At Second Cup, we know that in order to provide the best coffee for our Guests, we must continue to work in harmony with both the environment and people who provide us with the best quality coffee beans. To both our Guests and coffee producers, we pledge that our coffee growing environment is treated with the utmost respect and dignity. All of our coffee producers provide a safe and healthy work environment and employees are compensated in a fair and equitable manner. As well, Second Cup continues to provide financial remuneration for quality beans to directly benefit the farmers, workers and mills. This is our promise.
Second Cup Attains High Order in Coffee
Dec 9, 2010
8:00am
Second Cup's Resident "Coffee Expert™" Patrick Russell
Achieves Q Grader Certification
- Russell only the 7th in Canada to Hold This Level of Certification -
TORONTO, Dec. 9 /CNW/ - Second Cup® Canada continues to define innovation and coffee integrity in the Canadian coffee retail industry, with the proud announcement of Patrick Russell's latest achievement. This week Russell successfully completed his Q Grader Certification through the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) becoming only the 7th person in Canada to attain this esteemed certification. As a Q Grader, Russell is now licensed to assess and grade coffee quality; Russell will continue to focus on sourcing, evaluating, and delivering the finest Arabica coffees to Second Cup's guests.
"I am very proud to be Second Cup's first Q Grader. Making sure that our coffee is the highest quality is my primary mandate and the Q Grader certification helps to ensure that we always have best practices in place," states Patrick Russell.
What is a Licensed Q Grader or Q Grader: A professional cupper (one who uses their senses of sight, smell and taste to determine green and roasted coffee quality through a standard evaluation process) who has successfully passed CQI's Q Grader Certification and earned a certificate as a Licensed Q Grader (source: http://www.coffeeinstitute.org/need-help.html).
"Patrick's certification as a Licensed Q grader is a true testament to our coffee expertise and commitment to Coffee Integrity as a brand. Seeing Patrick take his craft to the next level is an inspiration to our network of independent Second Cup cafe owners," states Stacey Mowbray, President & CEO at Second Cup Ltd.
Russell was promoted earlier this year to the unique role of in-house Coffee Expert™, a job defined to uphold the high product standard. In his role as Coffee Expert™, Russell works alongside the Second Cup roaster to taste coffee 112 times before it is released to guests. Russell continues to define his role as a coffee industry leader, recently winning the 2010 Canadian Cup Tasters Championship! Russell will represent Canada in the 2011 World Cup Tasters' Championship live at the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe event in Maastricht, The Netherlands, June 22nd - 24th.
Licensed Q Grader Background
Licensed Q Graders are professional cuppers accredited by the Coffee
Quality Institute (the Specialty Coffee Association of America's charitable trust), they are licensed to grade coffees, and at times
serve as arbiters in disputes between green coffee vendors and buyers
when quality is in question. These Q Graders must pass a rigorous exam
to earn their certification, comprising of 22 sections on coffee
related subjects, such as green grading, roast identification, coffee
cupping, sensory skills and sensory triangulation (source: http://www.scaa.org/?page=cupping).
About Second Cup®
Founded in 1975, Second Cup® is Canada's largest specialty coffee franchisor, operating more than
340 cafes across the country. As a proudly Canadian company, Second
Cup celebrates its franchisees' local ownership, and prioritizes the
support of local businesses through daily deliveries from neighbourhood
partners. Committed to coffee integrity, all 5,000 associates of Second
Cup are Trusted Coffee ExpertsTM who sell 1,000,000 fairly traded coffee and tea beverages every week. To
find a location near you or for more information, please visit www.secondcup.com.
For further information:
regarding Second Cup please contact:
Kimberly Clark
Vice President of Marketing; The Second Cup Ltd.
T. 905-362-1831 E. kclark@secondcup.com