ABOUT US
Forebears Coffee Roasting is a one-woman micro-roasting operation based in the San Gabriel Valley of California. I roast single-origin specialty coffees from all over the world. Each small-batch is thoughtfully sourced, hand-roasted with care, and meant to be approachable for the everyday drinker.
Roasting, Sourcing, & Storytelling
My roasting philosophy is simple: fresh is best. I roast every single bag fresh to order. Every order you place is roasted specifically for you and with you in mind. If you’re buying fresh and grinding fresh, your coffee’s bound to be delicious.
My sourcing philosophy is guided by people. I believe thoughtfully sourced coffee (coffee that’s sourced with attention to supply chain sustainability, ethics, and equity) can lead to improved business outcomes and greater financial incentives to the most underserved agents in the supply chain: from farmers and growers to harvesters and processors. By prioritizing people in the sourcing process, the roaster, and roasters combined as a body of change agents, have the ability to make the journey from crop to cup more fair and equitable for all.
At Forebears, every cup tells a story. I pay homage to the coffee producers worldwide who build their lives around the pursuit of growing, cultivating, and processing delicious coffee. With every roast, I elevate the stories of the hardworking women, multi-generational families, and smallholder cooperatives that produce our coffee.
ABOUT THE ROASTER
Hello! My name is Steph and I’m a first generation Chinese American born and raised in LA with proud roots in Taiwan. By day, I work in Operations in the music industry, and by night, I work on all things coffee. My family came to the U.S. to chase the American dream, and I come from a long line of entrepreneurs who I hope to pay homage to through Forebears.
As a queer woman of color, I know what it feels to grow up in a world where stories weren’t written about me or for me or for my community. I’m here to take up space in specialty coffee, an industry that has historically been unwelcoming of outsiders like myself. I don’t bring a beard or long list of barista accolades to the job, but I bring a whole lot of care and a strong belief that the BEST coffee tastes good and does good.
I want to help make specialty coffee more approachable for the everyday drinker. I’m not roasting specialty coffee for snoots or coffee nerds, I’m roasting it for everyday drinkers who appreciate the joy and simplicity of a hot cup of coffee, whether it’s served black or with pumpkin spice creamer. I promise to roast you something delicious, and how you enjoy your coffee after that is completely up to you.
Finally, I hope to use my platform as a roaster to elevate the stories of all of the hardworking folks who produce our coffee. I aim to inspire conversations about how we can all make a better morning cup for ourselves, for those who came before, and those who come after.
I can’t wait to roast for you!