We’ve been invited to be a part of the Charlotte-Lemieux craft fair on Thursday, December 12, 3-6:30
Location: 2093 Bel-Air Dr
There’s free parking (pay attention to the signs, especially before 3:30 when the busses are present).
This will be the last time this year that we’ll have coffee and crochet at a craft sale, so come get your stocking stuffers and teacher gifts (coffee is a great gift for your kid’s teachers!)
The current Canada Post strike will affect us, but we have found alternative ways of shipping. Canada, USA, and International may be slower to fullfil, but we’ll find a way.
For those inside Ottawa, we are now offering a discounted shipping cost of $10. We’re working with Trexity to get the packages into Ottawa and parts of Gatineau.
Coffee with Coffee Shop
For the holiday season we are offering a bonus 2 ounces of mystery coffee with every purchase of Coffee Shop Between the ‘Verses.
Ten years ago, I got the idea of roasting my own coffee. It was born from a combination of wanting to contribute to JenEric Designs sales and find a flavoured coffee that wouldn’t hurt my stomach.
This was the first ever coffee I roasted.
With this first batch, I decided to keep trying, and after figuring out the timing for adding the flavouring, I started roasting enough for Pop Expo 2014. I managed to roast a total of 10lbs.
Look how tiny it is:
We had 3 flavours available that year; Butter Rum, Cinnamon, and Chocolate Hazelnut.
The original Butter Rum was based on Spike from BuffyLittle has changed for Raktajino. Hard to improve on perfect.Davroast was originally Chocolate Hazelnut but the flavouring wasn’t great and was eventually switched to Chocolate.
The price we charged at the time was $10 for 125g (a little over 4oz). Shockingly, with better equipment and suppliers, we were able to bring the price down about 8 years ago to $8 for 4oz.
There have been times I’ve considered quitting, but it is something I love doing. I’ll never be able to retire on it, but it’s a fun job.
Overall, we’ve been extremely lucky with equipment, suppliers, and especially clients.
According to my notes, coffee prices have almost doubled since we started roasting coffee. The beans, the flavouring, the labels, the bags, con tables, and especially shipping; have all gone up by as much if not more.
The last time we increased our prices was 2016, and I was starting to think we’d have to increase our prices again.
Good news is that I think I found a solution that will help. There’s a Canadian company that makes bags that are significantly cheaper than the American company we used in the past. This will also save us duty and brokerage fees.
I’m also looking into alternate sources for flavouring and labels.
All that said, we are working hard to keep our prices competitive.
Stay tuned and we’ll have some coffee news coming in October when we’ll be celebrating our 10 year anniversary.
We’ll be at one last show this year, so if you haven’t yet bought coffee for your friends, family, teachers, and neighbours, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE!
Renaissance Press will also be attendance, and will have all our books! If you want to get them signed (you can buy the books at your local bookstore and bring them in to us too), we’ll be there!
From the organizer:
Get ready for a festive and inclusive event you don’t want to miss! The Queer Christmas Craft Fair is here, and we can’t wait to see you on November 25th from 10:00am to 2:00pm at The Good Companions (670 Albert Street).
This is not just your average craft fair – it’s a celebration of diversity, creativity, and community! By joining us, you’ll not only be supporting Ottawa’s small LGBTQ2+ businesses but also local service agencies that do incredible work for our community. It’s a win-win!
What’s even better? Parking is absolutely free, making it hassle-free for you to come and enjoy the day. And let’s not forget about our famous chili! For just $6.20, you can satisfy your taste buds with a delicious bowl of chili and a side of corn bread. Trust us, it’s the perfect fuel to keep you shopping and mingling.
But wait, there’s more! The Queer Christmas Craft Fair will showcase an array of incredible handmade products. From unique jewelry and fashion accessories to home decor and art pieces, you’ll find the most wonderful gifts for your loved ones (or even yourself). Support local artisans and find something truly special to spread love and joy this holiday season.
So bring your friends, family, and colleagues to this fabulous event. Together, let’s create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, celebrating love, diversity, and the magic of the holiday season.
Mark your calendars and don’t miss out on the Queer Christmas Craft Fair on November 25th. See you there!