– Here and Martynalocal coffee roasters and tea suppliers, won the award Good Food Award for Ethiopia Guji Shakiso Natural coffee. The owners of Keia & Martyn’s at Lloyd Center Mall and Small Little Cuppa (TLC) in downtown Portland, Keia Booker and Martyn Leaper, have brought their unique brand of analog experience and quality mixed with creativity to the international stage. The award will be presented on June 28 during the Summer Fancy Food Show in Recent York.
After over 30 years of experience in the coffee and beverage industry and almost 7 years of running a tiny business, Keia & Martyn’s Coffee has won one of the most prestigious food and beverage awards in the country. The Good Food Awards had over 1,100 entries from across the country, including James Beard from the packaged food and beverage industry, and their coffee stood out from the crowd. The Good Food Foundation hosts panels of industry experts, chefs, buyers and critics of samples tasting without any information about producers, farmers or the origin of the products. After judging based solely on taste, they then check each top-rated product for sustainability practices. After rising to the top in terms of taste, Keia & Martyn’s Coffee emerged victorious with its equity and sustainability standards, bringing coffee victory home to the Rose City.
Keia and Martyn are a couple who started in coffee and are committed not only to each other, but also to their customers, the environment and the community. Keia Booker became one of the first and only black woman roasteries in the Pacific Northwest. In five tiny years, she learned how to bake from her husband, while also absorbing the knowledge of working on four different types of roasters. They intend to continue producing award-winning coffee, but are expanding into a Street Chai line, Magic Dust instant coffees, tea blends, novel beverage options, and even a food line.
With the honor of Good Food and the wind at their backs, they plan their next adventure; are moving their café and production facility from Lloyd Center Mall (after its official closing on August 8) to novel digs where they can not only share novel food and beverages they produce in-house, but also support other local brands and farmers, BIPOC, women and/or queer people. You can purchase their products on their website, at Lloyd Center Mall, at their downtown 5th Avenue location called Small Little Cuppa or TLC, Peoples’ Coop, Market of Choice, and at the many fairs and street fairs they host throughout the year.
They believe that everyone deserves kindness, and apparently the Good Food Awards agree with the kindness they put in every cup.
“Everyone deserves good things, that’s why we create products and spaces that are carefully selected for everyone who values quality over the appearance of pleasure,” states Keia Booker, co-owner and roaster.
Support this local Black-owned business by joining their subscription club, signing up for their newsletter, and following them on Instagram (@keia_and_martyns_coffee) or by visiting their Lloyd Center and downtown Portland locations.
About coffee Kei and Martyna
Keia & Martyn’s is a values-focused roaster and beverage company with over 30 years of experience in the Portland beverage and foodservice industry. They put their values and creativity into everything they do, whether it’s a practical, effort-based approach to branding, building a café, or creating novel products or ways to collaborate with other local suppliers.
