Counter Culture Coffee facts for kids
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| Industry | Retail coffee |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1995 |
| Founder | Brett Smith and Fred Houk |
| Headquarters | Durham, North Carolina |
| Products | Coffee beans, Coffee drinks, Educational programs |
Counter Culture Coffee is a company that roasts coffee beans. It started in Durham, North Carolina, in 1995. This company has special training places in many cities across the United States. These places teach people how to make and serve coffee well. They are open to anyone who wants to learn about coffee, not just people who sell Counter Culture Coffee.
Counter Culture Coffee buys most of its coffee from small farms. They pay fair prices for these beans. This makes them a "boutique" coffee roaster. This means they get coffee from many different small farms and groups, not just one big farm.
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How Counter Culture Coffee Started
Counter Culture Coffee began roasting coffee in Durham in 1995. It was started by Brett Smith and Fred Houk. At first, they focused on making special coffee mixes for restaurants in Durham and Chapel Hill. Their very first coffee was sold to Pop's Restaurant in Durham in 1995. Over time, the company grew and now operates along the East Coast. They also started offering different types of coffee and learning programs. These programs teach about how coffee is grown and made in a good way.
Caring for the Planet: Sustainability
Counter Culture Coffee works directly with the people who grow their coffee. This close partnership with farmers is key to their "sustainable coffee" plan. Sustainability means working with farms that are good for the environment. In 2008, they created their own special certification called "Counter Culture Direct Trade Certification." This helps make sure their coffee is traded fairly and grown with high quality.
They also have other programs. One is called SEEDS, which stands for Sustaining Educational and Environmental Development at a Source. This program helps support education and good practices where the coffee comes from. Another tool is their Sustainability Scorecard. This helps them measure how well they are doing at making their coffee supply chain more sustainable.
Learning About Coffee: Education
The company offers many learning programs. These are for customers, employees, and even other businesses that sell their coffee. You can learn about how to brew coffee, where it comes from, and its history.
Some of the professional classes include:
- Brewing Science: Learning the science behind making coffee.
- Barista Fundamentals: Basic skills for making coffee drinks.
- Coffee Origins: Where different coffees come from.
- Cupping Fundamentals: How to taste and judge coffee.
- Brewing: Technique & Troubleshooting: Tips for making great coffee and fixing problems.
They also have free "Tastings at Ten" every Friday morning. These are open to the public. For people who really love coffee, they offer homebrew labs for a fee. These learning programs are held at their thirteen Counter Culture Training Centers across the country.
Where Coffee is Roasted
Counter Culture Coffee roasts its beans in two main places. One is in Durham, North Carolina, which is also where the company's main office is. The other roasting facility is in Emeryville, California.
