our story
Our name is derived from "the Palio", a centuries-old horse race run through the streets of Siena, Italy. Remarkably, today it is still raced by jockeys riding horses bareback in colorful medieval attire. The enduring ability of the citizens of Siena to maintain these historical traditions inspired us to name our company after their great old race. Because we are equally adamant to preserve the ageless artisan coffee roasting traditions handed down from master to apprentice.
There are certainly faster, more efficient ways to roast coffee beans. But we believe no other method results in the fine aroma and rich flavors as hand roasting coffee in small batches in the traditional method of artisan roasters.
Palio Roasting Company was founded by Tom Carhart after having worked at Espresso Roma Corporation where he met Alfred Peet of Peet's Coffee. The lessons Tom learned from Alfred have had a lasting impact on how Palio treats its coffee.
We start with some of the most expensive, highest quality, green beans we can source from the shade grown coffee regions of Central America and East Africa. Next we use our 30+ years of expertise in the arcane art of blending, roasting and tasting to produce our signature deep, dark roast that delivers that handcrafted smooth taste to your cup.
Our coffee roaster has been practicing his art for over 30 years. He hand inspects every batch of ethically sourced green beans, blending them together in a small batch then carefully roasting them in a cast iron roaster. While roasting, he constantly monitors them from the first crack till they are perfectly finished to the desired roast profile. The beans are then air cooled and packaged and delivered fresh to our customers.
Our Vision
Coffee is the second largest traded commodity in the world; right after oil. Every aspect of the business of coffee, from supporting small farmers committed to shade grown methods of growing sustainable coffee, to using its purchasing power, can be a significant change agent. Social enterprises are mission driven organizations which apply market-based strategies to achieve a public good. A social entrepreneur is someone who recognizes a problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to create a venture to drive change.
At Palio Roasting Company, we make it possible to fund significant investments to support social causes where our community and customers are the champions.