COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ethiopian Kossa Kebena coffee from Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea has been named a finalist in the 2017 Good Food Awards competition. The only Ohio entry among 25 finalists in the coffee category, Crimson Cup is the first Ohio coffee finalist in the award’s history.
“Crimson Cup is excited to be recognized once again among the country’s top coffee roasters in a competition that recognizes both excellence and sustainable sourcing,” said Founder and President Greg Ubert. The Columbus, Ohio coffee roaster was named Roast Magazine’s 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year.
The Good Food Awards celebrate tasty, authentic and responsible foods. Now in its seventh year, the competition includes entries in 14 categories: beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, cider, coffee, confections, fish, honey, oils, pantry, pickles, preserves and spirits.
Award winners will be announced January 20, 2017 at the Good Food Awards ceremony held at the historic Herbst Theater in the San Francisco War Memorial.
The 2017 finalists rose to the top in a blind tasting of the 2,059 entries from nearly every state and passed a rigorous vetting to confirm they met specific Good Food Awards standards around environmentally sound agriculture practices, good animal husbandry, sourcing transparency and responsible relationships throughout the supply chain.
Organic Ethiopian Kossa Kebena is part of Crimson Cup’s Friend2Farmer line of direct-trade coffees. It is produced by a farm in Western Ethiopia’s Limmu Kossa District. A member of the Kossa Geshe co-op, the farm occupies part of the dense Kebena Forest.
“Heirloom varietals grown at an altitude of 1,900 to 2,100 meters are naturally processed on raised beds to produce this outstanding coffee,” said Brandon Bir, coffee sourcing and education manager for Crimson Cup. He visited the farm earlier this year.
Crimson Cup developed its Friend2Farmer direct trade program to ensure that farmers receive a fair share of proceeds from coffee sales.
The company pays a premium to farmers, who can then invest in agricultural and community improvements. Crimson Cup coffee experts also collaborate with farmers on ways to improve the quality of the coffee and quality of live for farmers, workers and their communities.
Ethiopian Kossa Kebena is available for a limited time at Crimson Cup Coffee Houses in Clintonville and Upper Arlington. Bags of fresh-roasted coffee can be purchased from the Crimson Cup website at a cost of $16.50 for 12 ounces.
