about

about – Mudhouse Coffee Roasters

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The Art of Roasting

The two of us used to giggle and pass notes in 8th grade math. After college, walkabouts, and real jobs, we met back up in Alaska and lived in a old VW van, down by the river. That’s when we decided to open a coffeehouse back in Virginia. We wanted to make a difference. People thought we were crazy. Banks thought we were crazy, but we persevered, starting with a little cart on the mall and at our beautiful city farmers market, and now here we are, 20+ years later, in the middle of a dream, roasting coffee together for people we love and playing around, still giggling like two little monkeys

How we got here

Once we decide on a coffee, we bring it into our roastery. Then we analyze and profile it to find the bloom of the bean’s natural flavor derived from a multitude of factors including varietal, elevation, rainfall, soil, and processing method. After discovering a bean’s profile, we cup and roast and cup and roast until we find its sweet spot of expression.

Then we roast for you.

Licensed Q Graders

In 2014, we became licensed Q Graders. Why is this so exciting and important? Q graders are professionally accredited cuppers who have passed rigorous certification exams to work on behalf of the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI). Q grader status allows us to be of service to the farmers and producers in the specialty coffee industry.

CQI’s Q Coffee System locates specialty coffee at origin and helps to improve those that have the potential to meet specialty standards. The effect is a common language between buyers and sellers that draws attention to specialty coffee while creating an

infrastructure that gives producers greater opportunities to enter the marketplace and to increase their economic viability.

When a coffee moves through the Q Coffee System and is verified as a Q Coffee TM, it signifies an independent confirmation of quality that can truly be deemed specialty. Green coffee samples are submitted to and In-Country Partner (ICP), and 3 Licensed Q Graders cup and score the coffee. Coffee that meet the standards for green, roasted, and cup quality are issued a Q Certificate. If a coffee does not meet specialty standards, it receives a technical report that explains why.

JLYNELLE LAWRENCE

Co-Founder, Director of Joy, Licensed Q Grader

JOHN LAWRENCE

Co-Founder, Kahuna, Director of Operations, Licensed Q Grader

Lindsey Simpkins

Co-Founder, Director of Joy, Licensed Q Grader

Eric Stone

Head Roaster, Director of Roasting Operations

James Hutch Hutchins

Director of Operations

The Vanguard

These are the folks who make your coffee, tilt your day, and create good feeling.

We work tirelessly to source coffees that are of exceptional quality and are grown in a socially responsible and ecologically sustainable manner

We foster direct trade relationships with dedicated farmers and producers around the world and build relationships of trust and understanding with our importers. We pledge to continue our work toward improving the way coffee is grown, harvested, processed, imported, and roasted so that you can continue to enjoy these beautiful specialty coffees for years to come.

We pledge to the best of our ability:

To source exceptional coffees and to roast them to their highest expressions

To pay the farmer a fair price higher than the current requirements for Fair Trade

To use better than organic, making sure the coffees we source are grown without pesticides and harmful fertilizers

To be open and transparent in all ways possible from farm to cup

To be committed to sustainability in all of its definitions and to purchase from farmers who do the same

To always continue to improve our practices.

We recognize that all of our coffees do not fall under organic, fair trade, or other related certifications. We certify them ourselves, that the farmers we work with are growing these coffees with the utmost care and attention to environmental and socially sustainable practices. We personally attest to their integrity.