Blossom Coffee Roasters
Vashon, WA
Curator's Notes
We chatted with our friends at Blossom Coffee Roasters to learn about their history, team, sourcing, coffees and more. Here's what they had to say.
Tell us about the history of Blossom Coffee Roasters.
After being in coffee for about 20 years, and before that, in coffee equipment for 15 years, we were given an opportunity to roast and couldn't pass it up. Our love for plants and cooking inevitably led to a love for roasting. We started out with a drive-thru operation on Vashon Island, and our wholesale business grew from there.
What's the story behind your name and logo?
Coffee blossoms are so beautiful, and we believe everyone deserves to blossom just like coffee does, hence the name Blossom Coffee Roasters. We believe life always picks back up again, no matter where you are. Many of our coffees have floral notes and a seasonal connection to the agricultural aspect of coffee.
Who's on the team at Blossom Coffee Roasters?
Dawn: Wife and Roaster
Pat: Husband, Equipment Maintenance and Support
Dane: Son, Roaster, Wholesale Manager
Whitney: Production Manager
How is your coffee sourced and/or can you highlight one of your producer relationships?
Dane worked at Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers, where he met Yimara, a Q grader and the daughter of a Colombian family who owns a 2-acre coffee farm. When she moved to the U.S. in 2016, she worked for Sustainable Harvest as quality control manager. Now a Q Processing Instructor, she teaches farmers how to process naturals, implement tools (i.e. pH meters), handle fermentation, and the like. Post-pandemic, she brought the cupping lab home! Dane & Yimara have their own plot of land in Colombia with about 500 coffee trees—and they're just getting started. They're so excited to see what’s growing on their next visit.
What sets Blossom Coffee Roasters apart from other roasters?
Size. We focus on the quality and pay attention to every detail. Our blends are also a big focus; we avoid second crack/homogenization of flavors. Lighter roast sensibility is applied to blends to create layered and flavorful coffees. We aim to roast a broad spectrum for all people to enjoy.
Which types of coffees/roasts do you consider to be your specialty?
Ethiopians and East Africans in general—they're Dawn’s favorite. But also Guats… and all coffees!
Have you won any awards/accolades you'd like to share?
Good Food Awards—2018 Winner, 2019 Finalist; 2016 Golden Bean
What's your favorite coffee to drink or what coffee are you enjoying right now?
Burundi Natural, Colombia Aponte - Dawn; Nectar Blend (Honduras/Ethiopia) - Dane. They pair really well together on the light/medium blend, with a good body. The natural really shines through.
From the Roaster
Blossom Coffee Roasters is a family-run wholesale coffee roaster that specializes in producing high-quality coffee. It was founded on Vashon Island, WA in 2003 by Dawn and Pat Loraas, who had a passion for coffee and a dream of sharing their love for the drink with others. They started roasting coffee beans in their garage and sold them at local farmers' markets, grocery stores, and cafes around the greater Seattle area. Today, the family-run business is still going strong, and it has become a multi-generational enterprise. Dane Loraas, the founders' son, and his wife Yimara Martinez Agudelo have taken over the family tradition. The company continues to source the best beans, roast them with care, and share their love of coffee with everyone who has a chance to try it.
