Several years ago, I purchased my home in a wooded area and just shortly after moving in I smelled some awesome coffee aromas coming from the woods, but I just knew that it wasn’t coming from a regular household coffee maker. Later I learned that my neighbors Shane Kilpatrick and Jane Irwin were coffee roasters.
Earlier this year I noticed that I could no longer smell it and thought they stopped roasting due to the pandemic. Boy, was I wrong as in January 2022, Hill Road Coffee Roasters opened a brick-and-mortar location in Mohnton, PA. I also must say that I love that they named their business after our street Hill Road. They now roast in their new establishment and customers can actually enjoy a hand-crafted cup of coffee while picking up a bag of beans. As you can see this is not just any coffee shop it’s a roastery and brew bar where you can watch your personal cup of joe being made right in front of you.
It’s also the perfect time of year to feature my neighbor’s business as it’s that time of year that people are looking to warm up and also to do some holiday shopping. But allow yourself some extra time when you first visit them as you are going to love learning different coffee facts. For example, the coffee is roasted right before the bags hit the market tables. And that all coffee bags have a “roasted on” date stamped on the bag, so the customer knows for sure they are buying a fresh bag of coffee. It’s a perfect holiday gift for family and friends, and they will be impressed to know their coffees come from Guatemala, Ethiopia, Honduras, Colombia, Brazil & Costa Rica.
So, stop by and personally meet the roasters and you will see their passion for the story of coffee, and you may also experience the coffee from the farmer to your cup. The distributor is working directly with the farmers to produce higher-quality coffee. This gives the farmers the opportunity to be paid higher premiums.
I congratulate them both but sadly for me I miss that smell in the neighborhood. Please make sure to follow them and support them. It’s a place where you can enjoy a cup of coffee, have coffee talks, pick up a bag of beans and get brewing tips.
Rosa J. Parra
Palo Magazine
