If you know me, then you know that I am a big coffee fan! When I heard about East To West Coffee, I had to find out the details. After all, good coffee made on Martha’s Vineyard definitely has mass appeal.
East To West Coffee is the new business started by husband and wife team, Andrew and Natalie. Andrew works in construction and Natalie owns Nat’s Nook in Vineyard Haven.
East To West Coffee – Husband And Wife Roasters
With two businesses, a toddler, a baby on the way, they have somehow managed to create East To West Coffee. When I met with Andrew at their house in Edgartown where the coffee is roasted, I had to admit that I was super impressed with all they do!
Andrew and Natalie are not the TV-watching at night couple. They prefer to do something, together, work together. They had such a great time working together on Nat’s Nook, it was like OK, what’s next. One of the best parts about opening the cafe was trying coffee from various coffee roasters. The comparing, the differences, the whole process was a lot of fun.
Talking about their next venture together, they came up with the idea to roast coffee. They bought a one pound roaster which was like the size of a toaster oven, and started roasting coffee.
There is an alchemy to roasting coffee — the roast time, the mixing of the beans, the origin of the beans — a challenge that both enjoy. Andrew even went to Minnesota to take a roasting class at Mill City Roasters.
East To West Coffee Goes Small Batch And Commercial
Things were roasting well, no but seriously, they were really enjoying doing this together, and it’s a venture that keeps going. The next step was to get a roaster that could produce a more substantial quantity of coffee. After a lengthy process, they got a Mill City roaster. It’s a beaut!
Now they’re able to roast larger quantities, but the idea is to have mostly commercial accounts. They want East To West Coffee to remain small batch and special. If you’re wondering who has East To West Coffee, of course Nat’s Nook and Waterside Market. Other accounts to be opened soon.
Waterside Market actually has a special blend they serve. A blend of Columbian, Brazilian and Ethiopian beans, it’s a darker roast, robust and flavorful.
One of the best things about this venture is the educational component. You can really get into coffee. There are so many factors. You can talk about the basics, how water, the grind of the beans, and the method you brew with have such an impact on your coffee.
East To West Coffee – Roasting On The Latest Coffee Trends
On top of all of that, there’s so much to learn about the beans and so many possibilities for coffee roasts. For Andrew and Natalie, it’s really about a better cup of coffee. It’s about blends that are going to be special and memorable.
One of the trends right now is lighter coffee. The bold, strong is out of favor with roasters. They want coffee that is roasted less and allows for people to really taste the flavor of the different beans. I love strong coffee so this is a trend that I will most likely miss.
We had a fun coffee taste test with three East to West coffees – the Costa Rica, Waterside, and Peru. Each was so different, but the Waterside was the winner in my book – since it was the most robust. However, it was fun to experience the different roasts with a professional.
East to West Coffee has been over a year in the making. Keep an eye out for it in Island establishments. You can even get a bag to go! There are more roasts to come, perhaps a Nat’s Nook signature? Part of the fun is rotating roasts, helping people try new styles and experiencing the different flavors. A
Author’s Note: If you were wondering about the name, its a nod to Andrew and Natalie. She is from British Columbia and he is from Chilmark, and not even a great distance could stop this love from happening.
One more fun thing to share, Andrew and Natalie met over coffee. He had just gotten a cup of coffee at Garcias (where 7a is now), and he saw Natalie heading to work. He dumped his coffee and went for a replacement.
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