About
We have been privileged to live in several locations across this beautiful country. While living in the Pacific Northwest we learned to enjoy high-quality craft coffee, beer and wine. This is also where we raised our two children and developed a deeper appreciation and enjoyment of the outdoors. Camping, hiking, fishing, crabbing, snowshoeing, hunting - we did as much as we could! Viewing the clear night sky while camped high in the North Cascades, or watching the sunrise behind snow-capped mountains while boating on Puget Sound is something that stays with you for life.
In 2012 we moved to Concord, NC and after learning to roast our own coffee at home, decided to open a small-batch coffee roastery in 2020. Cairn Coffee Roasters was formed with branding centered around our love for the outdoors. When selecting coffees to roast we look for tastes and aromas that remind us of being outside and enjoying all that our land has to offer. There are many outdoor opportunities in North Carolina and the surrounding states. We have thoroughly enjoyed exploring the numerous state parks, the Great Smoky Mountains and the inter-urban trails in the Piedmont region. Some of the best trout fishing in the country is found in North Carolina, and Blaine is doing his best to find time to get out and enjoy it.
Cairn Coffee Roasters sources high-grade beans through importers who are fair and responsible when purchasing from farmers. We are certified through Fair Trade USA and believe in business practices that benefit all communities involved in the process. When you purchase one of our roasts you can be assured of a flavorful cup of coffee, that the farm and community that produced it benefited, and a portion of the sale will go toward supporting trail and conservation organizations.
Conservation organizations we support include:
What is a cairn?
Merriam-Webster defines cairn as “a heap of stones piled up as a memorial or as a landmark.” It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic “carn” with the same meaning. These markers have occurred throughout history and around the world in various forms and names. For example, the Indigenous peoples of the arctic north called them inuksuk and there is one on the flag of the Canadian territory Nunavut. You can read more about cairns through this Wikipedia article.
Why did we choose this as our company name? Well, we really enjoy the outdoors and have hiked or spent time in a variety of locations throughout the United States. These markers appeared in various sizes along trails, memorably in the Pacific Northwest. Sometimes they are purposeful and mark the way ahead on a trail. Sometimes they are just the result of people creating photo opportunities. We liked the name because of its connection to hiking and the outdoors, and because it’s somewhat unique and (we hope) memorable. We want to create a landmark for quality coffee in Concord, NC that can be accessed and enjoyed by everyone.
While cairns are interesting and stand out as an obvious manmade structure in an otherwise uninhabited area, we don’t encourage the random construction of cairns along trails and streams in parks or the wilderness. Keep it as natural as you can and leave no trace.