MMMM….coffee. Do you love coffee as much as I do?! I can almost smell the beans in this picture! This week, we are excited to feature one of our newer vendors and coffee connoisseurs, Manuscript Coffee with owner Celeste!
In Celeste’s own beautiful words, “Manuscript Coffee started years ago as a dream - a bookstore/coffee shop like no other. And it stayed a dream for quite a while, until in April of this year, I was home during quarantine doing nothing. I was lucky enough to have a job with a paid leave, but I felt like I should be doing something. Something I was passionate about. So I started turning my dream into a reality. I realized that dreams do not become real by just falling in your lap, but you have to take the initiative to create those dreams. After a short four or so months of planning, Manuscript Coffee became official in August 2020. We focus on ethically sourcing our coffees and telling the story of each one to encourage people to find stories of their own.”
Manuscript purchases from a company that pays their farmers a fair price, which is not always the case in the coffee industry. Currently, they source beans from Costa Rica, Uganda, and Indonesia. They receive green (unroasted) beans that they then roast in a rotating drum over heat, “listen[ing] for them to crack, similar to popcorn popping”. The amount of time the beans roast depends on how light or dark they want the coffee to be (the longer they roast, the darker the coffee will be). This means “lighter roasts tend to have slightly more caffeine than darker roasts!” Interesting, right?
Currently, Manuscript sells bags of coffee (ground and whole bean) of various roasts at FCFM. They also sell jars of syrup, and seasonally, hot cocoa mix, too. If you are looking for a fresh cup of coffee when you come downtown for the market, you’re in luck! Manuscript attends our in-person market every second Saturday of the month and also offers cups of cold or hot brewed coffee with choices of milk and sweeteners. If you can’t wait until the second Saturday of the month, not to worry! They also sell each week through FCFM’s online Thursday market. And if you are interested in a coffee subscription service, or just want to have your coffee products delivered to your house, check out their online store at www.manuscriptcoffeeroastery.com. How awesome does it sound to have freshly-roasted coffee (and/or syrup) delivered to your doorstep every month (or two weeks)?!
If you don’t know where to start and are looking for a recommendation, Celeste says her favorite item is their light roast, Treasure Island. “It's so fruity and sweet that it makes you feel like you're about to go on a tropical adventure. The notes of peaches, strawberries, and cream are some of the more unique - and in my opinion, some of the best - I've tasted.” As a customer who has purchased Treasure Island, I definitely second that recommendation!
This was such a fun blog post to write because I love coffee and also loved hearing about Celeste’s story! I hope you enjoyed learning about Manuscript just as much as I did. Celeste reiterates “Manuscript hasn't been open for very long, but we have big dreams and big plans. We hope you stick around to see them! We'll be adding a house blend, espresso, and decaf coffees in the near future!”