For support and sales inquiries, kindly reach out to James or Peter using the information below. For service, repairs, and installations, please get in touch with Ray from Cellar-Tek Services.
James credits a pour-over in a Pacific Northwest coffee shop with opening his eyes to the world of fine coffee – and to a new and different style – bright, acidic & fruity coffee.
He had been enjoying brewing coffee in everything from a French Press, AeroPress and Moka-pot, but this pour-over experience was an awakening, and things haven’t been the same for him since the first sip of that pour-over.
When asked what his go-to coffee is these days, his answer is - It depends...... He’s partial to pour-overs, especially in the warmer months where the bright, fresh characteristics can shine through. He also loves espresso - describing it as a magnifying glass for flavours.
James has been an amateur coffee roaster for over 2 years and has completed his Level 1 Certification in Coffee Roasting. He spends a lot of time at Red Bird Roasting, working on perfecting his roasting game!
With his first “A-HA” moment fueled by an order of “traditional cappuccino” at The Bean Scene in 1998, and armed with a Fresh Roast SR300 coffee roaster and a Saeco Estro Vapore espresso maker, Peter has been conducting smokey coffee-roasting experiments at home for over 25 years.
He prefers bolder flavoured coffee with unique flavours that can still stand out when a bit of steamed milk is added to the mix. He typically makes an espresso in the morning using test roasts from Red Bird Roasting. His go-to at work is an espresso from a Pavoni manual lever-style machine mixed with a bit of hot water to make a strong Americano.
Pete loves sharing his passion with his family each Christmas by roasting them a custom bag of coffee that he feels most closely resembles their personality and including those tasting notes overlayed on an old family photo of them for the label.
Powell remembers getting up early to go to work with his Dad, and on the first day, they arrived to work a half-hour early. He was surprised to find a break room full of his dad’s colleagues who had arrived at work well before opening in order to enjoy a cup of coffee, converse and connect as a team. As Powell recalls, “It was a culture I had never seen before. I poured a coffee and blended into the group. The coffee looking back was not the best, but the first experience is engrained in my mind.”
Since then, Powell’s love of coffee has been fostered throughout his travels. His first “A-HA” moment with coffee was when he had an authentic cappuccino for the first time at a small café in Italy. He describes the rich, creamy espresso paired with frothy milk as a “revelation” – perfectly balanced flavour and textures. From that moment on, he was hooked on fine coffee and began exploring brewing methods and coffee profiles.
Powell is an experienced engineering & sales professional with a background in various mechanical equipment & working with customers on equipment solutions. With over a decade of experience in the beverage industry, he’s ready to put his experience to work for you!
