White Horse
Coffee & Tea Company
About Us
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Thanks for visiting our
website. White Horse Coffee & Tea is a family owned and operated business. The
name "White Horse" was inspired by a painting done by Kristin, originally
commissioned by a Napa Valley winery for use as its label. Lucky for us, the winery
changed its mind, and we get to use it.
Like many small roasting
companies, our character is innately unique. We roast in small batches with great care.
The art and finesse of the roast, however, lies in the intuitive nature of the
roastmaster. There is definitely a science to roasting coffee, but there is also a
"feel" to it - a personal touch - the artistic aspect.
Kristin
Lusk has been working in fine art for over forty years. Her oil paintings are owned by
collectors across the United States. Oil on canvass is her first love in art, but she
has also explored several other mediums, including woodcarving, ceramics, and cement
sculpture. Food is another medium in which she creates. Working for several years at an
upscale bed & breakfast in Healdsberg, California as the head cook, Kristin received
acclaim from many a customer, including a nice review by the San Francisco
Examiner. I have been fortunate in recruiting her to another art form - roasting
premium coffee. Kristin shares my passion for coffee. She is in her creative element when
she works the roaster. Carefully watching over her coffee, she shows great pride as she
finishes her roasts.
Leo Lusk
has been working with Kristin for over twenty years. He fell in love with her art and with
her. As a married team, they have toured the United States presenting Kristin's paintings
at numerous art shows and galleries. Leo watches over the roaster, too. He keeps it
running smoothly and efficiently to maintain the quality of the roast. Leo has been
instrumental in the promotion of Kristin's art and White Horse Coffee and Tea.
Teas are usually processed and hand-crafted
where they are grown. We spend a great deal of time searching for the finest teas to
offer you. We personally test hundreds of different teas. The quality of the tea we have
found is outstanding. Leticia Gonzalez-MacDonald is our tea buyer. She has spent
countless hours researching teas. But she never tires. She is always striving to
learn more about tea, its preparation, presentation, and the enrichment it brings to those
who covet it.
My brother, Dan MacDonald, introduced me to
specialty roasted coffee as a teenager in the San Francisco Bay Area. The experience
was enlightening. The flavor and aroma of hand-crafted coffee was like nothing I had
ever tasted. There was no going back to the mass produced canned grounds. As a
result, I became obsessed with roasting my own coffee. After years of research, dreaming,
planning, and saving, it all came together as White Horse Coffee & Tea. As a family,
Kristin, Leo, Leticia, and I hope to share our art form with you and others. I am blessed
to be surrounded by such talent.
Our roasting facility is located in
Sutherlin, Oregon, close to the Umpqua River. Sutherlin has a temperate climate that
is great for roasting coffee. Adjacent to the roastery, we also have an art gallery
featuring the art of our roastmaster, Kristin. Please come by and visit us.
We hope that our coffee and tea becomes
your favorite.
