SCARLET CITY ROASTING
Jen St.Hilaire, Owner & Roastmaster
Jen St. Hilaire grew up in
Bellingham, Washington - the City of Subdued Excitement. She was nurtured through her formative years on a well-rounded diet of
Commodore 64,
Atari 2600,
Centipede,
"voodoo economics", Barter's Drive-In,
ABBA,
Xanadu, and
Shaun Cassidy. Jen signed on at Seattle's
Espresso Vivace in 1995, upon realizing she'd been mistaken regarding the fundamentally bitter nature of coffee. She pursued roasting perfection there as head roaster and wholesale manager until she retired in 1999, relocating to the Bay Area to expand her opportunities as a
rock musician. Shortly after, Jen consulted with longtime Vivace customer, Andrew Barnett, to help start his roasting company, Ecco Caffe in Santa Rosa. Jen shared her roasting expertise with Ecco until 2005, when she began to turn her attention to her own entrepreneurial aspirations. Today, Scarlet City is the manifestation of more than 15 years of experience in the specialty coffee industry and a passion for both a complex, sweet cup of coffee and a more equitable, sustainable future.
PRESS
The Awl: Quit Your Job! Jen St. Hilaire of Scarlet City Coffee Roasting
March 31, 2011
We talked to our favorite coffee roaster, Jen St. Hilaire, of Scarlet City Coffee Roasting, who is based in California's East Bay and makes our favorite coffee ever, about how and why she's doing it.
The Awl: Why is your coffee so insanely delicious? I swear, this is the best coffee I've ever had in my entire life. Like I want to drink it all day and night.
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Man Seeking Coffee: coffee@home: Scarlet City Coffees
July 18, 2010
I first encountered Scarlet City Coffee Roasters in what amounted to something of a pop-up appearance for Blackbird Cafe when they set up shop for all of two weekends at the Grand Lake Farmer's Market. After I tasted their espresso there I found myself in touch with Jen St. Hilaire, owner of Scarlet City and whose past includes work with both Vivace and Ecco Caffe.
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The Awl: Here's Why You Need These Seven Odd Kitchen Ingredients
March 22, 2011
Scarlet City's Doubleplusgood Blend. I have literally never had a better cup of coffee. No joke.
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