Fresh Cup - News

Fresh Cup Announces Sponsorship of The 2010 Canadian Coffee & Tea Show – September 26th & 27th in Toronto

June 21st, 2010 – Saanichton, B.C.

Known for developing ‘Canada’s Most Environmentally Friendly Coffee Roaster’, Fresh Cup announced today that they have committed to being a sponsor of this year’s Canadian Coffee & Tea Show on September 26th & 27th to be held in Toronto at the International Conference Center. ‘We felt that the time was right to unveil the technology now that the economy is starting to pull out of the recession’, commented Jim Townley, President, ‘For those coffee houses that struggled through the past 18 months, having a strong differentiator is more important than ever moving forward ’. The Specialty Coffee Industry continues to grow in leaps and bounds in Canada with 1 in 3 cups consumed being of the higher quality Arabic bean variety. ‘Coffee is Canada’s favourite hot beverage, and people are demanding a more tasteful experience’, notes Townley, ‘Roasting onsite in small batches allows coffees houses to deliver the highest level of freshness & taste consistently, and with the urban friendly roaster we have developed the community gets to see first-hand how coffee can be roasted without putting a lot of the emissions into the air’. During the Coffee & Tea Show, Fresh Cup will roast right on the show floor and will promote their new leasing program as an economical way for coffee houses to set themselves apart from competitors. Independents will then be able to use the ‘Roastaire™’ to create their own brand and blends of various coffees.
For more on the ‘Roastaire™’ Canada’s Most Environmentally Friendly Coffee Roaster - click here !

Fresh Cup Releases ‘Feed The Soul’ Vol. 2 to Help Local Food Bank

May 28th, 2010 – Sidney, B.C.

Armed with a line-up of talented local musicians, Fresh Cup launched the second CD in as many years to help raise money for the Sidney Lions Food Bank. Last year, the first CD was successful in raising $5000 for the Food Bank and this year, the musicians have set a goal for $10,000 in total monies raised. ‘This is an ambitious goal, but one that can be achieved if the community pitches in’, notes Feed The Soul Producer Jim Townley, ‘The CD is more upbeat overall than last year’s compilation, which in no way takes away from last year’s quality, we just felt that the tempo needed to be a little faster’. This year’s CD contains great local talent once again, with 2 local students from Peninsula High School’s earning a spot on the CD. ‘Both Sam Weber and Rebecca Boux are very talented and their energy was refreshing. In all the musicians range in age from 17-57. There’s nothing like it in B.C.’, states Townley, ‘My hope is one day every community in B.C. creates a CD for their community’s food bank. The largest users of food banks in B.C. are children with a 37% share of the food being distributed. ‘It’s so very sad that so many children have to rely on the Food Bank and I hope it’s like the insurance I buy for my car every year, I hope I never need to use it’, adds Townley.
The Feed The Soul CD can be purchased at Fresh Cup Sidney & Saanichton, Lilaberry & Flush in Sidney, and Knickerbockers in Brentwood or directly from the Food Bank itself. For more information go to www.feedthesoul.ca

Fresh Cup Wins Best Cup of Coffee & Roasted Beans For 5th Year In A Row !

May 25th, 2010 – Saanichton B.C.

For the past 5 years, the Reader’s Choice Awards have been awarded to various local businesses on the Saanich Peninsula for their excellence in their various categories. Among the popular categories, two specifically, speak to freshness and one small independent coffee roaster on the Saanich Peninsula continues to dominate over large chains like Starbucks and Serious Coffee. ‘We have put our heart and soul into making sure the coffee is fresh’, notes Mel Townley, Roastmaster of Fresh Cup, ‘Freshness affects the taste and we roast small batches every couple of days to ensure the best tasting coffee for our customers’.
Fresh Cup has been roasting their coffee onsite for 10 years and locals have shown their appreciation year after year. ‘We are the only micro-roaster on the Saanich Peninsula and have worked to educate people about coffee in general’, notes Jim Townley, President of Fresh Cup, ‘We will continue to work hard on our consistency as we believe that is the key to our success’. For more information on Fresh Cup’s environmentally friendly roasting technology click the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWO8tP4EmVo

Fresh Cup Receives Award for Community Service

April 15th, 2010 – Sidney, B.C.

Last night at the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce Crystal Awards, Fresh Cup Roastery Cafe was recognized for the fundraising initiatives that we spearhead in the community. The category of ‘Contribution to the Community & Community Service - By a Business’ had a large number of businesses nominated into it, and it’s a honour to be recognized as the winner.

This is the kind of award that takes a lot of people to make happen and I would like to recognize our great staff, family and friends that continue to believe in what we are doing, the musicians who helped on ‘Feed The Soul’ Vol 1 & 2, the businesses that support our events (like the Seaside Times), and most importantly the customers who buy our coffee in support of fundraising initiatives....without all of you, great things don’t happen.

Last night 170 prominent business people attending the Chamber event received a complimentary copy of Feed The Soul Vol. 1 (placed at their seat), in addition the CD was played throughout the evening (thanks Craig).

Raising approximately $10,000 last year for the Sidney Lions Food Bank through CD sales of Volume 1, and the Community Christmas Event in Saanichton, are just some of the many initiatives that helped us to be recognized by the selection committee.

Fresh Cup in Sidney & Saanichton aspire to be places that bring people together over a freshly roasted cup of coffee, for the important things in life....friendship, and giving back to the community where we live, whenever we can.

Fresh Cup Invited to Appear on CBC’s Dragon Den !

April 1st, 2010 – Sidney & Saanichton B.C.
PRESS RELEASE:

Fresh Cup To Appear On Season 6 of CBC’s ‘Dragon’s Den’

March 31st, 2010 – Sidney, BC – For many people across Canada the TV show ‘Dragon’s Den’ on CBC is an entertaining experience whereby inventors and entrepreneurs from all across Canada come onto the weekly show looking for investment capital from one or more of the 5 feared Dragon’s. The ‘Dragon’s’ (as they are affectionately referred to by viewers), are successful Canadian business people who listen to the various pitches from inventors and entrepreneurs looking to find that ‘diamond in the rough’ investment opportunity to invest their well earned money into.

Local company ‘Fresh Cup Roastery Café’ from the Saanich Peninsula brought their idea to the auditions recently held in Victoria, and received the call-back this week from one of the show producers inviting them to present their patented coffee roasting technology called the ‘Roastaire©’. “I went to the auditions that were being held at the Marriot Hotel after a friend notified me that they were coming to town”, notes Jim Townley, President of Fresh Cup, “I arrived towards the end of the day hoping that there was still room, and they had a couple of spots left and added me to the list of 40 + presenters who had registered that day alone”.

Dragon’s Den producers have recently embarked on a cross country tour visiting dozens of cities across Canada looking for new gadgets and ‘Greenvention’ ideas to put on to the show for Season 6 which airs this fall. “ I presented to the 3 onsite producers and they’re as scrutinizing as the Dragon’s when it comes to asking questions about the ideas that come into the audition room”, states Townley, “ I presented our technology in a way that covered the benefits for the Specialty Coffee industry, and future environmental issues it solves for coffee roasting”.

About Fresh Cup Roastery Café:
Fresh Cup started 10 years ago roasting certified organic coffee onsite at their first store on the Saanich Peninsula with their patented roasting technology, then opened a second store in Sidney, B.C. in 2008. The Roastaire© has been labeled ‘Canada’s Most Environmentally Friendly Coffee Roasting Technology’. Unlike traditional coffee roasters that pass heat through the coffee once to roast it and then up a chimney, Fresh Cup’s revolutionary technology recycles the heated air, scrubs it virtually clean and reintroduces it to the beans throughout the roasting cycle. “We are closed to the environment over 85% of the time, which dramatically reduces the overall emissions’, notes Jim Townley, President of Fresh Cup, “This makes the Roastaire© urban friendly and as local environmental standards increase in communities across the country as a means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions nationwide. We enable any cafe to roast coffee onsite in a responsible manner with a very small carbon footprint, while at the same time giving them a strong differentiator in the freshness & taste of the coffee they offer to their customers’. Other significant differences about the coffee roasting technology that Fresh Cup brings to the Specialty Coffee Industry is the shortened training time and fraction of the energy consumption of the current drum roasting method. “Traditional drum roasting can take up to one year to learn and with the SMRT© Roast Control system of the Roastaire©, we can have someone fully proficient with the coffee roasting process within a week to 10 days”, notes Townley, “Another key aspect of the design is the use of electricity to heat the air, not natural gas as in most roasters of today. What most people don’t know is the energy consumption of a gas roaster is much more than what it takes to roasts the coffee itself because the natural gas afterburners on the backend consume 3 times the amount energy to manage the emissions, that’s of course, if the company roasting the coffee is using an afterburner at all”.

Filming for Season 6 of the Dragon’s Den starts the last week in April in Toronto and Fresh Cup is booked to film their session on May 1st. “I am excited to bring our technology to the National stage in hopes that one of the Dragon’s, or a viewer for that matter, sees the potential of what we have”, notes Jim, “There is a $100,000 prize being offered for the Greenvention of the season, and I would love to land even that deal to further develop our business”.

More information on the Roastaire© at: http://www.freshcup.ca/roasting.htm

For More Information on Dragon’s Den go to: http://www.cbc.ca/dragonsden/

Fresh Cup Introduces The Olympics in HD at both store locations.

February 10th, 2010 - Sidney & Saanichton B.C.

Starting with the opening ceremonies, Fresh Cup in Sidney & Saanichton will now offer the 2010 Olympics in HD. 'This is a very exciting time for Canadians and we would like to ensure our customers do not miss the action when they're going out to meet for a coffee', notes Sidney store manager Larry Christiansen, 'This will also be a good test to see how we can integrate special events into the café over the long-term'. Fresh Cup will also launch an internal digital educational component to their stores with the announcement of the HD service. 'So many of our customers may not know all of what we do out in the community, so this will allow us to bring the community work we do right to them here in the cafes', notes Saanichton store manager Barb Townley, 'We also will include some coffee education with the digital presentation and combine this with our community partners who are involved in the Fresh Cup 'Community Coffee Cruiser' which helps to make special events a little more festive'.

Fresh Cup Sidney Announces 'Feed The Soul Vol. 2' to help Sidney Lions Food Bank

February 1st, 2010 - Sidney B.C.

Fresh Cup Sidney announced today that Season 2 for the 'Feed The Soul' Community Music Project is now under way. Season 1 has raised over $5000 for the Sidney Lions Food Bank and CD's continue to sell. 'The whole idea of this is to bring awareness to the important Food Bank issue within our own community', notes Producer Jim Townley, 'The musicians that come to the Open Mic each Thursday were willing to jump in once again, so we have named the second CD 'Second Helping' as a result'. Auditions for Season 2 start February 25th and run through to March 11th at Fresh Cup in Sidney and the call has now been put out to local musicians who feel that they have a great original song to bring to the community.

Audition Form

Fresh Cup Announces 'Roastaire' ready to bring to Specialty Coffee Market !

January 15th, 2010 - Saanichton B.C.

Fresh Cup Roastery Café Ltd. announced today that their patented roasting technology is coming to the Specialty Coffee market this spring. 'We've been working on various upgrades over the past 2 years and it's time to bring the RoastaireT to the attention of the Canadian Specialty Coffee Market', notes Fresh Cup President Jim Townley, 'Our technology offers coffee houses all across Canada the opportunity to start roasting coffee in-house in an environmentally responsible way'. For more information on the Roastaire Leasing Option (Click Here). Leasing is a great way to introduce freshly roasted coffee beans into a coffee house and increase long-term revenues immediately, without having to invest thousands of dollars. The RoastaireT utilizes leading edge clean air roasting standards here in Canada, and allows for precision roasting by the operator using the patented SMRT© Roast system.

Community Christmas Event Raises OVER $4200 for Sidney Lions Food Bank !

December 10th, 2009 - Saanich Peninsula

'The 5th Annual Saanichton Community Christmas was a huge success for the entire Saanichton community', notes co-organizer Jim Townley. The Saanichton Village Association, along with Fresh Cup and the Seaside Times brought life to this quaint little village this year. Live music performed by 'Fine Spirits', free coffee, tea, hot chocolate, hot cider, and a Pancake Breakfast hosted by the Lions Club at St. Mary's Church on Cultra Ave. was enjoyed by over 800 people this year. "We would like to thank Spelt's, Dr. Misty Watson, The Prairie Inn, Anchor Insurance, Shoppers Drug Mart, Unlimited Detailing, The Saanich Pioneer Society, Coast Capital, Thrifty Foods, Peninsula Chiropractic, Olio's and Genesis Hair & Esthetics for having a tree on the Christmas Tree Trail this year", commented Tim Flatter co-organizer of the event, 'A special 'THANK-YOU' goes out to both Anne Monto of Genesis and Jim Laing for providing the horse drawn carriage rides'. The event this year showcased all the festive spirit that the Saanichton Village has to offer and the SVA (Saanichton Village Association) took a lead role in hosting this years' event.

5th Annual Saanichton Community Event set for Saturday December 5th 2009 !

view poster

This fun an festive event is set for the first Saturday in December at Fresh Cup in Saanichton B.C. All the members of the community have come together once again this year to host this amazing annual phenomenon ! 'A host of Christmas characters fill the village with a huge amount of cheer', notes Jack Frost event organizer, 'Our goal is to raise $2000 in cash and food for the Sidney Lions Food Bank this year'. For those residents of the Saanich Peninsula this is becoming a 'Family Tradition'.for more information call Jack Frost directly at 250-888-2525.
See you There !

Fresh Cup helps to raise money for Long-House Replacement !

December 1st, 2009 - Saanich Peninsula

In celebration of their 10th Anniversary of roasting, Fresh Cup and local Coast Salish artist 'Doug Lafortune' have teamed up to help raise money for the long-house that burned down on the Tsawout reserve this past summer. 'We are honored to have Doug's image on the back of each pound of our Christmas Blend. For every 1 - lb. sold in December, Fresh Cup will donate $1 to the long-house rebuilding project. 'Our goal is to raise at least $500 this Holiday Season', says Mel Townley, Roastmaster at Fresh Cup.

Fresh Cup Launches - Coins For Kids Fundraiser for Second Year in a Row !

November 30th, 2009 - Saanich Peninsula

For the second year in a row, Fresh Cup Roastery Café and the Sidney News Review have teamed up to help raise money for kids in the community. For the month of December, Fresh Cup will donate $1 for every 1 lb. of coffee purchased to the 'Coins For Kids' program. 'Last year we donated $700 to the cause and it would great to see this total reach $1000', notes Jim Townley, president of Fresh Cup. The Kiwanis Club who distributes the donation from the News Review was pleased with the increase over the previous year despite recession. 'Last year saw a noticeable increase, which allowed us to reach more families', smiled Duncan Brooks a long-time Kiwanis member.

Feed The Soul Community Concert - St. Mary's Church in Saanichton a Success - Another $600 Raised For Sidney Lions Food Bank !

October 23rd , 2009 - Saanichton B.C.

The Community Concert held at St. Mary's Church raised another $600 this Saturday. Musicians gathered together with the community to hold a community concert by donation. While the attendance was less than expected, the residents attending opened up their wallets and we really generous. 'I was pleasantly surprised by the money raised', stated Jim Townley, the event organizer.

Feed The Soul CD project reaches $2000 fundraising mark !

October 2nd, 2009 - Sidney B.C.

Fresh Cup announces the October fundraising total for the months Jul - Oct 2009 today. $2000 has now been raised for the Sidney Lions Food Bank, with more on the way ! 'We're really proud as a group to have reached this important first step', said Producer Jim Townley, 'The music continues to be welcome by locals as we head into the Fall, so with Christmas coming, we hope to sell enough CD's to reach the $5000 mark. The Sidney Lions Food Bank is in desperate need this year with the increase in demand on its services. The Feed The Soul CD project was a way to bring the music community together with the need to raise awareness of the local food bank and the increased demand. 'A lot of people don't realize that we service all the way across the Peninsula and down to Elk Lake', comments Bev Elder, operations manager of the Food Bank, 'If people want to donate food they can reach us at 250-655-0679, we're located on Lochside Dr. as you come into Sidney across from Tulista Park.

Fresh Cup Announces - Community Coffee Combo promotion for September 2009 !

Aug 16th, 2009 - Sidney B.C.

Fresh Cup Roastery Café announced today that it will combine their 'Freshly Roasted Organic Coffee' with the 'Feed The Soul' CD as a special promotion for the month of September. 'We are putting together an offer that combines any ½ lb. of our beans with a copy of the CD for $20', comments Jim Townley, co-owner of Fresh Cup and producer of Feed The Soul, 'With the strong customer base we have for the beans, we thought that this would be a great way to get our customers connected with the cause'. Customers will be able to buy a 'Community Coffee Combo' starting Tuesday September 1st at either Fresh Cup location, Sidney or Saanichton. 'I really hope some of the other retailers look at how the CD fits with their core products and can find a creative way to come up with their own version of what we have done here. This creative approach will further strengthen the cause to their business, which should result in a deeper loyalty with their customers', offers Townley.

Feed The Soul CD Sales Reach 400 units !

August 10th, 2009 - Saanichton B.C.

The newly release Feed The Soul CD has now reached 400 units in total sales since the launch June 28th, 2009. Many of the songs have been featured on CBC already, with various show-hosts playing some of the material during such shows as North By Northwest hosted by Sheryl McKay and All Points West hosted by Jo Ann Roberts. 'We even did an on-air interview with Jo Ann a few days before the CD launch', mentions Bev Elder manager for the Sidney Lions Food Bank, 'Jim and I went into the studio by their request to talk about how this program could help the community overall'. Feed The Soul continues to gain momentum and with the fall coming, sales should pick-up. 'We hope that once people get back from holidays we can start to market the music more actively', states producer Jim Townley, 'This is for the most important cause I can see currently in our community, and as Christmas approaches many residents will become more aware of the challenges the Sidney Lions Food Bank is having'.

FEED THE SOUL - CD Release Charity Fundraiser Sells Out !

June 25th, 2009 - Sidney B.C.

The upcoming CD Release Charity Fundraiser being held at the Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa has now sold out, with 225 tickets being sold. 'We are very encouraged by this', says Jim Townley producer, 'We see this as a positive sign that the community sees the benefits of what we are doing for the benefit of the community'. The musicians playing on the CD are: Barry Perrin, Lucy Ransom, Christian Bergen, Lisa & Steve Ogden, Cary Tardif, Landon Crawford, Lliam Hildebrand, Gio Linguanti, Sian Ellen, Tracy Mills & Paul Mowbray. Other local musicians playing back-ups on the various songs include: Brad Hawkes, Kevin Kotorynski, Marc Schafers. The CD will go on sale Monday June 29th, 2009.

Fresh Cup & Seaside Times Announce the name of CD to benefit Sidney Lions Food Bank

May 28th, 2009 - Saanichton B.C.

Tim Flater of the Seaside Times and Jim Townley announced the name of the upcoming CD with proceeds to the Sidney Lions Food Bank today. 'Tim and I are please to announce the CD with the name of. Feed The Soul', announces Jim Townley producer. 'It made sense from a marketing stand point because of its double meaning.musicians Feed The Soul of themselves by making music and in turn the CD proceeds will help Feed The Soul of others in the community', explains Tim Flater. The CD will be launched at the Sidney Pier Hotel on Sunday June 28th , 2009. Tickets go on sale now and are limited in availability. 'We want this to be a special event, with great energy', stated producer Jim Townley, 'This event will clearly showcase all of the great talent the Peninsula has to offer'. Once the launch happens, CD's will go on sale at both Fresh Cup locations, Monk Office supply, Knickerbockers (in Brentwood), Lilaberry in Sidney and The Sidney Pier Hotel.

Fresh Cup Selects Musicians for Compilation CD with Proceeds to Food Bank !

May 1st, 2009 - Saanichton B.C.

With auditions complete, Co-Owner/Producer of the upcoming compilation CD has made the final selections for the local musicians being featured. 9 local musicians have been chosen to be recorded on a compilation CD with proceeds going to the Sidney Lions Food Bank. 'We are excited with the musicians we have chosen, and they range in age from 22 to 53', said producer Jim Townley, 'We wanted to make sure this CD had a lot of market appeal, so we brought various aged musicians to the project'. The upcoming CD will have approximately 16 songs on it, all with the focus of a roots based acoustic sound. The CD will focus on local musicians that not only sing, but write and play an instrument. 'These highly talented people will represent the 1st Season CD, and if things go as planned, Season 2 will be a strong possibility', notes Jim, 'The only other component will be whether or not the community responds to the whole concept as well. Like anything new, we have to prove ourselves in terms of being able to put this together and then launch the finished CD'.

Fresh Cup Wins 'Best Coffee & Roasted Beans' for fourth year in a row !

April 21st , 2009 - Sidney B.C.

For the 4th year in a row, Fresh Cup was awarded first place in the categories of 'Best Cup of Coffee & Roasted Beans' as voted on by the readers and residents of the Peninsula News Review. 'This is a big benchmark for us to reach each year', notes Jim Townley, president of Fresh Cup, 'Reaching this level of support by the community one year is one thing, but to do it four years running says a lot about our team here at Fresh Cup'. With the second location fully underway in Sidney, more residents on the Peninsula are being educated as to what 'fresh' coffee truly tastes like. 'Roasting onsite makes all the difference in the freshness, and ultimately the taste', notes Jim, ' People forget or do not know that coffee stales like bread does and along with the staling process goes a lot of the taste'. Fresh Cup continues to push up the standards of taste & freshness for coffee right here on the beautiful Saanich Peninsula and residents are responding to the information. 'Once a person learns about freshness and what stale actually tastes like, they start to identify with it all the time', states Jim, 'We get feedback all the time from customers as to how we've ruined it for them to have a coffee at other places, of which, we don't apologize'.

Fresh Cup Sidney announces - 1st Annual Acoustic Idol !

March 1st, 2009 - Sidney B.C.

Are you original and unique? Fresh Cup Sidney & the Peninsula Times announced today the launch of the 1st Annual - Sidney Acoustic Idol. Due to the great response of the Open Mic on Thursdays over the past few months, they along with the Peninsula Times have partnered on this exciting first annual event. 'We are looking for up to 8 local artists that have their own original material in order to record a CD', states producer Jim Townley, 'The proceeds of this project will go to the Sidney Lions Food Bank and the musicians are very motivated to be a part of this'. Over the past 5 months a number of local residents have come with guitar in-hand to share their songs and friendship. The group has grown, and the talent obvious to those that have stopped in to listen. 'When we started this Open Mic, the goal was just to get a few people out to jam away', said Lucy Ransom, singer/ songwriter and host of the Open Mic, ' The talent has inspired us to take it to the next level and we are pleased that Jim Townley of Fresh Cup has committed to produce the CD locally, it's a win-win for the musicians and the Food Bank'. Auditions for Sidney Acoustic Idol start Thursday March 26th at Fresh Cup Sidney. Audition forms can be found at www.peninsulatimes.ca or can be picked up at the Sidney café itself. Every Thursday night is free for the public to attend, so feel free to bring a friend and enjoy some of the Peninsula's best new talent...acoustically !

Fresh Cup Gains Global Perspective !

February 10th, 2009 - Saanichton, B.C.

Fresh Cup announced today that it will work with the 2010 Global Perspectives program at Stellys Secondary School to help students raise money for their trip. 'We do a lot of fundraising in our community, and this program focuses on both local students gaining valuable experience abroad, but also helps others from less fortunate circumstances in other countries', said Jim Townley of Fresh Cup, 'We have had the benefit of many students working at Fresh Cup who have been involved in the Global Perspectives program at Stellys and these students have been some of the best employees we've had, so supporting their program makes a lot of sense'. Each year the Global Group travels to a foreign country to help build a school or some functional building for the benefit of a community. 'The students get knee deep in the project and sometimes in the mud' said Trevor Charmley, former Global student and staff member of Fresh Cup, 'The program touched me so personally this past year, that I've decided to take a few months off from the café to help build a school in Belize in April'. Students go into the local Peninsula community and sell lbs. of coffee, of which, they get a $3 credit towards their travel costs for the trip. Residents are encouraged to call the school and to connect with the students who are in the program, so that they can buy coffee from them directly. Stellys Secondary Schools' phone number is 250-652-4401. The program coordinators for the Global Perspective program is Tim Storm or Fraser Syme.

Acoustic Night at Fresh Cup Raises Over $500 for the Food Bank !

December 18th, 2008 - Sidney B.C.

Local musicians braved the cold weather to put on a great show for local residents, while raising over $500 in food donations for the Sidney Lions. 'Every Thursday night for the past 3 months we have been putting on an Open Mic at Fresh Cup to encourage local musicians to come out and play music' said Lucy Ransom, host of the weekly event, 'There is a lot of great local talent and we thought that this would be a great way to give back to the community'. The Sidney Acoustic Series is sponsored by The Peninsula Times and hosted by Fresh Cup. 'The 'Open Mic' format encourages musicians to come out and meet others who share a similar passion for music. Each Thursday between 6 - 9 p.m. people gather and the music begins' says Lucy, 'We have a lot of fun and a number local residents have made it a regular weekly outing'.

4th Annual Saanichton Community Christmas goes for a Ride !

December 6th, 2008 - Saanichton B.C.

The 4th Annual Saanichton Community Christmas enjoyed an Old Fashion Horse & Carriage Ride this year. 'We wanted to do something special for the community', smiled Anne Monto, of Genesis & event sponsor, 'The addition of the Horse and Carriage ride created a very classy touch to this year's event and allowed people to move around the village in a unique and festive way'. This year's event raised over $1500 in food and cash for the Sidney Lions Food Bank. Pictures with Santa were a hit once again, with the Christmas Tree Trail being the main draw. 'Over 300 people went on the trail this year', reported Santa, 'It's great to see all of the businesses that participate in this event, which helps local families eat a little better than they would have otherwise. All the people of Saanichton are on the nice list this year as far as I'm concerned'.

Fresh Cup and The Peninsula News Review team-up for the Kids !

December 1st, 2008

This year, more kids will get a gift because of Fresh Cup and the Peninsula News Review. Each year, the Peninsula News Review promotes the 'Coins for Kids' program so that local kids will get a gift under the tree and this year, Fresh Cup in Sidney and Saanichton are donating $1 from every lb. of coffee sold to the cause. 'We need to remember that many families on the Saanich Peninsula go without at Christmas' reminded Jim Townley, President of Fresh Cup, 'We are looking to help the Kiwanis Club reach more families than last year in hopes that kids get a little something under the tree'. The Coins for Kids is an annual event that raises more than $2000 for this great cause.

Bean There - Want That Trip Announced at both Fresh Cup locations.

September 1st, 2008 - Sidney - Saanichton, B.C.

Many people have traveled to Mexico at some point, but have many people done so while helping a BC Child suffering from a serious illness? Fresh Cup Roastery Café and the Peninsula Times www.peninsulatimes.ca announced today an exciting trip for 2 contest. 'For each lb. of coffee purchased, customers will be given a ballot to enter the trip for 2', announced Jim Townley, spokesperson for Fresh Cup, 'Over the next 3 months, one dollar from ever lb. purchased will go to the BC Children's Hospital to help the children'. With fundraising being such a big part of what Fresh Cup does in the community, the idea to offer supporters a chance to win a prize is a fun and exciting option. 'We wanted to make the fundraising fun' said Jim, 'Often people positively acknowledge when we contribute to a good cause on their behalf from a purchase they make, but this format engages them in a whole new way'. The goal set by Fresh Cup is to raise over $4000 for the BC Children's Hospital.

New Store Opens with the Addition of Tasty Gelato !

June 12th, 2008 - Sidney B.C.

Fresh Cup Sidney opened today and surprised their faithful customers with the addition of Italian style Gelato. 'We looked at the how coffee performs in the hot summer months and felt that adding Gelato made sense, not only from a sales perspective, but as a complimentary product to our coffee' stated Jim Townley, President of Fresh Cup, 'If you've never had an Affogatto.then you have missed out on one of life's small pleasures'. An Affogatto is the combination of Gelato and a shot of espresso drizzled on top. 'People can add chocolate, caramel, or whatever else they fancy', says Bernie Grimes, Food Manager for Fresh Cup, 'We find most people stick to the traditional combination of Vanilla Gelato and espresso because it's perfect as is'. Coffee sales typically slow as the daily temperature rises, so the addition of Gelato is a great compliment for many upscale coffee houses on the West Coast. 'People don't have to choose one or the other', states Jim, 'This gives an entire family an option to come in and enjoy the best of both worlds on a hot summer day'.

Winning Freshness !

March 20th, 2008 - Saanichton B.C.

For the 3rd year in a row, Fresh Cup Roastery Café has been voted the 'Best Coffee' and 'Whole Beans' by the Peninsula Readers Choice Awards. 'Three years in a row is very exciting' stated Mel Townley, Roastmaster for Fresh Cup, 'We put a lot of effort into keeping the coffee fresh and this award is always a great sign of our customers appreciation of that fact'. Freshness affects taste, as coffee loses its flavor and aroma like any other food product once it is roasted. 'Would you eat stale bread ?', asks Mel, 'We believe that fresh coffee provides overall better value to people who love their coffee, and the difference in taste is noticeable'. During this year's presentation of the Reader's Choice Awards, Fresh Cup also received accolades for their fresh muffins and great service.

Fresh Cup announces 'New Store' to open in June 2008

February 15th, 2008 - Sidney B.C.

Fresh Cup announced today the opening of their second store on the beautiful Saanich Peninsula. 'The opening of our second store will give customers better access and a much better brand presence overall', said President of Fresh Cup, Jim Townley, 'Many of our loyal customers have spread the word about our freshness commitment, which in turn, has created a demand on the North end of the Peninsula'. With now 2 stores to choose from, customers of Fresh Cup can now show their support when looking for a coffee in Sidney. Fresh Cup has offered the freshest and tastiest coffee on the Saanich Peninsula by an ownership group that believes in giving back to the community.

Hospital Staff and Patients Decide on a Fresh Cup !

January 7, 2008 - Victoria, B.C.

Fresh Cup Saanichton recently secured the Saanich Peninsula Hospital coffee contract. Morrison Food Group managing the food services at the hospital on contract with VIHA, identified the need to replace coffee giant Starbucks as the coffee of choice based on customer feedback. "Fresh Cup offers a more locally roasted, certified organic fresh coffee experience to staff and visitors of the hospital and we look forward to the opportunity to provide the staff, patients and visitors a better tasting cup", commented Jim Townley of Fresh Cup Roastery Cafe.

December 8, 2007 - Saanichton, B.C.

Fresh Cup Roastery Café, The Peninsula Times and the Saanichton Village Association comprised of various merchants in the area held the 3rd Annual Saanichton Community Christmas raising over $2000 in cash and food donations for the Sidney Lions Food Bank. "This annual event included the first Christmas Tree Trail, which was so popular we ran out of the 250 maps that we printed" said co-promoter Kentucky Douglas. Children were given a map of the village that had 9 trees on it to be located. Each time they discovered a tree, they were given a stamp. The completed maps were returned to Fresh Cup for entry into the main draw which had over $1000 in prizes donated by all the local businesses to be won. "We estimated that over 600 people attended and enjoyed coffee, tea, live music and photos with Santa", commented Jim Townley of Fresh Cup.

Making it Fresh

June 22, 2007 - Peninsula News Review - Sidney, B.C.

If you thought your cup of coffee couldn't get any fresher, you're in for a treat... (view full PDF)

April 2007 - Peninsula News Review - Sidney, B.C.

Fresh Cup Roastery Café in Saanichton was voted the 'Best Cup of Coffee' and 'Best Place to buy Roasted Beans' for 2007, a second year in a row. "Winning in 2006 was great, but then the pressure is on to keep your position, customers are very vocal about their coffee choices", said Jim Townley co-owner. Each year the residents of the Saanich Peninsula submit a ballot form identifying what, where and who they prefer on the Saanich Peninsula. "We take this award as seriously as our roasting", stated Mel Townley Roastmaster for Fresh Cup. "We are committed to freshly roasted organic coffee and it's nice that the community recognizes the difference that freshness makes and the effort that it takes to roast the coffee".

July 2, 2003 - Times Colonist - Victoria B.C.

Food Columnist Eric Akis published the 'Best of the Island' Coffee Houses on Vancouver Island today. Fresh Cup Roastery Café was named one of the 'Top 5 Coffee Places on Vancouver Island'. Akis and a group of tasters went to various places on Vancouver Island from Port Hardy to Victoria sampling various coffees that are available. "We are honored the Eric and our customers would consider us in this category", commented Jim Townley co-owner. "We started roasting in 1998 and continue to develop the various roasts that we offer. Certified Organic is our focus as there are no herbicides or pesticides used in the growing of the coffee and the difference shows up in the taste of the coffee once it is roasted, it's cleaner and sweeter and is less upsetting to your stomach".

D12 Side Orders - Here's a coffee that's worth losing sleep over !

March 14, 2002 - Times Colonist - Victoria, B.C.

Coffee. They're on songs about it. People suffer withdrawal from it. There's even a comic book character called Too Much Coffee Man. Coffee is a force to reckoned with. One particularly noteworthy coffee house is the Fresh Cup Roastery Cafe` on the corner of Wallace Road and Mt. Newton Cross Road. Mother Barb Townley manages the shop while Father Mel Townley is responsible for the sourcing and roasting of the beans. The all-Arabica coffee selection is totally organic and, from what we sampled, tastes great. The do-it-yourself ethic that benefits the coffee is carried over into the food at the cafe`. The soups, breads, quiches, croissants and other baked goods are all made in-house. The room is nice and relaxed in a modern way and should make any peninsular "caffeined" feel right at home. This is a cup of coffee that's worth losing sleep over.