We are pleased to announce that we were fortunate to win the annual Kup of Excellence competition for a second year. Sponsored by the folks at Krups Canada; cafes in various cities were judged. The task is to determine the top spots for espresso in Canada. This program has been developed to recognize the commitment of independent cafes to brewing superior-tasting espresso in a unique environment that celebrates Canadians’ passion for skillfully prepared coffee. Congrats to the other finalists here in Halifax, and best of luck to all independent cafes across the country.

Ian brought his game face to the first tee

After much anticipation (and much trash talk) Paul, Ian, Jim and Peter teed off this Sunday at the First Annual Java Blend Invitational.  The tournament was scheduled for last Sunday but was delayed due to rain.  It seems that the delay was too much for some competitors; with an extra week of anticipation some cracked under the pressure and stayed home.  So, with the field narrowed to four players the competiton was fierce.

At the first tea everyone started neck and neck, cranking their tee shots into the woods…

The round continued much like those first tee shots…

At the end of the day it was Peter who walked away with a win by 6 strokes.

Ian completed his goal of beating Jim and Jim was happy with his “not-last-place” finish.  Paul was looking like the star of the game, but one bad hole cost him everything…

The best part of the game

Tomorrow is Jon’s last day with us. Drop by and say hi. Jon Howse started with us a year ago. We met durring a CoE cupping we held and I was impressed with his keen ability to identify very distinct coffee flavors. Jon is one of the finest and most passionate baristas, that I’ve ever met. He will be missed. Hey man, best of luck on the rock, and remember… we’ll be watching you.

Just a quick note to let you know what we are working on. We will keep you posted.

http://portfolio.com/culture-lifestyle/culture-inc/food-drink/2007/09/13/Most-Expensive-Coffee

Well the highly anticipated Java Blend Staff Golf tournament was a no go yesterday due to the weather. There was alot of trash talking around here the past couple of weeks. “Tiger” O’Donnel was sure that he could beat everyone because he lives next to a golf course. Jon H. wasn’t bring clubs just a hockey stick. I didn’t care how well I played; I just wanted a higher score than Ian. And poor Paul was so terrified he opted out citing a sick child. We hope to get in our game in the next week and should post some priceless photos