The Chantal Coffee Co.

Rowan runs The Chantal Coffee Co., and regulars in the New River Valley compare the beans favorably to Proud Mary and Heart from Portland. That's a high comparison for an online and wholesale roaster from someone whose name keeps turning up for being passionate about the work. Beans ship within days of roasting, which is the part that matters when you're brewing at home.

The Cliffhanger medium/dark roast is the anchor order. The light roast is the pour-over pick, described by one regular as fantastic for the method, and the kind of bean that rewards a fresh grind and a careful pour. Holiday boxed gift sets show up seasonally.

This is a roaster operation, not a cafe. No sit-down room, no espresso bar, no afternoon-with-a-laptop scene. You order online or you pick up. Rowan also caters events, including a wedding reception mentioned by one customer, which is the kind of expansion small roasters take on when the network asks for it.

For home brewers and pour-over drinkers who want beans roasted recently enough to taste, and for event organizers who want a roaster they can talk to directly, The Chantal Coffee Co. is the right kind of small operation. The Portland comparison is the part to trust.