A few years ago I was looking for the perfect gift for my coffee obsessed friend Kim. I won't tell you how much coffee she drinks but trust me when I say, if Kim says it is good coffee then it most certainly is.
I started out by looking for a sort of "coffee of the month" type club. Wouldn't I be the bestest friend ever if I gave her a gift of coffee that lasted throughout an entire year? Well, when I saw what that cost I quickly changed gears and decided to focus my efforts on something I could afford. That is how I found the quaint darling coffee/cafe establishment Birds and Beans Coffee. Birds and Beans offers an exotic variety of coffee from all over the world that is "certified organic, shade grown, fairly traded and Bird friendly." Coffee is offered from such places as Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia - I think this one was Kim's favourite, Houndaras and Nicaragua to name a few of the choices.
The website provides lists of which coffees are Fair Trade certified, Bird Friendly and Rainforest Alliance certified so you can buy knowing you are being a responsible consumer.
I liked being able to order the coffee online and have it sent to Kim. It was a nice surprise for her and she got to enjoy the scent of the freshly roasted coffee for a few days. From what I remember delivery was quick and inexpensive. Their retail location is not too far from me so now I go there and purchase it. This was definitely a great find and cool to discover it close to my neighbourhood.
In case you were wondering, Kim LOVED the coffee! That's enough to make me a fan for life.
