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Coffee/tea | General discussion on cafes in Victoria and coffee-related topics


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#101 Holden West

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Posted 27 April 2008 - 07:44 PM

Ah, Coffee...... 30 pounds of grounds for free for the compost. At least one thing good came from Starbucks. But now even my plants are saying it's bitter and burnt. And they are up all night.
"Beaver, ahoy!""The bridge is like a magnet, attracting both pedestrians and over 30,000 vehicles daily who enjoy the views of Victoria's harbour. The skyline may change, but "Big Blue" as some call it, will always be there."
-City of Victoria website, 2009

#102 Coreyburger

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Posted 28 April 2008 - 03:18 PM

Yes, Fair Trade makes a good deal of difference to farmers lives. (This assumes you buy from one of the larger Fair Trade labellers). Being Fair Trade certified means that the manufacturer is guaranteed a price that pays a living wage but that price is not fixed, so if coffee prices on the New York index (think of this as a coffee equiv of Brent Crude for oil) raise above the minimum "floor", the price rises with it. The other major thing that makes Fair Trade good is a side product: most of the producers are community orgs, usually coops of the farmers themselves. These coops often invest a huge amount of money in their local communities, because, after all, they live there too.

#103 LJ

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Posted 28 April 2008 - 07:36 PM

co-ops
Life's a journey......so roll down the window and enjoy the breeze.

#104 Ginger Snap

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Posted 30 April 2008 - 08:38 PM

Level Ground is my go-to coffee.
Apparently there needs to be some kind of national regulatory body to oversee an official fair trade label. In the meantime, I will still pursue fairtrade products proactively, as I do with certain organic products.

Meanwhile the free trade coffee apparently sold by Serious needs to be verified appropriately.


I haven't looked recently, but up until a few years the Level Ground coffee was certified Fair Trade by an organization called IFAT (an unfortunate acronym). International Federation for Alternative Trade. I believe it actually costs money to have each bag certified (not that each bag is checked individually, but each time that labels goes on a bag it costs the company money, money that goes to the certifying organization), which is why for a long time Level Ground resisted being certified organic, even though they were. They just didn't want to spend the extra 20 cents per bag on the sticker when that money could go back to the farmers. So, if Level Ground doesn't carry the IFAT label any more, I would suspect that is why.

#105 osmich

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Posted 14 June 2008 - 03:23 PM

This cafe is the one attached to The Black Olive. My Black Olive story is perhaps best for another thread but in my opinion the restaurant is the same as the cafe.

I like baristas who take their job seriously and in my opinion Penelope's staff do not care yet they have no problem charging $2.63 for a 16oz Americano. I asked for my money back last week and will not return.

If you are a freak about your Americanos then you may want to avoid Penelope's Cafe. If you do not care then go there.

#106 julienne

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Posted 17 June 2008 - 09:03 AM

I like baristas who take their job seriously and in my opinion Penelope's staff do not care yet they have no problem charging $2.63 for a 16oz Americano. I asked for my money back last week and will not return.


Bravo to you for asking for a refund.
My latest pet peeve is standing in line to order coffee and then another line to pick it up and yet another line to put cream in it. Enough of that!
I've been enjoying the coffee served at Cafe Mela these days. I believe they created their own blend working with Level Ground Trading - a sturdy elixir.
And only one line up to order - they actually deliver it to your table with the requested sugar or cream.
Bring back table service for coffee.

#107 Audrey

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Posted 18 June 2008 - 06:57 AM

This thread makes me lament having spent most of the week drinking Camosun's sitting-in-a-carafe-for-god-knows-how-long coffee, now with bonus surly service staff to take my money.

#108 osmich

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Posted 18 June 2008 - 07:17 AM

Bravo to you for asking for a refund.


I have absolutely no problem asking for a refund. If they are going to have inexperienced baristas on bar then they better be prepared for people never to return or in my case give a refund for a poor product.

#109 Marilyn

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Posted 18 June 2008 - 08:42 AM

Best coffee for us is Fantastico because it gives the date of the roasting and it has an excellent flavour. It's available at their two outlets, one at Quadra & Kings and one in the Cook Street Village. It is also available at Cafe Vieux Montreal on Government. Only the Mexican Malina is organic and I don't see any Fair Trade stickers. It's a local company here in Victoria. I would love to buy Fair Trade, Organic, Shade Grown, Bird Friendly coffee if it was a fresh as Fantastico's.

I always turn back bad coffee. I tried Starbucks for a week because I had a Starbucks card and found it too acidic. I had to stop before it burnt a hole in my stomach. Doce Vita on Yates and Douglas are lovely cafes but they are owned by a crabby family.

My two cents...

#110 Caramia

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Posted 18 June 2008 - 09:01 AM

The Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Deli on Pandora also sells Cafe Fantastico beans

#111 Holden West

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Posted 18 June 2008 - 09:05 AM

^One more reason to patronize that place.
"Beaver, ahoy!""The bridge is like a magnet, attracting both pedestrians and over 30,000 vehicles daily who enjoy the views of Victoria's harbour. The skyline may change, but "Big Blue" as some call it, will always be there."
-City of Victoria website, 2009

#112 julienne

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Posted 18 June 2008 - 11:12 AM

Dolce Vita on Yates and Douglas are lovely cafes but they are owned by a crabby family.

My two cents...


I thought it was just me. Man, I've never seen such a grouchy act and been spoken to in such a way.
Maybe they drink too much coffee?

#113 martini

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Posted 18 June 2008 - 12:08 PM

From what I can tell from the Starbucks site they only offer a select few coffees as fair trade. The Serious Coffee site implies all of their coffee is fair trade and organic.
I can't think of any other place in Victoria that makes that claim including the small independent places all over the place. It's really inexcusable these days. Fair trade coffee is so readily available and affordable.
Besides, if you market all your coffee as fair trade, you'll get a huge following.
Serious Coffee's better than Starbucks and others anyway. And they'll mug it for you, Ms. B.


Totally agree with you. I'm not a big coffee drinker, but want a decent one when I do.
Relatives nicely give me Starbuck's gift cards which I wind up giving to my kids for frappachinos or whatever they are.;)

#114 Holden West

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Posted 18 June 2008 - 12:28 PM

I think this is what Starbucks realizes and what imitators don't quite get. It's not really about coffee--heck it's cheaper to fill a Thermos with good homemade coffee. It's about selling an experience--a familiar yet unique space, well maintained, with consistent and friendly service. Far too many local shops have shabby run down interiors and surly service.

I see Starbucks just finished renovating their first location in Victoria--Fort and Blanshard.
"Beaver, ahoy!""The bridge is like a magnet, attracting both pedestrians and over 30,000 vehicles daily who enjoy the views of Victoria's harbour. The skyline may change, but "Big Blue" as some call it, will always be there."
-City of Victoria website, 2009

#115 tashi

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Posted 18 June 2008 - 05:37 PM

Saltspring Island coffee is fairly traded, I think that they're trying to work out another certification as the Fair Trade one is a brand and actually quite expensive for small suppliers to acquire. They're also organic and strive to supply organic syrups etc. They also happen to be what we stock in the Bistro, and I've been very happy with their product and business style.

For my personal consumption, I've found that nothing beats Discovery Coffee. Rocket fuel with complex flavour. It's available at a bunch of lactations around town, most importantly in Fernwood at the Cornerstone, just blocks from my house!

Ciao,

James Peacock, GM Peacock Billiards and the James Joyce Bistro

#116 Holden West

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Posted 18 June 2008 - 05:46 PM

It's available at a bunch of lactations around town


I'm all for local organic milk, but that's a bridge I'm not gonna cross.
"Beaver, ahoy!""The bridge is like a magnet, attracting both pedestrians and over 30,000 vehicles daily who enjoy the views of Victoria's harbour. The skyline may change, but "Big Blue" as some call it, will always be there."
-City of Victoria website, 2009

#117 gumgum

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Posted 18 June 2008 - 06:31 PM

Hahaha! Autospeller strikes again!

#118 jklymak

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Posted 18 June 2008 - 07:51 PM

For my personal consumption, I've found that nothing beats Discovery Coffee. Rocket fuel with complex flavour. It's available at a bunch of lactations around town, most importantly in Fernwood at the Cornerstone, just blocks from my house!


Agreed - they are where I buy my beans and have a coffee if I'm up there.

Dolce Vita is good too - I can handle their odd brand of antisociality. Though I stopped going there for breakfast because they wouldn't let me buy my bun next door at the Market, despite discretely eating it outside. I can kind of see their point, but I think their pastries are really bad, and I was going every day until that happened, so they lost a pretty good chunk of my business.

Bubby Rose's had Discovery Coffee and if Mark is making it, it is really good. He's got a couple of the employees almost up to snuff, but some of them clearly never drink coffee so don't get it.

Habit is my favourite if I'm visiting LoJo!

#119 Ms. B. Havin

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Posted 18 June 2008 - 09:24 PM

I'm all for local organic milk, but that's a bridge I'm not gonna cross.

Clearly, you have never been in jail, deprived of nourishment, except that provided by your intrepid and fearless daughter, the Carita Romana.



(Note the female figure at the far right, dispensing milk to the man behind bars [her father].)

Great painting, by one of the best painters ever.

But don't worry, Holden -- jails have improved since then. No need for breast milk today...!
When you buy a game, you buy the rules. Play happens in the space between the rules.

#120 tashi

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Posted 19 June 2008 - 08:02 AM

I'm all for local organic milk, but that's a bridge I'm not gonna cross.


HA, Lactations! Oh well, just imagine how poorly the kids a few years younger than me spell...


Strong personal opinion time: Milk for adults is gross, organic or not, and has no place in coffee.

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