ABOUT HVC
We LOVE coffee
Hockley Valley Coffee was born from the idea that we could do better and be better. We could source better beans, roast them on demand for the freshest coffee experience, support the communities where our beans are grown and help ethically conscious consumers enjoy a superb cup of coffee while honouring their values. We LOVE coffee. HVC is a dedicated team of socially conscious individuals who believe meticulous attention to detail and higher altitude coffee beans will result in the best cup of coffee for our customers. We are members of the Speciality Coffee Association and the Coffee Roaster Guild. We roast our beans using the traditional cast-iron roaster of days gone by – our Master Roaster carefully roasting and sipping throughout the day in search of the perfect flavour profile. Every batch is recorded, “logged” in a true old-fashioned logbook. Our organic beans are sourced from shade and bird friendly farmers directly and grown at high altitude and they are beans for which we happily pay our farmers a premium price.
CONNECT WITH US
COOLER CLIMATE
A cooler growing climate results in coffee beans that are slower growing and result in a much denser bean.
DENSER BEANS
Denser beans absorb heat differently – with a resulting intensity of flavour when roasted carefully, in small, custom curated batches, after you place your order with us
SPECIALTY GRADE
These beans are rated as specialty grade coffee and are hyper local. We work with farmers in three countries only: Guatemala, Colombia and Brazil, with a particular emphasis on Guatemala where we also currently support the community in three ways: Girls in school, Rebuilding initiatives and with Renovations – a customized giving program where every dollar donated is a full dollar to the community. HVC absorbs all associated administrative expenses
HYPER
LOCAL
“Speciality grade coffee” means in every 300 gr sample, you will find five or fewer defects. For comparison purposes, supermarket coffee, considered “Commodity grade,” has over 86 defects per sample size! Factor in our traditional, cast-iron “just in time” roasting method, perfected by Roast Master Wallace Mark and shipped to you the same day it’s roasted, and we’re confident in our claim: “Offering an elevated coffee taste experience for the true coffee connoisseur.” This is sophisticated coffee for serious coffee lovers.
FOUNDER
Master RoasterWallace (Wally) Mark
Compassionate and Passionate – these are perhaps the two words that might best describe our Certified Master Roaster, Wally Mark. Coffee and supporting the communities where coffee is grown, are Wally’s “raison d’etre.” Having learned the art and skill of commercial coffee roasting in Cuba in the early 90’s, Wally began his vocation in earnest after his friend Tom Deans returned from central America meeting with a chance connection opened the door to the idea of a boutique coffee company originating in Hockley Valley. Wally embraced the idea and relied heavily on the lifelong friendships he formed in Cuba to improve his roasting skills. (There’s an interesting story here if you ever meet Wally in person, ask him about it!) With his additional background in the restaurant business, Wally already knew the importance of a good cup of coffee and also sought out the mentorship of another friend, a former Head Roaster with the GMCR and he’s been perfecting his craft ever since (see video below).
Wally really does complete log entries in his logbook throughout the brewing process and will talk willingly with anyone about the roasting process. Longer roasting times using gentle heat will result in smoother, creamier coffee. Original cast iron is important but the coffee itself roasts in hardened steel and while much of the process involves old fashioned hard work, HVC also utilizes state of the art German engineering with computer plotting of air and bean temperatures throughout the roasting cycle. The results are probably about as close to coffee perfection as you can get. This is Wally’s passion.
When it comes to compassion, Wally is particularly proud of Hockley Valley Coffee’s commitment to community. Through his many travels in Latin America, he connected with individuals already “on the ground” working to support impoverished farmers. After meeting the Principal of a local school through these folks, Hockley Valley’s Giving Program was born. Sponsoring children – and in particular girls who face greater barriers to attending and finishing their education – along with completing school renovations and even reconstructing the home of a local family, are each just some of the ways HVC helps. They’ve also started an entrepreneurship program and we encourage you to read more about this under our “Giving” Page.
SALES, MARKETING AND QUALITY ASSURANCE
Harry Feinig
Harry brings a unique perspective to the Hockley Valley Coffee team with over 30+ years primarily in the food inspection industry. Familiar with every aspect of the safe production of goods, from bakeries to vegetables, rendering and to training others, he was a natural fit when it came to understanding the process behind creating great coffee. Harry got involved approximately 10 years ago, literally after tasting a cup of Wally’s coffee. Previously claiming that the only good cup of coffee was a cup from Europe, he was (and remains) hooked on Hockley Valley Coffee and began doing sales and deliveries for the company across the GTA, Hamilton, Niagara, and beyond. According to Harry, “I can only sell stuff if I believe it to be good quality, at a fair price. Hockley Valley Coffee is both.” It only helps HVC that Harry’s expertise is based in food safety and that he understands food production, inspections and regulations. It goes without saying HVC exceeds all federal and provincial standards.
Harry is proud to support the tradition of philanthropy at HVC. It’s a responsibility he believes richer nations must assume, to help those that are still in development. He has strong feelings about education as a means for escaping poverty and proudly supports the work HVC does in the community of Salcaja, Guatemala
ONLINE SALES, MEDIA PRODUCTION, COMMUNICATIONS & WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT
Peter Noce
Is there a better place to meet fellow coffee connoisseurs than a café? It should come as no surprise that Peter Noce met Wally, Harry and Tom at a pretty little café located in Orangeville, Ontario in 2013. Wally and Harry opened the French Press Café in 2013 and as a patron of the establishment both prior to, and after they assumed ownership, Peter immediately noted the change in coffee. Inquiries led to a meeting with Wally whose passion and dedication was immediately evident to Peter. In 2015 Peter began working to build and improve their website to support the sales and growth of Hockley Valley Coffee. A graduate of Ryerson University, with a passion for media production and a particular technical expertise in computers, mobile devices, digital / tech and internet related workings, Peter was happy to help the duo by utilizing his expertise in support of their shared passion for coffee. Peter, knowing Hockley Valley Coffee was something special, wanted to be a part of supporting its continued growth.
These days, while administering and managing the online sales, Peter finds himself spending a significant portion of his time with customer service and promotion, specializing in education, communications and media project development, while having produced and co-hosted ‘The Sill’ podcast.
TSP020 – Black, 2 Sugars: Coffee, tea and tech.
