Learn About The Chemistry Of Coffee At This Moncton Tasting Room
MONCTON – There’s a new coffee spot on 400 St. George St. But Epoch Chemistry isn’t your traditional coffee house. In fact, you’d have to make a reservation to try their coffee or buy the beans to brew at home.
Co-founders Conor Conway and Matt Symes originally wanted to open a coffee shop alongside a tasting offering. But when Covid-19 forced cafés to close, they changed course.
“It’s almost a blessing in disguise because if we had gone the avenue of a café, we probably wouldn’t have been as cash-flow positive,” Conway said.
In July, Epoch Chemistry began offering coffee tasting experience for groups of up to 12 people within the same bubble, by reservation only. The tastings are offered from Friday to Sunday.
It also sells coffee brewing gear and premium coffee from around the world, and roasts its own brand for sale. It’s starting a monthly subscription service as well. Customers can pick up their order, or have it delivered for free on Wednesdays and Fridays.
The company also offers wholesale coffee to other businesses in the city. For instance, Tony’s Bistro & Patisserie now carries Epoch Chemistry’s in-house roast.
A member of the international Specialty Coffee Association, Epoch Chemistry also consults customers and businesses on their coffee choices.
“That’s pandemic proof, but a front serving business is not going to survive a pandemic or a recurrence of it,” he said. “Because you know, when every coffee shop closed, people did not stop drinking coffee. They just switched to a different way. And this is our avenue. We see where our value is. It’s in the B2B sales.”
An hour-long tasting experience costs $30 per person. That gets them various forms of coffee to drink – from cold brew to espresso to affogato, and a bag of coffee.
Conway says he’s already taking bookings well through the end of September. Those interested to book a session or buy coffee can message them through Facebook or Instagram.
“I think the market comes from an experience that is beverage- and taste-related that’s not alcohol. It also happens at a different time of the day, right? You don’t necessarily want a wine tasting at 7 in the morning,” he said.
Epoch Chemistry relies on importers and partners in North America and Europe to purchase ethically-sourced, premium coffee from countries like Brazil, Honduras and Ethiopia. They buy from or alongside more established roasters such as Phil & Sebastian and Monogram in Calgary, ZAB in Montreal, The Barn in Berlin and others.
Symes says the aim is to feed into a circular model of the coffee trade. “It’s a full social, economic and environmental look at the complete impact of the coffee trade,” he said.
The supply chain that brings cups of coffee to North Americans can often be traced to unethical practices, whether that’s in regards to the treatment of workers, the environmental effect, or the impact on farmers in countries where coffee is a major export.
That’s why Epoch Chemistry’s beans are sourced at almost US$5 a pound. But that doesn’t mean the price points are out of reach for consumers, the pair said.
“The tasting is the real value-add that we can bring to the table,” Conway said. “If I’m going to measure every single aspect of my coffee and fine-tune, that takes a lot of education and time, that to me is more valuable.”
The tasting also acts as a sales pipeline. Customers who have tasted the coffee could then be interested to buy bags of them or buy home brewing equipment.
Epoch Chemistry offers three levels of brew kits. The one for beginners cost between $60 and $80, and includes a hand grinder, AeroPress, and a little scale, for example.
The bags of coffee sold at Epoch Chemistry cost between $20 to $35 each, a bit more expensive than coffee bags from local coffee roasters, which retail for between $15 and $22.
But when a customer gets their order during the designated pick-up hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, they’d get a free espresso.
“We’re not interested in selling $3 drinks. We’re interested in helping you refine the way you drink your coffee at home and helping you refine the choices you have around the beans you consume at home,” Conway said. “Because I think that’s the real long game for us is getting coffee at home.”
Symes said Epoch Chemistry isn’t just for “coffee geeks.” It also wants to be a “gateway” for others. Like himself at the beginning of his coffee journey, he says not many people understand how coffee can taste when brewed well.
“Yet as they engage with the bean and understand that the same been done three different ways is dramatically different, and they start to understand the different taste profiles, they get excited about it,” he added.
For Conway, it’s important to celebrate the different flavours of the beans to show the “terroir of the region” they come from, and get customers to be connected to the people and place behind that coffee as well.
“That excites me when a customer is able to experience that. I feel like you’re tied into the world in a different way,” he said.