Philip Grant, Roaster

Philip Grant is our “Roaster Extraordinaire.” A third-generation California, he got his start in the coffee business in Portland, Oregon during the big coffee boom in the 1990's. While delivering specialty coffees to small coffee houses, Phil discovered “The Power of the Bean.” Suddenly, just delivering coffee wasn't enough; he had to roast it. Working his way through the industry in the Pacific Northwest, Phil learned about the different varieties of coffees, from conventional to organic and Fair Trade. He also studied the different roasting methods and came to the conclusion that small-batch, micro-roasting produced a superior beverage.

When Phil returned to his home town of San Luis Obispo, California, he looked for a coffee company to put into practice what he'd learned in Oregon. Five years later he landed at Coastal Peaks Roasters, where today he uses an IR 24-kilo Diedrich roaster. It produces just over 35 pounds of coffee at a time, or about three roasts per hour. Phil says he appreciates the personal control this roaster gives him to produce the extraordinary roasts for which CPR is known.
 
Phil creates his coffee much the same way a master wine maker makes fine wine. We can’t tell you how he comes up with his extraordinary blends; that’s one of those trade secrets. We can tell you that when you drink a cup of brewed coffee or an espresso drink made from our micro-roasted beans, you’ll experience the passion of someone who understands coffee on a deep, almost spiritual level. He recognizes and makes use of the nuances and subtle qualities of the varietals to create blends that are, in a word, extraordinary.