Princess Valiant Coffee began in 2004, following a fruitless search for fresh-roasted organic coffee on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. One day what seemed at the time to be aimless web surfing led to instructions for home-roasting coffee. I had no idea one could do such a thing - so I tried it. My first effort was surprisingly tasty and I worked up the courage to share some with a friend. She instantly harangued me for more and the word was out!
I needed to come up with a name for my new company. After considerable thought, it came to me. Go for the silly nickname my Uncle Allen calls me when emailing advice about my baby blue 1965 Plymouth Valiant Signet V-8 convertible. And . . . I'll deliver the coffee in the car!
I purchased an RK Drum for roasting and within weeks the Port Angeles Farmer’s Market was my “storefront." From the day I first set up the canopy and brewed samples my whole bean coffee flew off the table. Packing up my gear at the end of the Market, late comers would run toward me waving money, pleading, “Don’t MAKE me buy coffee at the grocery store!”
Port Angeles artist and friend Katie Carlson created my logo. All my coffee labels are graced by Katie's beautiful and sometimes whimsical watercolor, pen & ink, and collage images. They are cut out and taped to refrigerators far and wide because people can’t bear to throw them in the trash.
Now, thanks to enthusiastic customers, high quality green coffee,
and the
mentoring by some of the most respected professionals
in the coffee industry this entrepreneurial venture is growing
rapidly.
I currently have dozens of single origin coffees in my lineup, develop
proprietary blends, provide private
label packaging for individuals,
businesses and
as fundraisers. I can ship coffee anywhere - even to
our troops in
the Middle East!
In 2006, I graduated to a stunning new Diedrich
IR-12 drum roaster and buy coffee by the ton. Somehow I never imagined a livelihood in which I would be dancing with joy over
the purchase of a shiny new pallet jack, and secretly
longing for my very own forklift.
Content of
Princess Valiant Coffee©
Copyright 2007