ABOUT US
EVERY COFFEE IS UNIQUE. Each cup begins as fruit on a small flowering tree. The farmer's approach combines with the natural ecology through elements like soil, sun, and rainfall to determine the cup’s final flavour. At Quietly, we work to showcase and celebrate these particular, individual, and unique qualities. A coffee might have the juicy bite of fresh fruit, or the big brightness of berries, or it could be deeply sweet like caramel. We work batch-to-batch, crop-to-crop, and harvest-to-harvest to celebrate the wonderful story in every cup.
OUR MISSION IS TO RE-IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES FOR A CUP OF COFFEE. Quietly started when I (Owner/Operator, Lee Knuttila) left Toronto for the Ontario countryside. The idea was simple: block out all industry trends and any competitive pressures to just focus on the coffee. I wanted to have a company that exclusively worked with amazing and talented coffee producers, so that I could highlight the unique flavours with no exceptions or compromises. This means not settling for the ordinary, or using blends, or hiding behind empty branding. As we round out five years, it is still humbling and amazing that people want to drink those same roast profiles that I both love and drink everyday.
OUR HISTORY STARTS IN THE LIBRARY. While I was completing my Doctorate at York University, I got coffee obsessed. It led to many days in the library stacks, learning both the chemistry and history of coffee. But when reading was not enough, I started working at Toronto’s Cut Coffee (which shifted to Sam James Coffee following my departure). Over half a decade at Cut, I was able to figure out my personal roasting style and establish lasting relationships with a robust producer network. Quietly is the culmination of many things but will always be about my passion, exploration, curiosity and love of a great cup.
OUR HISTORY STARTS IN THE LIBRARY. While I was completing my Doctorate at York University, I got coffee obsessed. It led to many days in the library stacks, learning both the chemistry and history of coffee. But when reading was not enough, I started working at Toronto’s Cut Coffee (which shifted to Sam James Coffee following my departure). Over half a decade at Cut, I was able to figure out my personal roasting style and establish lasting relationships with a robust producer network. Quietly is the culmination of many things but will always be about my passion, exploration, curiosity and love of a great cup.
THE QUIETLY APPROACH. We push forward the methods and techniques for roasting. Relying upon our strong ethical mandate, we support our producers and farmers through tangible and real support. We passionately seek to forever do better on the many social and political links between our producer network and your cup. At Quietly, we want to help people experience the diversity and variety of flavours inherent to fresh and seasonal coffee, which demands equitable trade, transparency and honesty.
I will always ask, 'ARE WE DOING ENOUGH?' and I will always hope to do more!
WHOLESALE & PARTNERSHIPS. Great coffee is the result of a great chain. It relies on the expertise of producers, the labour of farm workers, a mastery of fermentation, and the talented importers who ensure nothing is lost in travel. At Quietly, we do not take this work for granted. Accordingly, our core mandate is to open the window to origin by carefully and precisely roasting each-and-every batch. For us, the best way to experience coffee is at shops and cafes, so our main focus is on wholesale partnerships.
BUT, DEMAND CONTINUES TO OUTPACE OUR SIZE & SCALE. Which means, we are selective in seeking partners. We are not currently working with any offices or web platforms. However, we are always looking for new cafes or shops to be our partners in coffee! And if you want to tell the story of the cup with us, please do not hesitate to reach out:
EMAIL: HELLO@QUIETLYCOFFEE.COM