Sitting among the coffee bags that had been shipped from Zimbabwe, Jamieson Lamb (left) and Bethany Warder, will open Ashanti Coffee, June 1, in downtown Port Elgin.

Hub Staff

From the fields of Zimbabwe to a cup in Port Elgin, Ashanti Coffee’s arabica beans are the only beans served in Canada that come from Zimbabwe. Opening in downtown Port Elgin June 1, Ashanti Coffee, run by Jamieson Lamb and Bethany Warder, is the fifth store from the Ashanti franchise to open in Bruce and Grey counties and was created by franchise owner David Wilding-Davies of Thornbury after he purchased a coffee farm in the East African Highlands.

The farm, which sits 3,600 feet above sea level, employs Zimbabwean farm hands who receive a fair wage, a pension, and a place to plant their own crops. The company also funds aspects of the local school.

“Everybody at the farm, [we at Ashanti] know them on a first name basis. We know their children and know what school they go to,” said Lamb at their new location on the corner of Goderich and Mill streets, May 26.

Lamb added that knowing the person who picked the bean is “pretty special”.

After the rainy season the beans are harvested and fermented in open air tanks, then they’re washed and placed in the sun and raked for three weeks. Over 20 tons of coffee beans are shipped from Zimbabwe to Toronto, where each 60 kilogram bag is unloaded by hand and sent to the roasting facility in Thornbury, where Lamb worked for a time.

Lamb and his partner, Warder, were excited about the prospect of moving to Port Elgin, a place to establish themselves after years of traveling.

“We’re really excited to get into business and we’re pretty excited about coffee and the culture and Port Elgin seems like a great town,” said Lamb, while partner Warder liked the peacefulness and beachy feel of the area. She had hoped to live in a “friendly” town.

The partners are also aiming to organize workshops for people who are interested in learning the aspects of coffee making, from harvest to brew.

Lamb said their techniques are improving as well. “It really is a high quality product, and with roasting the beans, we’re becoming more refined with it. I can look at the beans, have a cup and go, ‘oh that’s roasted a little too high, let’s change our numbers a little bit.’ We really try to fine-tune a high quality cup of coffee.”

The duo are also excited for customers to try their stock of gourmet loose leaf tea from Collingwood’s teafrog. From herbal varieties to black and rooibos, Lamb envisions that people will enjoy a cup of Canadian Berry, a loose leaf tea that features fruit sourced from Canada.

“We’re really excited to do everything we can to be a part of the community,” Lamb said. “We’re excited to meet everyone from town and for them to know us. We’re just trying to make our own space, and be a spot for good coffee.”