Clabber Girl’s Rex Roasting Company Teams Up with Expert in Coffee Industry
For Immediate Release
Rob Stephen, former coffee development and green bean head at Dunkin Donuts, was secured as a consultant in the development of the newly formed Rex Roasting Company. The artisan coffee roasting business located in the Clabber Girl Museum, adjacent to the Clabber Girl Culinary Classroom, is scheduled to open its doors mid-November, but the crew is taking a few days off from the construction and start-up to team up with an expert in the field.
Stephen is well respected and is accomplished as a cupper, trainer, roaster and supply chain expert in the coffee industry. He has used his extensive experience to start Coffee Solutions, a consulting company that offers a variety of services that meet the needs of coffee professionals all over the nation.
“It was really a great visit with Rob Stephen. Having Rob involved at this stage of Rex Roasting Co. was so important,” said Joe Burch, Director of Culinary Division at Clabber Girl. “My vision has always been to offer small batch artisan roasted -coffee at the highest quality possible. Rob was able to come in and make certain that no details had been missed, and offer suggestions as to grow our business with our quality in mind.”
While in town, Stephen took time to meet Rex Roasting Company’s newest addition, Roast Master Chris Weber from PT’s Coffee in Topeka, KS. During his stint as the roaster for PT’s Coffee, they were recognized as the “2008 Roasting Company of the Year” by the Specialty Coffee Association of America. The two coffee specialists collaborated on discussions about the coffee nuances, the new roasting equipment, and the great possibilities ahead of us.
The Rex brand of coffee has a rich history in Terre Haute. In 1879, Herman Hulman traveled from his local grocery wholesale business to purchase his first coffee roaster from Jabez Burns & Sons in New York, NY; which will be on display in the museum bordering the viewing window of the new roasting room.
Later that same year, when Hulman returned to Terre Haute, Rex® Coffee was born. Patented in 1905, this “Imperial blend, fit for a Monarch” was roasted and packed using the latest technology of the period; “fresh from the toasting ovens, into modern vacuum packed cans”. Rex Coffee was a household name from Chicago to Louisville, and from Cincinnati to St. Louis. Coffee Roasting, Spice Milling, and Wholesale Grocery Distribution spawned the Clabber Girl ® Baking Powder business. Today, in the Clabber Girl Museum, they have built a magnificent exhibition style roasting facility.
Rex Roasting Company has secured Stephen, a former SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America) president, as a consultant to assist in refining their skills in the art of artisan roasting. When the Rex Roasting Company opens its doors next month, it will be the only small batch artisan roaster in the area. The company will roast premium single origin and coffee blends. Rex Roasting will supply fresh roasted coffee to the region and will work at becoming the cornerstone in building the new “coffee culture” in downtown Terre Haute.
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Teresa Shaffer
Director of Public Relations and Corporate Communications
Clabber Girl Corporation . 900 Wabash Ave . Terre Haute, IN 47808
812-232-9446 (p) . TSHAFFER@CLABBERGIRL.COM . WWW.CLABBERGIRL.COM
