Brewing Up Good Shit Energy: Roaster Partner Feature with Goshen
Hey there, coffee lovers! Get ready to meet your new caffeine obsession because we're about to spill the beans on our latest coffee partner: Goshen. Buckle up and prepare for a wild ride with this family-owned, female-led coffee roaster hailing from the sunny lands of Southern Illinois. They've been rocking the specialty coffee scene for over 20 years, and let me tell you, they've got some seriously good shit energy brewing!
As our Steeped enthusiasts know, we take our sustainability practices and industry ethics seriously, so trust us when we say that Goshen doesn't just talk the talk; they walk the walk. By using a hybrid of air and drum roasting, they've not only mastered the art of creating swoon-worthy coffee, but they've also become 90% more energy efficient. With every sip, you're not just enjoying a delicious cup of joe, you're supporting an environmentally conscious approach towards your daily ritual.
So, get ready to sip on guilt-free coffee while satisfying your caffeine cravings. Goshen's commitment to cultivating trade and our shared dedication to sustainability create a powerful brew that's good for your taste buds and our planet. Hold onto your mugs because this journey is about to get downright delicious! Read below as we catch up with Jennifer Hughey, CEO of Goshen Coffee.
We've heard through the coffee vines that Goshen is fueled by an extraordinary female-led leadership team. How do these trailblazing women shape the company's roasting game and inspire the whole crew in a traditionally male-dominated industry?
Goshen Coffee is owned by 2 couples who are family. Jennifer Hughey and Mike Bergen and Julie and Jay Beard. I am the CEO and have been in the CPG world my entire career and have been a part of many male-dominated industries, so this is not something new for me. However, it is one of the reasons we partnered up with my sister and Jay in 2020. I have always worked in male dominated industries where a lot of the time I was the only female at the table. I wanted to mix things up and create a culture where delivering the highest quality coffee and the most amazing experience was the goal of everyone who works here. I believe that the way to ensure this happens is to hire a diverse group of employee and always put their needs above anything else. If that is the focus then the rest will come…
"Cultivate trade" has a pretty nice ring to it. Can you share more about what it means? How does Goshen go above and beyond to support their coffee growers and ensure they're not just breaking even?
Giving GOod SHit ENergy starts with the relationship with our growers. We have tagged the phrase Cultivate Trade as it is a step beyond Fair Trade so that our growers are able to not only earn a fair wage but to reinvest back into their business.
With over two decades of coffee expertise under your belt, what secret brew hacks and hilarious behind-the-scenes stories can you share from your journey in the specialty coffee industry?
Well we have had many hilarious moments that is for sure but one of the funniest ones was two days before we opened our first cafe we discovered that we had misspelled the word coffee on our drive thru menu. Thanks to quick thinking by our graphic designer Sherrie, we were able to get that corrected and no one was the wiser, until now :)
Goshen's website mentions that you're a bit "crazy" (in the best way possible). Spill the beans on how your wild ideas, coffee-fueled creativity, and fearless spirit shake up the coffee world and make every sip an adventure.
Well fueled by a lot of amazing coffee we are always looking to shake things up in the coffee world. We believe that our new branding introduced in 2022 has definitely done just that. We took a very boring white and black category and added a bit of color and creativity into every bag. Designed to designate roast level, the color pallet is very vibrant and memorable, just like our coffee.
"Good shit energy" isn't just a slogan, it's a way of life. How do Goshen's coffee enthusiasts keep the energy levels high and the passion burning bright, even when the bean gods throw them a curveball?
One of our core values is: TEAMWORK, have fun always, doing what we love. So when we are thrown a curve ball we all work together and dig into that energy to get us through. We have a great team of dedicated employees not only in our roastery but also in our cafes.
Two decades in the game is no joke. What's the secret behind Goshen's ability to stay on top of their coffee game, anticipate trends, and bring the wow factor to every cup?
Goshen has been around for 20 years but in 2021 we hired Tony Auger who is a leader in the coffee industry to help us anticipate trends and bring that consistent wow factor to every cup. This includes blends that have been around for 20 years as well as new coffee’s that we continue to introduce. To validate that we are achieving this goal, we were awarded a Good Food Award earlier this year.
Can you give us a sneak peek into the future? What exciting ventures or dreams does Goshen have on the horizon that will keep coffee lovers on the edge of their seats, eagerly reaching for their mugs?
Well obviously our first line extension has been with Steeped and it is off to a great success in our largest trade partner Schnucks. We also reintroduced our Secret Stash line in 2023 to bring very small batch mind blowing coffee’s to coffee lovers across the country. We have a few other things up our sleeves in the next few months focused on different delivery methods for our cold brew as well as other line extensions to round out the Goshen offering.