– by Lara Gladych –
This is the last in a six-part series of profiles on some of the Saanich Peninsula’s wonderful restaurants and pubs.
Pausing to take in all the sweets and treats at the counter, as well as the menu hanging above, the Fresh Cup baristas and I talk for a few moments while I wait to meet owner Jim Townley. I look over the loaded bakery case in front of me and the girls unanimously point me in the direction of their favourites. They like the roasted chicken and brie sandwich, the almond tart and the muffins best. All of these items are prepared from scratch in their own kitchen, as is about eighty percent – if they had to guess – of their food.
Jim arrives shortly, and joins me at one of the more tucked-away tables. As every owner should be, he’s eager to talk about his product, the creative experience, his desire for everything to the best it can be. We establish quickly that coffee is the mainstay of this business, the focal point around which all additional pieces must fall into place. Jim emphasizes, however, that the coffee experience wouldn’t be nearly what it is at Fresh Cup without the exceptional food to pair it with.
Sandwiches, salads, muffins, tarts, cookies – many of which are deliciously gluten-free – are all prepared in their kitchen. There are a few items that are outsourced, but they come from local producers, and the way Jim describes it, by outsourcing to those who do it best, they can focus on what they do well themselves.
Jim excuses himself for a quick moment to place an order for me and grab a bag of something. When he returns Jim opens the small bag and pours out for me their air-roasted (Chemainus) hazelnuts and chocolate-covered espresso beans mix. The sweetness of the roasted nuts accentuates the chocolaty undertones of the roasted Guatemalan beans. He points it out to me, and I can identify it nicely.
Jim’s vision has always been to make his business “coffee-centric.” At Fresh Cup, they roast their own beans, and are the peninsula’s only small-batch roastery. They use The Roastaire on-site, which they invented themselves, and which he tells me employs the most sustainable roasting technology in Canada.
What Jim seeks to bring to people is “urban coffee roasting,” – which he likens to the brewpub – where the public can come in and see the roasting process next door, and then sample the coffee at the Café along with some delicious, simple comfort food. In addition to trying to popularize the “roasting café,” and making the coffee process accessible, of utmost importance to Jim is the element of consistency. It’s a delicate balance of science and art to bring consistent flavour and quality to the customer every time.
Marissa brings over a plate of their Fresh Cup sweet creations: a lemon-raspberry birds-nest cookie (gluten-free and coconut-ty), a chocolate hazelnut cookie (which I can only describe as meringue-meets-brownie deliciousness), an almond tart (probably my favourite, as it seems to be with most customers), and a gluten-free peanut butter bar (topped with those same sweet air-roasted hazelnuts and chocolate.
I like how Jim thinks: sweets first! But onto the savoury; the roasted chicken and brie sandwich is made with house-roasted, hand-sliced, seasoned chicken breast, as well as spinach, brie, and cranberry walnut bread. Served hot, the brie melts into everything else, and the ingredients all combine into fresh, creamy goodness.
Next is the Fresh Cup salad, which is hearty and full of a variety of flavours and colours. The maple balsamic dressing, their own recipe, is unlike any other dressing I’ve had. The sweet maple is contrasted by the fresh dill, which, once mixed into the salad, makes for a whole diversity of taste.
Our interview draws to a close, and Jim packs up treats and a pound of coffee of my choosing for me to bring home. We say goodbye, and I feel pleased to have met, yet again, such a passionate business owner in the pursuit of bringing great food – and wonderful coffee, in this case – to our peninsula.
