Gino and Victoria Rutigliano have been in business on Bowen for almost 10 years. The Bowen Island Roasting Company opened its new doors last June but they have been roasting free trade organic coffee beans on the island for the last seven years.
Towering outside the cafe on Dorman Road is the afterburner, fondly known as 'the rocketship.' Doing its part to keep Bowen's air as clean as possible with a 99 per cent 'thermal mode destruction efficiency', the afterburner uses high temperatures to break down the odour and smoke produced during the roasting process.
Gino imports 100 per cent fully certified organic, ethically traded green coffee beans from Columbia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Brazil and Indonesia, roasting on the premises only enough to sell fresh each week. As soon as the coffee is cool enough after roasting, the beans are bagged and sealed. A special valve in the bag allows for the natural de-gassing that occurs in the first 48 to 72 hours.
Costco recently held a membership drive outside the Bowen Island Roasting Company cafe. They were so impressed with the product, they invited Gino to join them in their tent at BC Place on Saturday, June 2, for Eat! Vancouver where our island's signature coffee will be sampled by coffee lovers on the mainland.
