Producer of the Month
by Willie Bordwine, Atkins Staff
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Pierce Bros.
Coffee Roasters
Greenfield, MA |
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Pierce Brothers Coffee Roasters, familiar to many via Java Hut Productions, continues to evolve as a business
with its heart in the Pioneer Valley community. The Pierce brothers, Darren and Sean, began the business of wholesale coffee roasting in
1993. Having begun the business with only their credit cards, the brothers achieved some success in the enterprise and expanded into retail sales in both
Sunderland and Greenfield. The Java Hut in Sunderland served as home base for the roasting, warehousing, distributing, and retailing of their product for ten years.
Additionally, Java Hut coffee was a staple in the Newman Center at UMASS for seven years. In recent months, the business has taken on a new dynamic by returning to
strictly wholesale distribution and by relocating headquarters to The Web Building on Hope Street in downtown Greenfield: an historic site with room for
greater organization and future expansion.
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Darren and Sean have grown their business with attention to lots
of details. One may be familiar with the company marketing 'the clean
bean,' which is a simple matter of roasting technique. The Pierce
brothers employ an air roaster, not at all like the clunky
cement-mixer-style barrel roasters. The difference: Pierce Brothers
Coffee Roasters beans are suspended in convective heat that ensures
both even roasting and no burning. Because each bean sheds its husk
when it swells with roasting, the convection of the roaster whisks the
chaff away; drum roasters allow these papery bits to char, making
coffee bitter and leaving a ring in your cup.
All of the technical tedium would be worthless, however, if Darren and
Sean were not committed to buying the most flavorful and fresh green
coffee beans. While premium beans may seem a simple find, the Pierce
brothers demand that all of the beans they buy be certified organic,
100% fair trade, and kosher. They meticulously track their beans from
grower to buyer to assure adherence to these guidelines. Their ethic:
the coffee bean, like a wine grape, is a fruit to be nurtured so that
the natural flavors of its oils and sugars come through in the taste.
Atkins Farms has been selling Pierce Brothers Coffee Roasters
beans since 1999, and both bakery and deli feature different blends
for coffee drinkers to experience. The brothers enjoy the account with
Atkins for several reasons, but most appreciate Atkins' communication
of orders as their products are needed. Darren and Sean do not roast
numerous vats of beans for quick distribution when the orders arrive;
they roast on demand to guarantee the freshest (most flavorful)
product. One of the guys is regularly on site to assist with rotating
stock and to keep current with demands of changing tastes. In August,
the two participated in the Taste of New England, a sampling fair for
local producers, in honor of their commitment to the customers and
employees of the market. As Amherst natives, their little-league
baseball coach was Mr. Harold Gould, who happens to be an Atkins Farms
owner and long-time manager; and their parents are also regular
shoppers with us.
With current distribution reaching from New England to California
and Washington, these coffee roasters market in co-ops, restaurants,
and specialty stores (often in non-profit locations) with support
reaching whoever refers their products to consumers. Having closed
their retail locations, Java Hut Productions' UMASS coffee bar has
been donated to Amherst Regional High School for occupational and
vocational training in special-education classes. In the future, the
Pierce brothers hope to educate the public further about the methods
and ethics that govern their business. The brothers see it as their
duty to give back to the communities and entities that have helped
them to grow. Darren Pierce, husband and father of one, and Sean
Pierce, husband and father of three, both reside in Greenfield with
their wives and children.
Browse the information and products of their business at http://www.piercebroscoffee.com/ |
