Getting to know Your Local Producer
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 roaster.
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 car, 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 whenever possible,
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 far 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;
their parents are also regular shoppers with us.
With current destitution reaching from New England to California
and Washington, these coffee roasters market in co-ops, restaurant,
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.javahutroasters.com/ |
