Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Launches One-of-a-Kind ...
FAIRMONT HOTELS & RESORTS LAUNCHES ONE-OF-A-KIND ARTISANAL COFFEE PARTNERSHIP - Luxury Hotel Brand To Offer Guests in North America a Taste of Nature’s Finest and Freshest Farm-to-Cup Brews by H.C. Valentine Coffee Company NEW YORK, December 2, 2014 – A good day often starts with a great cup of coffee, and that shouldn’t change for people because they’re away from home. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is making it easier for guests in North America to wake up happy with the flavors of its new organic, artisanal brews. The luxury hotel brand today announced an exclusive partnership with H.C. Valentine Coffee Company, an award-winning micro-roasting company based in Birmingham, Alabama that offers high quality, one-of-a-kind brews comprising Fair Trade blends and single origin varietals. “Our goal is to deliver a premium experience with a personalized touch; offering an exclusive micro-roasting brew ensures that promise is honored in each batch of fresh coffee brewed on-property,” says Brett Patterson, Vice President of Food & Beverage, Americas at FRHI Hotels & Resorts, the luxury hotel brand’s parent company. “H.C. Valentine Coffee Company is the right choice for our hotels because it provides guests with a quality artisanal coffee experience that will enhance their stay.” Embracing a unique and locally-inspired gourmand experience, Fairmont is the first major luxury hotel company to offer guests a true ‘farm-to-cup’ coffee experience throughout the Americas region. The new ‘Signature Blend’ is delivered within a few days post-roast, where each pot is freshly ground and served to guests immediately, guaranteeing a high quality and artisanal flavor. This new coffee experience is available at Fairmont hotels across North America and will be carried through to banqueting as well. The new coffee blend also complements Fairmont’s time-honored tradition of offering afternoon tea and the brands’ very own line of signature teas. Custom tea offerings range from premium and organic blends to wellness teas that help detoxify and boost energy.
Founded in 2007 by William and Hatton Smith, H.C. Valentine Coffee Company is a sister operation to the 118-year-old Royal Cup Coffee and Tea brand. Named after the brothers’ grandfather, and artisan furniture maker, H.C. Valentine was created with the mission to blend the world’s finest cup of coffee, offering the highest quality of currentseason crop Arabica coffee beans. Sourced from Africa, Central and South America and slowly, hand-roasted to perfection, the coffee beans are typically grown between four and five thousand feet above sea level. In these higher elevations, the coffee beans ripen slowly, resulting in a higher quality product. H.C. Valentine’s award-winning ‘Roastmasters,’ Stacy Hawkins and Brandon Cooley, have studied the science and art behind capturing a coffee’s aromatics at its height to unlock the flavor and personality hidden within each bean. The brand’s ‘Roastmasters’ select beans that have been harvested from the top 3% of the highest graded coffee beans from around the world and blend the coffees after the beans have been roasted; while the method is more time-consuming, it creates a taste profile that is balanced, richly flavorful and unique. “At H.C. Valentine Coffee Company we pride ourselves on developing a quality coffee that doesn’t compromise our standards of the freshest experience. That’s why it is exciting to partner with Fairmont to offer their guests organic, hand-roasted, Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee. It seemed like a natural fit for us to offer our coffees on a large scale level that has never been done before,” says product development manager David Strahl. “We are honored to share a unique proprietary coffee blend with Fairmont guests across the region, featuring specialty-grade beans that are sight-roasted by origin in small batches, and then blended to develop deeply complex and intense flavor profiles unmatched in the industry.” Fairmont prides itself on offering guests unique and meaningful experiences, and that includes coffee. Recent consumer research shows coffee lovers are craving a quality product when it comes to brew selection, and are indulging in gourmet coffees such as specialty and espresso-based drinks. In fact, the National Coffee Association‘s most recent annual consumer report shows that one third of young adults that consume coffee on a daily basis are reaching for gourmet options, and while this number continues to grow, daily consumption of non-gourmet coffee is declining. Additionally, a study from market research firm The NPD Group found that a customer’s overall satisfaction with their dining experience is enhanced when served a quality cup of coffee. Aligning with Fairmont’s emphasis on sustainability and locally-inspired experiences, H.C. Valentine is committed to finding farmers who honor sustainable growing practices in order to produce the finest taste characteristics for their growing regions. The brand supports the long-term sustainability of the coffee industry and works with organizations such as World Coffee Research to protect and grow the supply chain of high quality Arabica coffees through collaborative agricultural research and development. American Masters of Taste have awarded H.C. Valentine four gold medals in its blind taste tests for its Signature Espresso, Organic; Roast Masters African Savanna; Aztec Roast,
100% Organic; and Inca Decaffeinated Blend. H.C. Valentine has also been named a U.S.A. Beverage Champion for its organic, decaffeinated whole coffee beans. Visit www.fairmont.com/americas/coffee for a list of participating hotels across North America. For more information on Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, please visit fairmont.com. To learn more about H.C. Valentine Coffee Company, please visit hcvalentine.com. ### About Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Fairmont Hotels & Resorts connects guests to the very best of its destinations worldwide, reflecting each locale's energy, culture and history. Passionate travelers choose the luxury hotel brand for its ability to deliver memorable travel experiences, personalized and thoughtful service, and hotels that are one-of-a-kind. Serving as genuine gateways to their destinations, Fairmont hotels offer locally-inspired cuisine and spirited bars and lounges, distinctive design and décor, and a steadfast responsibility to environmental and social priorities. With more than 65 hotels globally, and many more in development, landmark hotels in the Fairmont collection include The Plaza in New York, London ’s The Savoy, Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai and Quebec City’s Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. Fairmont is owned by FRHI Hotels & Resorts, a leading global hotel company with over 110 hotels under the Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissôtel brands. The company also manages Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel branded luxury private residence clubs, whole-ownership residences and serviced residences properties. For more information or reservations, please visit fairmont.com.
Founded in 2007 by William and Hatton Smith, H.C. Valentine Coffee Company is a sister operation to the 118-year-old Royal Cup Coffee and Tea brand. Named after the brothers’ grandfather, and artisan furniture maker, H.C. Valentine was created with the mission to blend the world’s finest cup of coffee, offering the highest quality of currentseason crop Arabica coffee beans. Sourced from Africa, Central and South America and slowly, hand-roasted to perfection, the coffee beans are typically grown between four and five thousand feet above sea level. In these higher elevations, the coffee beans ripen slowly, resulting in a higher quality product. H.C. Valentine’s award-winning ‘Roastmasters,’ Stacy Hawkins and Brandon Cooley, have studied the science and art behind capturing a coffee’s aromatics at its height to unlock the flavor and personality hidden within each bean. The brand’s ‘Roastmasters’ select beans that have been harvested from the top 3% of the highest graded coffee beans from around the world and blend the coffees after the beans have been roasted; while the method is more time-consuming, it creates a taste profile that is balanced, richly flavorful and unique. “At H.C. Valentine Coffee Company we pride ourselves on developing a quality coffee that doesn’t compromise our standards of the freshest experience. That’s why it is exciting to partner with Fairmont to offer their guests organic, hand-roasted, Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee. It seemed like a natural fit for us to offer our coffees on a large scale level that has never been done before,” says product development manager David Strahl. “We are honored to share a unique proprietary coffee blend with Fairmont guests across the region, featuring specialty-grade beans that are sight-roasted by origin in small batches, and then blended to develop deeply complex and intense flavor profiles unmatched in the industry.” Fairmont prides itself on offering guests unique and meaningful experiences, and that includes coffee. Recent consumer research shows coffee lovers are craving a quality product when it comes to brew selection, and are indulging in gourmet coffees such as specialty and espresso-based drinks. In fact, the National Coffee Association‘s most recent annual consumer report shows that one third of young adults that consume coffee on a daily basis are reaching for gourmet options, and while this number continues to grow, daily consumption of non-gourmet coffee is declining. Additionally, a study from market research firm The NPD Group found that a customer’s overall satisfaction with their dining experience is enhanced when served a quality cup of coffee. Aligning with Fairmont’s emphasis on sustainability and locally-inspired experiences, H.C. Valentine is committed to finding farmers who honor sustainable growing practices in order to produce the finest taste characteristics for their growing regions. The brand supports the long-term sustainability of the coffee industry and works with organizations such as World Coffee Research to protect and grow the supply chain of high quality Arabica coffees through collaborative agricultural research and development. American Masters of Taste have awarded H.C. Valentine four gold medals in its blind taste tests for its Signature Espresso, Organic; Roast Masters African Savanna; Aztec Roast,
100% Organic; and Inca Decaffeinated Blend. H.C. Valentine has also been named a U.S.A. Beverage Champion for its organic, decaffeinated whole coffee beans. Visit www.fairmont.com/americas/coffee for a list of participating hotels across North America. For more information on Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, please visit fairmont.com. To learn more about H.C. Valentine Coffee Company, please visit hcvalentine.com. ### About Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Fairmont Hotels & Resorts connects guests to the very best of its destinations worldwide, reflecting each locale's energy, culture and history. Passionate travelers choose the luxury hotel brand for its ability to deliver memorable travel experiences, personalized and thoughtful service, and hotels that are one-of-a-kind. Serving as genuine gateways to their destinations, Fairmont hotels offer locally-inspired cuisine and spirited bars and lounges, distinctive design and décor, and a steadfast responsibility to environmental and social priorities. With more than 65 hotels globally, and many more in development, landmark hotels in the Fairmont collection include The Plaza in New York, London ’s The Savoy, Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai and Quebec City’s Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. Fairmont is owned by FRHI Hotels & Resorts, a leading global hotel company with over 110 hotels under the Fairmont, Raffles, and Swissôtel brands. The company also manages Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel branded luxury private residence clubs, whole-ownership residences and serviced residences properties. For more information or reservations, please visit fairmont.com.
