In 1994 Colin Newell created the CoffeeCrew website to serve coffee, espresso and food enthusiasts everywhere. What began as a small collection of cafe reviews and simple tutorials has grown to include resources for home, office and professional users of all types of coffee and espresso equipment. Our international contacts includes coffee farmers, green coffee brokers, roasters, and equipment suppliers.
Photo at right: Colin Newell created the coffeecrew.com website (as the Coffee Experts Group) in 1995 - original domains included coffee.bc.ca (or current blog) and espresso.ts.uvic.ca (its original birthplace) - His introduction to coffee came at the tender age of 16 when he received a gift pack from Murchies - He has been wired ever since.
The CoffeeCrew team has been bringing coffee people together for over a decade now!
Colin's credentials as coffee expert: Tasting, blending, home-roasting and doing cafe critiques since the late seventies. Colin worked in a cafe, as a student, in 1974! He received his first bag of gourmet tea from Murchies Victoria in 1973 at the delicate age of 12 and his first bags of coffee in 1975. Colin is the primary media contact available for newspaper, radio and television interviews. If you are an editor that needs an informed and articulate voice of specialty coffee, we provide these services freely.
If you are thinking about improving your home or coffee experience, sourcing better coffee, improving your coffee equipment, or finding some better beans, you have come to the right place. Know one thing: If you don't love coffee or espresso based beverages as much as we do, then put away your coffee pot. You are in the wrong game!
We get E-Mail and lots of it. In ten years we have reached out to 3 or 4 million readers. In an average week we get 7 to 10 thousand unique visitors. There was a time that we would average 25 to 50 e-mail a day but as the site has grown and become more complete and easy to navigate, the amount of mail has dropped a bit. That said, we welcome your e-mail and promise a 24 hour turnaround on everything we receive.
The CoffeeCrew team has had some interesting assignments in the last decade. We are available for newspaper, radio and TV interviews on very short notice if you are looking for a well-mannered authority on cafe culture, trends in coffee as well as best practices for the perfect cup. Radio credits include the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) - TV appearances on WTN's "The Shopping Bags", a consumer affairs show syndicated worldwide. Newspaper credits include Canada's Globe and Mail, the National Post as well as many American daily's. Other television credits include a writing assignment for CSI Las Vegas, Season Three, Episode "Last Laugh".
Count on the entertaining coffee experts at the CoffeeCrew to fill out your written, broadcast or televised feature. We are located in Victoria, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Los Angeles California.
One does not become a coffee expert overnight - one also learns many things from many people. Some of whom include: David and Elaina Sinclair, Mark and Valerie Engels, Pat and Geir Oglend, Reg James, Reg Barber, Roger and Florian at QCS Burnaby, Vince and Sammy Piccolo at Cafe Artigiano, Ryan and Christie Taylor of Cafe Fantastico as well as a wealth of others. Sorry if I have left anyone out.
