Peter Pesce. Photo courtesy of Reunion Coffee Roasters.
A prominent figure in specialty coffee roasting and sustainability in North America, Peter Pesce, recently received the Coffee Industry Lifetime Achievement Award from the Coffee Association of Canada (CAC).
Pesce is the founder of Reunion Coffee Roasters, one of the first B Corps in the North American coffee industry and a past Roast magazine Roaster of the Year winner.
He led one of the early players in “second wave” coffee in Canada, Bourbon Coffee, in Downsview, Ontario, before selling the business in 1988 and working with numerous Canadian roasting companies.
Pesce launched Reunion Coffee Roasters (then called Reunion Island Coffee Roasters) in 1995 with a modest 3,000-square-foot warehouse in Mississauga.
Peter Pesce. Photo courtesy of Reunion Coffee Roasters.
Under the leadership of Pesce and his son, current Reunion Coffee Roasters President Adam Pesce, the company has grown into a 46,000-square-foot roastery in Oakville, maintaining a focus on sustainability certifications, long-term relationships with coffee producers and other sustainability objectives at home and throughout the supply stream.
“[The award] is truly a reflection of the hard work, dedication and passion that was made possible by many partners, friends and individuals along the supply chain,” Pesce said in an announcement of the award from the CAC. “I am fortunate to have people who believed in, and supported, my vision to produce a high-quality coffee at an affordable price, without sacrificing on sustainability.”
Photo courtesy of Reunion Coffee Roasters.
Peter Pesce has also been highly recognized as an advocate and volunteer for the specialty coffee industry. He served three terms as chair of the CAC. The CAC announced the award at its annual convention in Markham, Ontario, on Nov. 14.
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