Was so thrilled to hop in a stretch limo with a few journalists bound for the brand spanking new Tim Hortons Roasting Plant in Ancaster. I didn’t even notice the drive as I was so busy taking pictures of timbits, bagels and boxes of muffins while chatting with the PR Rep who coordinated our outing.
We were greeted at the Roasting Plant by Michelle, Manager of Public Relations and ushered up to a large room where we met a colourful group of Timmies staff who really do care about coffee. We were each given hair nets, goggles and factory robes with our names stitched on them (a nice touch). The tour began as soon as we burst onto the factory floor (which is a 75, 000 sq ft facility).
A Few Fun Facts
- thousands of bags of green coffee arrive at the plant every day, most from South and Central America.
- the plant accommodates 10,000 bags of beans at one time.
- 1,025 pots of coffee are packaged every minute during a normal production day.
- Tim Horton’s rejects about 10-15% of the coffee beans because they don’t meet company standards.
- beans are taste tested before they are shipped from their country of origin and again at five other stages before a customer drinks a hot cup.
- The Tim Horton’s blend is created using 4 to 6 types of beans.
- since coffee beans are a natural fruit they are susceptible to all kinds of variables. As a result of this, tasting experts mix and match the different beans with their changing profiles to ensure the same consistent cup of coffee.
- Tim Horton’s team of coffee masters taste test – or “cup” – more than 75,000 cups of coffee annually to ensure the company’s quality and consistency standards.
- Tim Horton’s has maintained the same coffee taste profile since the first cup was served in 1964.
- 7 out of 10 coffee cups consumed in Canada are brewed by Tim Horton’s.
- The company purchases the same premium beans on the open market as Starbucks and other specialty coffee houses.
In Search of Good
- Tim Horton’s recycles more than 300,000 burlap coffee sacks a year. The sacks are used by gardening nurseries and agricultural outlets.
- the Tim Hortons Coffee Partnership, focuses efforts on coffee growing communities in a grass roots way to promote sustainable agriculture and support small scale farmers as business entrepreneurs.
- since 2006 Tim Hortons has worked with over 2,500 farmers through their Coffee Partnership. When you include their family members (average of 5 per household) Tim Hortons has helped directly improve the lives of over 12,500 people in the communities where they source their coffee.
- Tim Hortons sources the majority of its coffee from Guatemala, 90% of these beans are shade grown.
- Tim Hortons is also actively involved in supporting Animal Welfare, Aboriginal Relations, Environmental Events and their well known Children’s Foundation.
