49th Parallel is my personal favourite Vancouver coffee company. Available in finer stores and coffee shops, and at their very own flagship store in Kitsilano on 4th Ave, it was founded by Michael and Vince Piccolo who travel the world meeting with farmers, sourcing the finest beans to be roasted right here. And as you can see from the photos below, they're more than just beans, they're dedicated to bringing you an entirely better coffee drinking experience!
Next time you're buying coffee to brew at home or heading out for a cup, consider 49th Parallel for not only their ridiculously satisfying coffees but also their direct relationships they've developed that result in higher than Fair Trade wages and a better future for everyone involved.
We caught up with co-founder and Master Roaster, Michael Piccolo, who is responsible for roasting every batch of their green coffee. Here's what he had to say...
If 49th Parallel was known for only one thing amongst the people who support the company, what would it be?
Focusing on quality and insuring customer satisfaction.
Aside from your own, what’s your favourite Vancouver business, and why?
Capers. It carries a great variety of products and their organic program is tops.
What is your Relationship Coffee program and how does it work?
We buy certain coffees direct from origin insuring more than fair trade pricing and insuring the farmer is paid much more than fair trade and/or market value. This creates long term relationships and secures our company the highest quality of coffee.
What keeps you here? Like what’s the best thing about Vancouver?
Family.
