2024, what a year!

Warning :

This text is written by an intelligence far from being artificial, full of limits but filled with sincerity and passion. Since my colleague Diego is going on vacation and we will be a reduced team for the rest of the year, I am writing this message to you now. Rest assured, operations will continue during the holiday season.

I still prefer writing to talk to you, despite the craze for social networks and their 10-second videos. I remain a romantic, a supporter of slowness.

So here we are at the dawn of 2025. The time to take stock is approaching, but I choose to remain in denial for a few more days, avoiding for the moment to let myself be overcome by vertigo. I hardly dare to look back, because I measure all the work accomplished. A quick glance at 2024 is enough for now. When the clock marks the passage to 2025, we will begin the 20th year of this adventure. This means a lot to me, my family, the village and, I believe, to many of you. I will stop here, because I am already overcome with emotion. Let's push all this aside (as we should, right?) and talk about this 20th year a little later.

2024 was a year of unique challenges.

Unlike the previous ones, there were no big projects waiting for us: no construction, no acquisition of equipment. We have reached a point where we have the best tools in the world and the means to buy the coffees and cocoas that I want. What an incredible playground!

But the main challenge this year was human. With all the changes that had been initiated, my companions were sometimes dizzy. If, at the helm, I knew where I was leading the crew, some were a little lost in the daily grind of tasks. We took the time to talk, to remind ourselves why we are here, why we get up every morning to find ourselves in the same place and give the best of ourselves. It's magic, isn't it? Of course, there's the salary, the bills to pay, some of the young children. I need a salary too. But beyond that: why are we here?

We revisited this reason together.

And without sinking into the often slimy or hypocritical concepts of corporate visions, here is why around thirty people gather almost every morning in a charming village in the Gaspé:

Creating moments of happiness and human connection through the discovery of exceptional products from the earth, transformed with passion and respect for the environment and communities.

This is our mission! And how do we achieve it?

Simply, by making coffee and chocolate, for you. We stimulate your senses by seeking to create a positive impact in your lives, in those of the producers, and by protecting our planet.

This year, we have tuned our instruments to play a symphony that resonates with you. I could list our accomplished projects, but the bottom line is this: more than ever, we are here to create meaning and happiness. This is embodied in an infinite number of micro-decisions made every day.

And I'm proud of it. It's what's motivated me to come to work since 2005. That's the emotion that comes back. 20 years already? Half my life... or almost.

I invite you to follow us in 2025. We will continue to offer you exceptional coffees and memorable chocolates, to make each shared moment a unique experience.

And you, what would you like to see in our coffees or chocolates in 2025? Your ideas always inspire me.

Dany Marquis