We have a new roaster on our team: East Van Roasters!

Guess what?! We are now selling the most socially conscious coffee in town and we feel really good about it.

If you haven’t heard of East Van Roasters, here’s an intro:

Operated through the Portland Hotel Services Society, East Van Roasters employees women who are in treatment for addiction or transitioning from homelessness. The PHS runs several hotels designed as a women-only treatment project and supportive housing location, they hire women who would otherwise be unemployable, enabling them to re-enter the workplace, gain skills in retail and roasting, and get work experience.

The PHS Services Society’s main objective is to “provide service and housing to people regardless of race, colour, cultural background, religious affiliation, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, physical and/or mental disability”, however they have expanded that mission to facilitate, foster and provide employment for their residences. They house and employ people who are forgotten by society. East Van Roasters provides structure, responsibility, and most importantly an income to women living with hardships.

What makes East Van Roasters so successful as a social enterprise is their supreme quality products. Their bean to bar chocolate production and coffee roasting facility allows them to have complete control over their product. Their organic fair-trade beans come from the Dominican Republic and Peru. Their coffee is rich, strong and decadent. It is top tier coffee, made by a socially conscious company.

We caught up with Shelley, the brains behind this operation, to hear why she wanted Spud to sell her ethical beans.

Spud: Why did you want to partner with Spud and Be Fresh Cafe?

EVR: Spud and Be Fresh Cafe represent initiatives that are dear to our heart: community, stewardship of the environment and delicious food!

This is also the coffee we stock in the Spud kitchen, because not only is their coffee bold and flavourful, we are proud to support such a socially conscious brand. #jointhelocalfoodmovement

Check them out at Spud.ca!