The GOODS from Doi Chaang Coffee Co.

Vancouver, BC | 2015 is shaping up to be a big year for Doi Chaang Coffee Co. they have been awarded a place as one of ten finalists for the Salon International de l’Alimentation (SIAL) Innovation 2015 Award, made it to the top five in the category of Best International Trade in the Small BC Business Awards, and have received a $7000 charitable donation for their Doi Chaang Coffee Foundation which will be put towards sending a shipping container filled with school and recreational supplies to the villagers of Doi Chang Village where their coffee is grown. 

In February, President & CEO John A. Darch attended the Small BC Business Awards to pitch judges on why Doi Chaang Coffee Co. deserved the title of Best International Trade in BC. When Darch speaks passionately about the company, which was co-founded by his father, and the difference it has made in the village of Doi Chang, it is clear why they decided to build a business that gives 50% of its profits back to the coffee farmers in Northern Thailand.

“I go back at least 5 times a year,” said Darch, “we have real relationships with the farmers. We listen to their challenges and work with them to solve their problems”. In 2013, Doi Chaang Coffee Co. sent a shipping container full of medical supplies to the village, and will be shipping another container in the coming months, which has supplies for a recreation centre, school supplies, and a design that allows the container to converted into an office space equipped with solar panels, windows and a door when it arrives at the villages.

To help fund the shipping of the container, Robert Denning, an advocate for Doi Chaang, with rotary, has helped to raise $7000 to present to the Doi Chaang Coffee Foundation. On April 9th, the Thai Consulate General joined Doi Chaang Coffee Co. to receive the cheque at a presentation ceremony which took place at the Royal Thai Consulate. Ultimately, the Doi Chaang Coffee Foundation aims to raise $2 million to build a school for the children in Doi Chang village as well as children in surrounding villages.

SIAL announced on April 8 that Doi Chaang’s Social Medium Blended roast had made it as one of ten finalists for the Innovation 2015 Award which is available in 340g whole bean bags as well as single serve aroma cups, which are Fair Trade, Certified Organic and 90% biodegradable.  The packaging, manufacturing process and marketing positioning are all things that SIAL takes into consideration when choosing the winning products. The Grand Prize winner will be announced at the SIAL Canada show in Toronto on April 28.

Darch is confident this growth will continue as consumer demand for high quality, Certified Fair Trade and Organic coffee grows. Doi Chaang Coffee can now be found at a number of retailers across Canada including Safeway, Choices, Donald’s Market, Longo’s, FreshCo, Sobey’s East & West and more.

DETAILS

110-807 Powell Street | Vancouver, BC | V6A 1H7
Telephone: 604-689-3312
Web: www.doichaangcoffee.com | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube

GALLERY

The People

John M. Darch – Co-Founder
John A. Darch – President & CEO
Tanya Jacoboni – VP of Business Development
Anand Pawa – VP of Marketing
Sanja Grcic – Sales and Merchandising
Danika Speight – CFO
Senni Dempster – Administrative Assistant
Katharine Sawchuk – PR Manager

About Doi Chaang

Doi Chaang Coffee’s story is as rich as the coffee itself. Locally owned by a father-son team, John M. Darch and John A. Darch, the Canadian Doi Chaang Coffee Company first opened its doors in 2006 with one requirement; that its farmers in Doi Chang Village, Northern Thailand, own 50% of it.

The partnership created the “beyond fair trade” business model – 50% of the profits flow back into the village. In more than six years, the farmers have been able to have access to running water, electricity, improved infrastructure and even Internet. Doi Chaang focuses on the well-being of the farmers; sending medical supplies to the village, educating the farmers on coffee cultivation and doing it all as sustainably as possible.

All of our coffee is certified organic and fair trade, as well as 100% Arabica – which is the highest quality of coffee plants. We have six Single Estate roasts – Decaf, Medium, Dark, Peaberry, Signature and Espresso – as well as four blends – Espress-Yoself! (espresso), Chillin’ (light), Hardiwired (dark) and Social Medium (medium) – and biodegradable, single serve, Keurig-compatible aroma cups in Social Medium and Dark. We also sell Wild Thai Civet Coffee – totally wild and cage free.

We don’t have our own shops, but you can find us in major retailers like Safeway, IGA, London Drugs, Costco and more. You can also find us through our online shop.

PRESS & ACCOLADES

“Delicious without any bitterness . . . this coffee is good.” – Jane Goodall, Conservationist.

“In terms of balance and versatility (on its own or blended, espresso or brewed, medium or dark roast), the Doi Chaang offerings are comparable to the best Kona beans.” – Mark Pendergrast, author of Uncommon Grounds.

“Critic Ken Davids, whose ratings in Coffee Review have become the Parker Points for the beverage, tells me that Doi Chaang Coffee is in the top 10 percent of coffees he has “cupped”, rating around 89-91, where your typical cup of Starbucks is 83 to 84, and Folgers instant crystals come in around 60.” – Timothy Taylor, “Comparing Vancouver’s Coffee Beans”, Vancouver Magazine.