October, and the first flakes of snow showed up by October 15th this year. This is good news for any of you looking for some slope time at Smugg's or Stowe; however, it also means a long, cold winter is on the way. On Saturdays this will bring a stream of parents stopping by on their way to bring kids to ski lessons at the mountains. They will stop by for gourmet coffee, hot cocoa, tea and homemade local pastries each weekend.
For coffee lovers, the cold is just one more reason to enjoy the bounty of the winter harvest. Yes, gone are the fresh local veggies, October's apples and hikes along the Lamoille River. Now we have cozy time around the wood stove, preparations for family visits at Thanksgiving, and time to hunker down and enjoy a good book or a game with the kids.
One reason that I started this gourmet coffee blog was to find another way to connect with the people I meet on a daily basis. Maybe you are a local who stops by on your way into Burlington. Perhaps you discovered us on a visit to Boyden Winery and have become an online client. Or maybe you came to Vermont for the leaves and the skiing, and just never left.
No matter what, I hope you will stop by on your next journey and say hello. November, for me, represents an entire season of thanks. And I am so thankful that you take the time to read the coffee blog or to visit our coffee roastery on Route 15.
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Vermont has already seen snow fall, and it has been an early season for us. The leaves showed their peak colors in mid-October, and the first flakes of snow showed up by October 15th this year. This is good news for any of you looking for some slope time at Smugg's or Stowe; however, it also means a long, cold winter is on the way. On Saturdays this will bring a stream of parents stopping by on their way to bring kids to ski lessons at the mountains. They will stop by for gourmet coffee, hot cocoa, tea and homemade local pastries each weekend.
For coffee lovers, the cold is just one more reason to enjoy the bounty of the winter harvest. Yes, gone are the fresh local veggies, October's apples and hikes along the Lamoille River. Now we have cozy time around the wood stove, preparations for family visits at Thanksgiving, and time to hunker down and enjoy a good book or a game with the kids.
One reason that I started this gourmet coffee blog was to find another way to connect with the people I meet on a daily basis. Maybe you are a local who stops by on your way into Burlington. Perhaps you discovered us on a visit to Boyden Winery and have become an online client. Or maybe you came to Vermont for the leaves and the skiing, and just never left.
No matter what, I hope you will stop by on your next journey and say hello. November, for me, represents an entire season of thanks. And I am so thankful that you take the time to read the coffee blog or to visit our coffee roastery on Route 15.
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Ever Wonder What it's Like to Own a Gourmet Coffee Shop in Vermont?
Pour a cup of your favorite Vermont coffee, and pull up a chair! I'm sipping a cup of the Organic Healthy Living blend that Glenn, our roaster, just finished making. Ahhh- it doesn't get any fresher than that.
One of the questions I get all the time from would-be coffee shop owners is, "What is it like to own your own gourmet coffee shop?" Well, it's a question I wondered myself for several years. I spent a decade as the chef aboard a yacht that my husband still pilots. Now that I've been the owner of Brown & Jenkins for the past three years, I can answer that question for myself, and for you!
Since we actually roast our own gourmet coffee beans, we are a little bit different from a local coffee shop that just sells coffee by the cup, and maybe a pastry or two. While we have space for locals and tourists to come, sit, and enjoy the mountain view, we also devote a lot of space to our roasting devices, and to storage for the coffee beans that we sell locally and ship to our online customers all over the country.
My favorite part about owning the "roastery", as we call it, is meeting the folks who walk in the door on a daily basis. On any given day this might include local folks that come by to work on their laptops or chat with friends, Montreal tourists in town for a day or two, or visitors up from Massachusetts to watch the leaves at their peak or get in some skiing at Stowe or Smuggler's Notch. We have a great map of the United States on the wall that represents the visitors we have from all over the nation. I need to get a world map because we have many international visitors too.
Of course, there is the business side to this business! Daily, I try to meet the needs of a vast array of national customers and our local clientele. It presents challenges, but I love it! If we've not met, stop on by for a look at the roastery, the scenic view or just a cup of coffee.
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
One of the questions I get all the time from would-be coffee shop owners is, "What is it like to own your own gourmet coffee shop?" Well, it's a question I wondered myself for several years. I spent a decade as the chef aboard a yacht that my husband still pilots. Now that I've been the owner of Brown & Jenkins for the past three years, I can answer that question for myself, and for you!
Since we actually roast our own gourmet coffee beans, we are a little bit different from a local coffee shop that just sells coffee by the cup, and maybe a pastry or two. While we have space for locals and tourists to come, sit, and enjoy the mountain view, we also devote a lot of space to our roasting devices, and to storage for the coffee beans that we sell locally and ship to our online customers all over the country.
My favorite part about owning the "roastery", as we call it, is meeting the folks who walk in the door on a daily basis. On any given day this might include local folks that come by to work on their laptops or chat with friends, Montreal tourists in town for a day or two, or visitors up from Massachusetts to watch the leaves at their peak or get in some skiing at Stowe or Smuggler's Notch. We have a great map of the United States on the wall that represents the visitors we have from all over the nation. I need to get a world map because we have many international visitors too.
Of course, there is the business side to this business! Daily, I try to meet the needs of a vast array of national customers and our local clientele. It presents challenges, but I love it! If we've not met, stop on by for a look at the roastery, the scenic view or just a cup of coffee.
Until our next cup,
Sandy Riggen
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