Photo: Glebe Business Improvement Area
Ottawa loves to support its local businesses and coffee shops are no exception. Local, independent coffee roasters provide a unique experience and rich flavours you can’t get at regular chains. So grab your reusable mug and make your way to some of these great coffee roasters for a tasty cup of joe in Canada’s Capital.
Travel experiences inspired the two friends behind Little Victories to elevate Ottawa’s coffee culture by starting their own coffee roasting business. This independent roaster ethically sources their beans, using direct trade companies whenever possible. Sip their unique brews at their café in the Glebe, Centretown, Elgin Street or visit one of the many Ottawa shops and restaurants that serve Little Victories' products.
Artery Community Roasters is a social enterprise that roasts ethically sourced specialty coffee in small batches while creating meaningful employment for people living with disabilities. Their direct-trade coffees are roasted with care and delivered fresh! Pick up a bag online or look for their coffee at local retailers and markets around Ottawa.
Since opening in 2000, Bridgehead coffee shops have become a mainstay of Canada’s capital region. The roastery is centrally located in Little Italy, with cafés in Centretown, the Glebe, Hintonburg, Wellington West and more across the city. Bridgehead coffees are Fairtrade Certified, which means the company only works with small-scale farmers to get the best beans at prices that truly support the farmer’s skills and effort.
Equator Coffee has been in the bean biz since 1998. As a member of Northern America’s Cooperative Coffees, their products are all fair trade, organic and from small-scale farms. Visit their café, roastery and training centre located just 45 minutes west of Ottawa in Almonte, Ontario. Don't skip their seasonal menus at their coffee shops around Ottawa at the National Arts Centre, Westboro Village and more.
Sourcing their beans from small-crop farmers in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Happy Goat produces niche coffees that Ottawans love. You can try their organic, fair-trade roasts at one of their cafés, including the original Hintonburg location in Wellington West, and at over 100 partner merchants throughout the Ottawa area.
Morning Owl has been serving Ottawa since 2009, roasting organic and direct-trade coffee beans in-house and in small batches. Proudly owned and operated by independent franchise owners, its cafés bring local flavour to neighbourhoods including Parkdale, Laurier, Rochester, Kanata and Manotick. Stop in for freshly roasted coffee or a quick bite that brings an Ottawa-made caffeine boost to your day.
After roasting coffee out of his Gatineau home as a hobby for years, Shann Bosnell opened Brown Bag Coffee Roasters near Gatineau Park. They specialize in specialty-grade, single origin beans that are certified Fair Trade Organic or Rain Forest Alliance whenever possible. You can purchase their quality products at the roastery or at coffee shops, restaurants and retailers throughout the Ottawa region.
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