There was beeping in the background as Ryan Smith was wrapping up his interview about his new coffee roasting business — it was time to go, whether he was finished talking or not.
The Meadows man had four orders of fresh beans to fill Monday, and he was committed to ensuring his micro-roaster produced a brew he could market as a specialty home roast set apart from anywhere else locally.
Living on the north shore of the Bay of Islands, Smith acknowledges finding employment was a challenge. He would have to be creative and intuitive to find something he would dedicate himself to and be proud of.
Smitty Bean is just what he was looking for.
“Living here in Meadows, there’s not much else besides corner stores,” Smith said. “There’s nowhere for anybody to go, sit and enjoy a cup of coffee.”
He got himself a micro-roaster about two and a half years ago and starting experimenting to find a signature brew. He found just the right smooth, medium and medium-dark roasted coffee using the Ethiopian Sidamo bean.
He started selling to family and friends, and has begun expanding his customer base. About a month ago, the business was ready to officially begin, and he is ready to meet the challenge that awaits him.
Smith describes the blend as having a nice, chocolatey taste, with a character of its own.
For now, both medium and medium-dark roasted 454 gram bags of coffee are available to order. He will ship via Canada Post, but will also deliver locally.
His long-term goal is to open his own coffee shop on the north shore.
The beeping is a pleasant sound he hopes he’ll hear for a long time.
