Ellington's Music & Cafe

Preparing coffee is a morning ritual for every barista, but Winston Ho-Sang, the owner of Ellington’s, takes the process one step further. Every morning, he roasts his own beans out back behind the café.

Winston has four small roasters that he uses to make two or three batches of coffee at a time. “It’s always better to roast in small batches, so for special orders, I wait. I don’t usually roast ahead. It’s never a problem for me to get it ready” says Winston. The batches last no longer than a day, and Winston often has to run out back mid-afternoon to keep up with the demand.

When asked why he chooses to take on the extra labour, Winston responds: “It’s so hard to get fresh roasted coffee. I’d like to think more coffee shops would want to explore this kind of set up because it gives you longevity. That’s why I’ve been here [since 2004]. For something that is so good, why not make it better, and it just takes that one extra step.”