Oldham Roasting Co. was started in early 2022 with the purchase of a tiny coffee roaster that could only roast half a pound at a time. To others, it seemed like another hobby used to distract from the mundane. However, there was real vision behind this endeavor. I was tired of my middle management job at a company that didn't take care of their people. I found myself wanting to contribute something real to my community that would bring joy to as many as I could. To me, the answer was simple. Coffee.
Coffee has been a common thread in my life. I always enjoyed coffee runs with my dad as a kid. I thought it was so cool that the barista knew my dad's order every time (black coffee) and I quickly came to associate the smell of coffee with my dad.
By high school the coffee addiction was real. I even went home from school one day simply because I spilled my coffee and just couldn't face the day anymore (I can be a tad dramatic). In the summers I worked at a summer camp in Western North Carolina where I cooked meals for over 700 people three times a day. I was part of the breakfast crew which got up before the rest of the staff to prepare breakfast for the entire camp. A ritual of that time was having a cup of coffee with my boss each morning. He was a coffee roaster as well and taught me about regions of coffee and the importance of ratios to brew the best cup. I view him as one of the greatest mentors of my life.
In college I ran on caffeine. I met a girl, and we staked our claim at a local coffee shop where we would spend the next few years befriending the baristas and growing our relationship over cups and cups of coffee. Breakfast dates became a part of our DNA.
So How Did We Get Here?
After years of climbing the corporate ladder at a company that I loved, I found that the grass was not at all greener the higher you go. I became jaded and irritable all for what I thought was a dream job.
Then COVID happened.
COVID exposed many people, myself included, to the fact that there is so much more to life than a dead-end job pleasing management that doesn't appreciate you. I started thinking about what I really liked in life. I love people. I love providing a hospitable environment for folks to feel comfortable. And I love coffee. I got a small roaster, then a bigger one, changed jobs, and started producing something I was proud to put my name on: Oldham Roasting Company.
Where Are We Going?
Right now, we are a small-scale roaster direct to consumer. We roast to order and are going through about 10 lbs of beans a month. This is what I am calling the development phase of our business. I want to perfect the cup. I wan
t each bag of Oldham Roasting coffee to blow you away. So I am taking the time to learn all I can about this process and improve my craft. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with us in this trial and error phase. Hopefully you are seeing the same improvements I am.
What we wish for Oldham Roasting is to become a local staple for quality coffee and inviting spaces. Our vision is to grow into a physical space where we can offer great drinks within a phenomenal atmosphere. However, we don't want to only be a coffee shop. We want to offer opportunities to the community like tasting classes, roasting basics, and brewing the perfect cup. We want to see Oldham Roasting as an opportunity to connect local artists and craftsmen to their community.
We Can't Do This Alone
This is where you come in. Through your continued support and feedback we hope to see these ideas come to life. In the next year or so we hope to launch a Kickstarter campaign to raise funding for some equipment needs and potential space requirements. But for now, spread the word. Buy bags for friends, family, and coworkers. That goes a long way in helping us broaden our customer base.
Lastly, thank you. We appreciate you all so much. This business venture has given me a fresh outlook on the future and I hope that you are just as excited as I am to see where all of this goes.
