>World Classics Coffee Statement - Big Y® World Class Market®

OVERVIEW

Founded in 1972, Coffee Bean International is a visionary coffee company located in Portland, Oregon. As one of North America's pioneers in specialty coffee, its unwavering commitment to handcrafted quality and sustainable business practices has earned it respect and a place among the coffee industry's premier batch roasters. Coffee Bean International roasts for independent specialty coffeehouses and prestigious larger, quality-oriented chains. Coffee Bean International operates out of a LEED® Silver certified roasting facility and invests in farmer relationship and coffee certifications to fulfill its mission of improving coffee quality and coffee growers' lives and communities around the world.

A VISION

Coffee Bean International was founded in Eugene, Oregon, before operations were moved 100 miles north to Portland in the late 70s. At that time, coffee in America was purely a commodity, a functional beverage experience that always required cream and sugar. There was little differentiation across brands, and very little availability of higher grade selections from countries where coffee is grown. After coming home from some time spent traveling through Europe touring the world of specialty foods and beverages, the roasters had a vision to build a roastery that was focused solely on high quality coffee. Before setting up shop, they spent a winter with Alfred Peet (founder of Peet's Coffee(r)) to learn the craft of batch roasting. Then, they went to work on building relationships that connected them to exotic selections from around the world - hence the name Coffee Bean International. They started out roasting for their own storefront, and then quickly evolved the business to also roast on a wholesale basis for independent coffeehouses in the Northwest, and beyond.

STAY CONNECTED TO THE CORE

Since its early days, Coffee Bean International has maintained its focus on the independent operator, the neighborhood cafe where people have time to relax and enjoy coffee. Today, independently owned coffeehouses are still where coffee culture is defined. And so as the company's roasting business grew and changed, the company has never turned its back on the indy operator. These small, local shops are the heart and soul of the company, and are what differentiates Coffee Bean International from like-sized roasters that supply to regional grocery store chains. And through its connection to cafe culture, the company stays in-step with the ongoing evolution of coffee quality, in how it is imported, how it is roasted, and how it is prepared for consumption. In fact, Coffee Bean International owns and operates its own leading edge cafe in downtown Portland, Oregon. It's called Public Domain: A place where all people have access to the best coffee in the world.

RULE #1: FRESH IS BETTER

No matter where or how the company's coffees are served, there is one rule that is taken seriously: coffee freshness. Coffee Bean International has learned so much about freshness over its four decades of roasting, and every year, we learn more about how to improve coffee's freshness as it makes its way through the supply chain. A few steps taken are worth highlighting. These steps aren't necessarily unique to Coffee Bean International's approach to roasting and packaging, but they are far from universal across the industry, and are worth sharing with you:

1.No past-crop coffees. The World Classic Trading Company line is always "in crop." You see, coffee is an agricultural product. And in most growing regions, there is one crop per year. The company does not bulk buy and store green (un-roasted) coffees for years in a North American warehouse. It buys only what is needed to roast for a given season, or year.

2.Gentle cooling. When coffee leaves the roaster, it's hot. Really hot! Most roasters pour water on the coffee to quickly cool the coffee so it can be hurried on to grinding and/or packaging. Coffee Bean International does this too, but "sort-of." The company uses just the smallest portion of water to suppress the smoke coming off the beans. But there is no "quenching." The company's philosophy is that too much water is a bad thing. A lot of water can accelerate the process of staling, and can effectively reduce the shelf-life of fresh coffee. So yes, the artisan roasters hurry on to the packaging stage after each roast, but they try to balance this with the negative effects of overusing water.

3.Reduce exposure to oxygen. After roasting and cooling, coffee goes straight to packaging. A lot of roasters let coffee "de-gas" a while before it is packaged. (De-gassing is carbon dioxide leaving the bean - it's 100% natural and happens to all coffee.) But as coffee is left to sit in the open air and de-gas, it is getting stale. In fact, recent internal studies have demonstrated that reducing the time between roasting and packaging is the most critical step in preserving coffee freshness as it ships from Coffee Bean International to Big Y.

WITH LEADERSHIP COMES RESPONSIBILITY

The ongoing pursuit of the best cup of coffee is collaborative effort. Coffee Bean International's view on coffee research is that it should be "open source." The company strives to make improvements along with other like-minded specialty coffee roasters across the country. We share what we learn, and learn what is shared. And when it makes sense, we take a leadership position. At present, Coffee Bean International is involved in numerous industry organizations that are all about coffee quality. The Roastermaster, Paul Thornton, is on the Board of Directors for the Specialty Coffee Association of American, serving as the 2nd Vice President. The President and CEO, Patrick Criteser, chairs the Board of the newly formed Global Coffee Quality Research Initiative (GCQRI), a global effort to better understand coffee quality, and preserve its sustainable supply into the future. The VP of Coffee Culture, Bruce Mullins, is a Trustee for the Coffee Quality Institute, an organization that aims to establish quality standards for growers across the world.

The company has also taken a leadership position in coffee sustainability. Coffee Bean International operates the first LEED Silver certified roastery in the Northwest. We were among the first roasters to promote certified organic and fair trade coffees. And we have recently established "direct trade" relationship in Peru, Colombia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Tanzania, with more origins coming on line shortly.

Coffee Bean International is a proud supplier partner to Big Y. It is our hope that you enjoy the World Classics Trading Company selections that we source, blend, roast and package. We want these coffees to be among the best coffees you have ever experienced, for this was the vision of our founders that we continue to uphold today.