COLUMBUS, Ohio, USA – Brandon Bir, Director of Sustainability for award-winning coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea, was named a 2021 Tastemaker in the December issue of Columbus Monthly magazine. The Tastemakers feature highlighted 10 rising culinary stars in the Columbus food scene.
“I feel honored to be part of such an exceptional group,” Brandon Bir said. “The food scene in Columbus continues to grow, and I’m just humbled to be recognized with such an innovative collection of the city’s culinary successes.”
The magazine published an overview of each tastemaker’s contributions to the Columbus culinary scene. In Bir’s profile, writer Beth Stallings highlighted his work in farmer relationships, coffee education, and coffee equity.
“His work means new and unique coffee beans are finding their way into Columbus cups,” she wrote.
Sourcing coffee requires building connections in far-off places. As Crimson Cup’s Director of Sustainability, Bir travels over 100,000 miles in an average year to discover exceptional coffees and grow relationships with coffee farmers.
“We secure terrific coffee and invest in getting more of that coffee,” he said. “As a result, the farmer can sell more, and for a higher price.”
The roaster’s Friend2Farmer initiatives focus on sustainability, working hand-in-hand with smallholder coffee farmers and cooperatives to improve the quality of coffee and life for their communities.
Bir’s team makes several trips a year to strengthen relationships and help fund community-enriching projects like schools, homes, roads, coffee drying racks and water filtration.
The initiatives contribute to The Ripple Effect: a focus on good that ripples outward to affect the lives of the company’s team, partners and community for years and generations to come.
Bir has devoted over 14 years to honing coffee industry knowledge and connections. Among other qualifications, he is Q Grader and Assistant Q Instructor for the Coffee Quality Institute, SCA Lab/Campus Inspector, Authorized SCA Trainer (AST), SCA Specialized Instructor and SCA Lead Instructor. He earned a Master of Business Administration in International Business and Sustainability from The University of Wisconsin.
He serves as East Regional Coordinator for the Specialty Coffee Association USA Chapter Committee. He also teaches classes and judges at coffee industry events, including the Golden Bean North America and Australia/New Zealand coffee roasting awards.
A passionate advocate for equity in the coffee industry, Bir says he hopes to spark more conversations and more movement towards a better tomorrow for all people involved in coffee.
“We created our flagship store, Crimson, to help bridge the communication and knowledge gap between consumers and producers,” he said.
“Only when consumers comprehend the hard work that goes into each cup of coffee – and when farmers understand the qualities that make coffee more desirable to consumers – can we hope to achieve a more sustainable coffee future.”
Bir recently took part in an online panel discussion, “Information and Education Access as a Consumer-Side Change Agent,” presented by the Coffee Equity Lab at The Wond’ry, Vanderbilt University’s innovation center.
“I’m honored to be given a platform to talk about my experience within the industry,” he said. “Bringing attention and equity to all involved in the value chain is my overarching goal as a coffee professional.”
