Coffee from the edge of the Kingdom

by Matthew Wilson

MONTGOMERY —Do people ever think about their cup of coffee?  Do they ever wonder where it came from, how it was grown, or how it came to be the brew you sip at the break of day?  People may not realize it but their coffee made an extraordinary journey to be in their pantry and, while it may seem like something that happens entirely far away, a business in one of the Northeast Kingdom’s gateway communities has been playing a part in the final stages of that process for years.

Down in the shadow of Jay, off on the Montgomery end of Hazen’s Notch, a selection of specialty coffees are regularly roasted before making their way to someone’s kitchen.  The process that takes the beans from Big Jay Roasting Co. out into stores and cafes rests in only a few hands, with founder Thomas Johnston spearheading operations.  After doing a bit of roasting with a friend, Mr. Johnston decided that the work was pleasing enough to do on his own.  What began in 2010 in his garage …

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