My entrance into the coffee industry began in late 1989 when I first moved to Seattle from the small town of Myrtle Creek, Oregon. I was 18, beginning my freshman year of college, and became quickly enamored with both the city and the extensive coffee culture here. Eventually, I found myself a part-time job at the espresso cart in front of Tower Records (then located at 5th and Mercer). Is it trite to say, that almost instantly, a "passion was born?" All I know is that within weeks I was cutting out every coffee-related article I could find, picking up extra shifts whenever possible, and practicing-to-make-perfect the arts of the barista.

Almost 19 years later I still find myself pleasantly immersed in all things coffee. A brief recap of the highlights would have to include a year at Seattle's Best ('91 - '92), where I made many life-long friends - who would eventually be of utmost importance in my getting into roasting; 4 years in Hawaii managing cafes and pursuing other coffee-related avenues; 8 great years managing Bauhaus Books and Coffee (working for and with the same great friends from SBC days); and when the owners of Bauhaus (Joel Radin and Mike Klebeck) opened their second Top Pot Doughnuts location with Mike's brother Mark and began roasting their own coffee, I spent 5 years there as head roaster. Altogether, I worked at a total of 9 different coffeehouses during this span, never doubting that coffee would always play a huge role in my life.

Getting into roasting was easily the biggest stepping stone of my career in coffee to date. It re-sparked my passion for coffee; yet again I found myself cutting out articles, as well as now cupping extensively, attending a Roaster's Guild retreat to network with other roasters from around the U.S. and world, and practicing with various roasting techniques and degrees of roast to bring out the best in a bean. I knew that I'd finally found something that I would never tire of, never stop learning from, and continue to share with coffee-lovers everywhere: roasting exceptional quality coffee.

And thus the birth of Velton's Coffee! A proud member of the SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) and the Roaster's Guild, and excited to have joined the ranks of great specialty coffee providers to our wonderful northwest coffee culture - and beyond. The company is primarily a wholesale outfit at present, however, all of the beans and blends are made available for purchase to consumers everywhere via this website.

For those who like to know:

All of the coffee is roasted in small batches on a top of the line Diedrich IR-12 (12 kilo, or approx. 25 lb. maximum load size), outfitted with the environmentally friendliest in afterburners (a catalytic oxidizer), and then promptly packed and sealed in the highest quality lined bags with one-way degassing valve to ensure maximum freshness.