Wake up call: Inside Windsor's Colonial Coffee roastery
Colonial Coffee is one of the largest and oldest coffee roasters in the region. It supplies hundreds of local restaurants and ships coffee across the continent.
Windsor Morning's Jonathan Pinto goes on a tour of Colonial Coffee's roasting operation
(From left to right) Greg Hildenbrand, Leah Ohler, Laurie Ohler and Lisa Ohler pose below a portrait of the late Jack Ohler, who founded Colonial Coffee fifty-three years ago with partner Frank Goldin. (Jonathan Pinto/CBC)
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If you live in Windsor and drink coffee, chances are you've had a cup produced by Colonial Coffee. The Marentette Avenue business supplies hundreds of local restaurants and ships coffee across the continent.
Colonial Coffee's large- and small-batch roasters
8 years ago
Duration 2:26
A look at the large- and small-batch roasters at Windsor's Colonial Coffee.
I dropped by Colonial's warehouse recently to see the magic for myself.
Tap on the audio player to learn more.
A large bag of Guatemalan coffee beans inside Colonial's warehouse. (Jonathan Pinto/CBC)
Greg Hildenbrand is the roaster at Colonial Coffee. Pictured beside him is the company's small-batch electric roaster, which can roast batches as small as half a kilogram (1 pound). (Jonathan Pinto/CBC)
Green coffee beans ready for small-batch roasting. (Jonathan Pinto/CBC)
This is one of Colonial's two, large gas-fired coffee roasters, which handle 45-kilogram (100 pound) batches. (Jonathan Pinto/CBC)
Jonathan Pinto is the host of Up North, CBC Radio One's regional afternoon show for Northern Ontario and is based in Sudbury. He was formerly a reporter/editor and an associate producer at CBC Windsor. Email jonathan.pinto@cbc.ca.
