Coffee Beans

Planet Bean Coffee Roastery. 2020

Coffee beans

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Personal Collection

These are coffee beans that have been roasted at the Planet Bean Coffee Roastery in Guelph, Ontario. These represent a tradition with my mother. For the past approximately 4 years, this specific café’s coffee has represented comfort in location; this café is where I began to start enjoying coffee. My mother loved this coffee so it was something that really bonded our relationship. I keep some of these beans in a jar in my kitchen to remind me that, in this modern day, we are lucky enough to spend time in public spaces and create meaningful connections in an otherwise meaningless space. This was not always the case in history, as coffee shops and having leisure time was not something that really emerged until the late 1800s.

This was not something that was a part of my life as a child as I of course was not a coffee drinker and grew to be a part of my contemporary routine. Today, going to a café and meeting friends/family is a big part of my life, including the sense of community that comes with it. To me, drinking coffee is like a ritual every morning. Time for quiet, peace, and waking up, all in a soothing warm drink. It is interesting to consider what they represent to me in even more modern times, such as the present day in social isolation. These coffee beans mean something more sacred to me now as I am clearly not able to go and grab some coffee beans from the café or sit to meet a friend there either. They also represent more to me as I can only drink these beans at home during this global climate, not in a café. They show how I spend my mornings, and what I choose to start my day with, compared to let’s say a glass of lemon water with no personal connection/story to it. The beans become a symbol of gratitude, of my relationship with others (and my mother), and a sense of comfort as I know one day, we will not have to self-isolate away from the space these beans represent. The times we are in now give these beans more significance for these reasons. I believe by viewing these beans of mine, they can tell a story of my personal life, but also a reflection on what coffee beans and coffee shops mean to other individuals. They also make us consider the value they once had in a coffee shop, to what these beans will represent as local businesses try to thrive in this currently more virtual society.

Katie Butt