Bruce Miller, CEO of Pilot Coffee Roasters
In this series, we take a look at the amazing work being accomplished by members of our community. These are the game-changers, the inspirational leaders, and the passion-driven individuals who are changing our community, our health and our planet.
A. Hello! My name is Bruce Miller and I am honoured to be the CEO of Pilot Coffee Roasters. In my role I work very closely with our team members and partners to share our passion for Direct Trade specialty coffee and bring our company’s vision to life.
A. Andy Wilkin and Jessie Holmes founded Pilot Coffee Roasters in 2009. Located in Leslieville, the company was built to share our values of sourcing ethical, Direct Trade coffee and building transparency in the process from farm to cup. From the beginning, we have been a full-service specialty coffee roaster, specialty cafe, equipment supplier, educator and wholesale consulting service for like-minded cafe owners.
By 2013 we moved the roastery to our current headquarters, and in 2014, we were named Micro Roaster of the Year by Roast Magazine.
Today, we continue to share our passion for Direct Trade specialty coffee, and a commitment to quality remains at the heart of everything we do.
A. To find the “perfect green bean” we work in close partnership with coffee producers in the world’s finest growing regions; most commonly in Central America, South America and East Africa. These direct relationships provide full transparency between roaster and producer. We visit each farm and see the growing and working conditions first hand to understand the complex factors that make each coffee special – from the varietal, to the climate, to the skill and care of the farmer.
Whether you are a coffee producer, cafe customer or wholesale partner, we do our best to maintain the same philosophy: it's about building direct relationships, creating mutual benefit, and a shared understanding of each other's needs. Those values have led us to incredible partners, like Impact Kitchen, for the last 13 years.
Over the last year we have made incredible progress coming off a difficult two years. We’ve opened three new cafes, met new Direct Trade partners in Costa Rica, and strengthened our relationships with incredible partners like Impact Kitchen. We are reaching new specialty coffee lovers every day, and it has been such a joyful experience.
In the short term, I am looking forward to my upcoming trip to Huila, Colombia to visit Direct Trade partner, Chalo Fernandez. He operates Las Palmas farm, and it will be my first time visiting him with the team.
Community is really at the heart of specialty coffee. We even have a signature blend named after it! To us, community is local, national and global. Our local cafe customers who visit everyday, and local partners who share our coffees. The national specialty coffee industry who create community through education, events and make Canada an international hotspot. And our global coffee producing partners, who make everything we do possible.
Excellent customer service and superior coffee quality. Two areas that are fundamental to our success and our values, so we never take a day off.
