What Salt Spring Coffee does

Salt Spring Coffee is a Canadian specialty coffee roastery founded in 1996 by Mickey McLeod and Robbyn Scott on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, and now headquartered at a roastery in Richmond, BC. The company sources organic and Fair Trade green beans from long-term direct-trade partners in Nicaragua, Peru, Sumatra, Uganda, and Costa Rica, then roasts them in small hand-roasted batches with green-bean testing for moisture and mycotoxins. Its core product line spans whole bean, ground, decaf (Swiss Water process), and BPI-certified compostable single-serve pods across multiple roast profiles, plus branded gear and accessories.

The company operates four revenue streams: direct-to-consumer e-commerce anchored by a recurring "Laid Back Subscription" (10% discount, free shipping over $50 CAD, pause/cancel anytime), a B2B wholesale program with tiered volume discounts up to 25% serving Canadian retail and food service, broad distribution through major grocery chains (Costco, London Drugs, Real Canadian Superstore, Loblaws, Whole Foods, Sobeys, and others) plus recent US entry via Sprouts Farmers Market and Haggen, and a flagship Cafe & Kitchen on Salt Spring Island.

Salt Spring Coffee differentiates on certifications and provenance: it is Canada's first Regenerative Organic Certified coffee roaster (2024, in partnership with the Regenerative Organic Alliance) and one of the first 10 Fair Trade Certified companies in Canada (1997). It is a privately held, family-operated business with 11-50 employees, no disclosed funding rounds, and no parent company. Pricing is unit-based for retail/wholesale and subscription-based for DTC, with US DTC orders temporarily suspended due to tariffs.

Name

Salt Spring Coffee

Legal name

Salt Spring Coffee

Website

https://saltspringcoffee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Salt Spring Coffee is a Canadian specialty coffee roastery founded in 1996 that sells organic, Fair Trade, and Regenerative Organic Certified coffee direct-to-consumer, through wholesale to retail and food service, via major grocery chains, and at its Salt Spring Island cafe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Coffee Roasting

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (31192)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Single-Serve Coffee (Pods, Capsules) (CRADAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Organic coffee roasting
• Fair trade coffee
• Regenerative organic certified
• Specialty coffee beans
• Direct trade coffee

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Coffee Sales: Direct sales of whole bean and ground coffee products to consumers through e-commerce and retail stores. Products include various roast levels and origins.
2. Coffee Subscriptions: Recurring Laid Back Subscriptions offering 10% discount, free shipping over $50, with ability to pause or cancel anytime. Provides predictable recurring revenue.
3. Wholesale: B2B wholesale distribution to retail and food service businesses with automatic discounts up to 25% based on order volume.
4. Cafe Operations: Flaghip cafe serving food, beverages including craft beer, wine, spirits, and freshly roasted coffee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Salt Spring Coffee is a Canadian specialty coffee roastery that sources, roasts, and sells organic, fair trade, and Regenerative Organic Certified coffee beans in whole bean, ground, and compostable single-serve pod formats. The company sells through direct e-commerce with a subscription program, wholesale distribution to grocery and food-service accounts across Canada and the US, and operates a flagship cafe on Salt Spring Island.

Product overview

Salt Spring Coffee is a Canadian specialty coffee roastery offering a diverse portfolio of organic, fair trade, and regenerative organic certified coffee products. The product line includes whole bean coffees in various roasts (dark, medium dark, medium), ground coffee variations, decaf options, and compostable K-Cup compatible pods. The company operates a subscription service (Laid Back Subscriptions), a flagship cafe on Salt Spring Island (Cafe & Kitchen), and a wholesale program for retail and food service. Coffee gear products include grinders, storage canisters, brewing equipment (Chemex, Hario pour-over), travel tumblers, and branded merchandise. Key coffee products include Regenerative Organic Village Trade (Canada's first ROC certified), 30th Anniversary blends, Metta Espresso, French Roast, Sumatra, Canopy Bird, Peru, Swiss Water Decaf, and decaf espresso.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 30th Anniversary Blend Limited edition medium dark roast celebrating 30 years of fair trade organic coffee. Notes of chocolate, blackberry jam, and stone fruit. Latin America and Indonesia origins. Targeted at retail consumers and gift purchasers.
• 30th Anniversary Blue Heron Limited edition medium dark roast blend named for the Blue Heron Rookery on Salt Spring Island, with notes of milk chocolate, roasted nuts, and citrus. Targeted at retail consumers.
• Regenerative Organic Village Trade Canada's first Regenerative Organic Certified dark roast coffee with rich dark chocolate and roasted almond flavor. Targeted at sustainability-conscious consumers and retail buyers.
• Metta Espresso Medium dark roast espresso blend developed with Nicaraguan farmer Byron Corrales, featuring smooth dark chocolate, caramel notes, and a light cherry finish. Targeted at espresso consumers and cafes.
• French Roast Darkest roast blend with rich, bittersweet smoky flavor and sweet caramel finish. Blend of Latin America and Indonesia beans. Targeted at dark-roast consumers.
• Sumatra Single-Origin Single-origin dark roast from Sumatra, Indonesia, with strong full body and smoky, earthy, syrupy flavors. Sourced from KBQB cooperative in Aceh province. Targeted at single-origin coffee enthusiasts.
• Canopy Bird Medium dark roast blend from Latin America named for canopy birds that nest above shade-grown coffee. Rich and smooth with dark earthy tones. Targeted at shade-grown coffee consumers.
• Peru Single-Origin Single-origin medium roast from Peru with sweet, nutty profile and bright citrus and floral notes. Lightest roast in the classic lineup. Targeted at light-roast and single-origin coffee enthusiasts.
• Swiss Water Decaf Chemical-free decaffeinated dark roast processed using the Swiss Water method, with cocoa nibs hints and smooth nutty finish. Targeted at decaf drinkers seeking chemical-free processing.
• Decaf Espresso Swiss Water decaffeinated espresso blend with rich, velvety body and dark chocolate, caramel, and light cherry finish. Targeted at decaf espresso consumers.
• Blue Heron Compostable Coffee Pods K-Cup compatible single-serve pods with 100% compostable pod and wrapper for municipal collection programs, BPI Certified Compostable. Targeted at single-serve Keurig users seeking sustainable pods.
• Decaf Compostable Coffee Pods Swiss Water decaffeinated coffee in 100% compostable K-Cup compatible pods with balanced cocoa nibs and toasty flavor. Targeted at single-serve decaf Keurig users.
• Numi Jasmine Green Tea Organic jasmine green tea from Numi, available through Salt Spring Coffee's online store as a complementary beverage. Targeted at tea-drinking consumers.
• Laid Back Subscriptions Recurring coffee subscription service offering 10% discount and free shipping on orders over $50 in Canada. Customers can pause or cancel anytime. Targeted at repeat individual coffee consumers seeking convenience.

Quantifiable outcome

• Regenerative organic certification sets the highest standard for soil health, ecosystem preservation, and farmworker fairness
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The Regenerative Organic Alliance is a nonprofit organization that provides regenerative organic certification and sets standards for producers and manufacturers. Salt Spring Coffee partners with ROA to certify their Village Trade coffee as Regenerative Organic Certified, setting the highest standard for soil health, ecosystem preservation, and farmworker fairness.
• Fair Trade CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Salt Spring Coffee became one of the first 10 companies in Canada to be certified Fair Trade by Fair Trade Canada in 1997. Since committing to fair trade, Salt Spring Coffee has contributed millions in fair trade premiums paid directly to coffee farmers.
• Byron Corrales (Nicaragua)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership with Nicaraguan farmer Byron Corrales since 2007. Worked with him to develop the Metta Espresso blend. In 2014, Mickey worked with Byron to fund and install biodigesters that compost farm materials to reduce waste and create green electricity.
• Koperasi Baitul Qiradh Baburrayyan (KBQB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSumatra single-origin coffee sourced from KBQB, a coffee-producing cooperative established in Aceh province in 1995. Salt Spring Coffee travels to Indonesia to maintain direct trade partnerships.
• Soppexcca CooperativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2011, Salt Spring Coffee donated $2,000 to the women of Soppexcca Cooperative to open a small store, making food and necessities more accessible.
• Bukonzo Joint Cooperative UnionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2015, Salt Spring Coffee donated $10,000 to Bukonzo Joint Cooperative Union to build a cupping lab so local coffee growers have the tools to continue improving coffee quality.
• Pangoa Cooperative (Peru)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2004, Salt Spring Coffee received some of the first organic, fair trade coffee beans from Pangoa Cooperative in Peru.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kicking Horse Coffee: Canadian organic and fair trade coffee roaster, founded in 1996 in British Columbia. Direct competitor to Salt Spring Coffee in the Canadian specialty/organic coffee segment; customer reviews on Salt Spring's site explicitly reference switching from Kicking Horse. Acquired by Lavazza in 2017, illustrating exit pathway for similar Canadian brands.
• Ethical Bean Coffee: Canadian fair trade and organic coffee roaster based in Vancouver, BC. Direct competitor operating in the same regional specialty coffee market with similar sustainability credentials and wholesale distribution to Canadian grocery and foodservice.
• Level Ground Trading: Canadian specialty coffee roaster focused on direct trade relationships with farmers. Operates similar fair trade, direct trade, and small-batch roasting model to Salt Spring Coffee with comparable ethical sourcing positioning.
• Just Us! Coffee Roasters: Canadian fair trade coffee cooperative based in Nova Scotia. Direct peer in the Canadian fair trade specialty coffee category with similar wholesale, retail, and subscription business model and comparable sustainability certifications.
• Bridgehead Coffee Roasters: Canadian specialty coffee roaster based in Ottawa operating fair trade organic coffee with retail cafe locations. Comparable business model spanning wholesale, retail cafe, and direct-to-consumer channels in the Canadian market.
• Reunion Coffee Roasters: Canadian specialty coffee roaster focused on fair trade and direct trade relationships. Comparable small-batch roasting operation serving Canadian wholesale and direct-to-consumer markets with similar sustainability positioning.
• Rogers' Coffee: Canadian family-owned specialty coffee roaster offering fair trade and organic coffee. Similar multi-generational family business model in the Canadian specialty coffee category with comparable wholesale and retail distribution.
• Happy Goat Coffee Co. Canadian specialty coffee roaster based in Ottawa focused on direct trade, organic, and small-batch roasting. Comparable premium positioning and direct-to-consumer/café/wholesale model targeting ethically-minded consumers.

Emerging players

• Stumptown Coffee Roasters: US specialty coffee roaster founded in Portland, OR, focused on direct trade relationships. Comparable specialty direct-trade coffee positioning and cafe/wholesale distribution model, but US-based and significantly larger scale than Salt Spring.
• Counter Culture Coffee: US specialty coffee roaster focused on direct trade, sustainability, and education. Similar sustainability-first positioning and specialty coffee distribution to wholesale and foodservice channels in North America.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SS_Coffee
• Facebookfacebook.com/saltspringcoffee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1616991

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Salt Spring Coffee