Blanchard's Coffee Co. News!

We've been very busy at Blanchard's Coffee Co. for the past few weeks and lots of exciting things are on the horizon. We really appreciate all of our loyal fans and followers and we want to keep you informed about all the neat stuff we're getting into... well maybe not all of it, just the PG-13 stuff!

First up, we're super excited to roll out this year's first RVA Barista Jam this Wednesday, February 23rd from 6-8:00pm at Ellwood's Cafe in Carytown. If you've never been to an RVA Barista Jam event you should definitely check it out. Baristas compete in the skills of their trade while we watch, drink good coffee and wine, and hob-nob with other coffee loving folks. Get all the details at the RVA Barista Jam website or email rvabaristajam@gmail.com with specific questions.

Blanchard's is showing up in some new spots, places we're VERY excited to partner with on various coffee projects. Some of the new places to enjoy a cup of fresh roasted Blanchard's coffee are still top secret but we'll tell you what we can for now. Mamma Zu's and Edo's Squid are now proudly brewing their own Mamma Zu's blend roasted here at Blanchard's; amazing food and awesome coffee, what a pair! You can buy our retail coffee beans at Tom Leonard's Market in the West End now, go check out our brand new coffee display front and center as you walk through the door; we're beside the beautiful pineapples! We are also providing retail coffee for Longhorn and Lager in Midlothian and Farm to Family wherever the bus goes! We're also happy to be brewing coffee at The Lounge Bar & Grill and Addis Ethiopian Restaurant in the Bottom. There are a lot more exciting places to have a cup of Blanchard's Coffee coming soon; we'll keep you posted.

Finally, we're hosting a silent auction benefitting the River City Cycling Collective that features wares of local artisans the evening of March 4th. We're also having a gathering with live music, coffee and good friends of coffee, get all the details at the Blanchard's Coffee Community Site.

We're looking forward to seeing you at all of these neat places and events. Come out, say hi and find out why we're the coolest coffee company in Richmond!

Best Coffee in DC

The Washington City Paper discusses the best spots to get your coffee on in the District. Unfortunately Blanchard's hasn't made it that far north yet.

Besides, if I want a good cup of coffee, I know where to go. I head straight to Qualia Coffee in Petworth. Listen, I know the District’s coffee culture has made tremendous strides in the past few years. You can find really good hand-pours at Peregrine Espresso on Capitol Hill, at Chinatown Coffee Co. on H Street NW, at Filter Coffeehouse on 20th Street NW near Dupont Circle, and at Mid City Caffe on 14th Street NW. But if you truly love roasted beans and the sweet liquid stimulant extracted from them, Qualia’s Joel Finkelstein is your guy. Finkelstein believes in serving only the freshest beans, which are all roasted in the back room of his small shop on Georgia Avenue NW.

Sucking Beans

The following post was written by Jonathan Lesko the roaster, rebel and all around good guy;
Keeping the Lab clean is an uphill battle. We got grinds, stray beans, packaging trash and chaff (a byproduct of roasting that is great for compost, causes fires and smells rank). No matter how careful I am around the roasting room, otherwise known as the Lab, I spill beans and grinds all over the floor. Every step, I hear the cracking of roasted beans underneath my feet. Green beans litter the floor as they spill out of the large burlap sacks that store them and which frequently bust open out of sheer wear and tear. Ground coffee also happens to have been our best selling coffee at Ukrop’s, now Martin’s, so it’s always being packaged and also, spilled.

Fortunately, however, we bought a new vacuum cleaner last week and it has made every day at work delightfully cleaner. One source of endless sonic enjoyment is sucking up stray beans off the floor. Our old one (insert shameless pun here) s_ck_d. It often made more of a mess than it cleaned. So I would like to commend it here with a Google image:

Sign into 4square Get Free Coffee

The title pretty much sums it up. If you are at the shop this week sign into your 4square account and we'll give you a cup of fresh delicious coffee. Who knows you could become mayor and then the world will be your oyster.