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Beanstock

beanstock

If coffee is your beloved,  get ready for Beanstock, the ultimate coffee love-in. 

Beanstock is a festival with a conscience. Its mandate is ensuring a sustainable future for specialty (aka Third Wave) coffee.  It aims to achieve this by match-making passionate industry pros with the coffee-loving public in order to educate them about the realities of fair-trade.

According to organizer Grant Gamble, “The hard truth is that coffee will not exist in the next 20-30 years as the majority of coffee farmers are above the age of forty, and there generally isn’t a next generation taking on the task as they see their parents stuck in a cycle of poverty. The average price of production on a single pound of specialty coffee is ~$2.25 USD – and the majority of companies are paying anywhere from $0.60 – $1.75 USD / pound. For Fair Trade, based on today’s market, the price is $1.56 USD – a step in the right direction but nowhere near sustainable.” 

This independent, not-for-profit festival will feature industry-types ranging from Specialty Green Coffee Importers to Equipment Specialists, Designers to Micro Roasters on board. They’ve also partnered with the Canadian chapter of the Specialty Coffee Association, a global body for coffee education, growth through competition, and support.

You can happily pass the day getting hopped up on unlimited coffee in your own keeper of a coffee mug, admiring latte artists and watching the National Barista Championships.   Plus sampling the twenty-four roasters each day, multiple machine espresso bars, cold brews, panel discussions, local food, music, and vendors.  Or you can go the scholarly route with sessions on cupping and roaster education.  

By the time you’re craving a different type of libation (or just need to calm down), local heroes Boxcar Social will ease you into their curated Beanstock Drink Program. Expect a great selection of drinks and some collaborative coffee cocktails.

And as if all that wasn’t enough, Beanstock gives back to the coffee community by supporting the SCA  and charities such as Coffee Kids to educate and support young entrepreneurs.

Isn’t it time to wake up and buy a ticket? 

Beanstock takes place in Toronto at 245 Queen’s Quay West May 26/27. To purchase tickets, click here.

 

 

 

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