Way up north in Canada’s Yukon Territory, where winter temperatures plunge cold enough to turn your hot latte into an iced latte (whether you like it or not), it only makes sense that you can find great coffee roasters helping to warm the hearts–and hands–of loyal customers.
In the capital city of Whitehorse, you can find none other than Bean North Roasting Co. who are creating a well-caffeinated community by roasting great specialty coffee, all within the walls of one of the most incredible cafes you’ll ever visit.
After some close friends spent some time in Whitehorse this summer and shared with me how amazing Bean North is, I reached out to learn more about them, and once I heard their story I knew that I had to share it on this blog. So I am thrilled to share the story of Bean North as our Coffee Roaster of the Month for October!
So great to get the chance to connect with you Christine! Help our audience get to know you a bit better… What’s your personal backstory in coffee? How did you get started? What keeps you going in coffee?
Thanks so much for the warm welcome! I’m Christine—owner at Bean North and someone who never imagined she’d be running a coffee roasting company in the Yukon…until I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
I came into coffee through a passion for community, sustainability, and connection. Bean North was already roasting ethically-sourced coffee in Whitehorse when I joined the team, and what really hooked me was the heart behind the business. We weren’t just selling coffee—we were building long-standing relationships with producers, creating space for locals and travellers to connect, and serving up warmth in more ways than one (much needed in the Yukon winters, believe me!).
What keeps me going is simple: the people. From our incredible staff to our fiercely loyal customers, and the producers we partner with in Latin America, Africa, and beyond—this work keeps me grounded, grateful, and energized (even before that first sip of espresso).
Before we go much further, share with our readers what you’re drinking/enjoying these days when it comes to coffee!
Oof, tough question. It’s like choosing a favourite child—except this child was grown at high elevation and tastes like ripe stone fruit.
Right now I’m loving our Colombian Light Roast—bright, clean, and perfect for morning pour-overs. I’m also sneaking a lot of our Five Fingers Blend into my afternoons. It’s a smooth, approachable roast that’s named after a local Yukon landmark. It keeps me caffeinated without making me jittery in meetings.
So, home for you is Whitehorse, Yukon. It’s likely that not many of our readers have much knowledge of the coffee culture in the Canadian Territories, so, share with our readers what you love about the specialty coffee culture in Whitehorse/Canadian Territories.
It might surprise people, but Whitehorse has an incredibly vibrant specialty coffee culture—probably because you really need a great cup of coffee when it’s -35°C and still dark at 9am.
What I love most is how supportive the community is. People here are thoughtful about where their coffee comes from. They care about ethical sourcing, sustainability, and quality. There’s a real appreciation for the story behind the cup—how it was grown, roasted, and brewed.
Plus, we get the most interesting mix of locals, artists, government folks, adventurers, and international visitors. It’s not uncommon to see someone come in off the trail in full gear to warm up with a double-shot and a house-made scone.
I hear that there are some exiting things going on for you as a company. I see you just finished a successful re-brand on your packaging. Can you tell us a bit more about that process and your thoughts on the final product!
Thank you! We just wrapped up a full packaging rebrand that we’re super proud of. It was a labour of love—equal parts design, storytelling, and logistics (with maybe a few too many late-night debates about font sizes).
We wanted to better reflect who we are now, nearly 30 years into this journey: committed to ethical sourcing, grounded in the North, and passionate about quality coffee. The new bags feature local imagery, updated branding, and are much more shelf-stable for our growing wholesale business.
We also made a switch to Biotre bags—which are made from renewable wood pulp and plant-based films. They’re compostable in many municipal systems (depending on where you live), and they’re a meaningful step toward reducing our environmental footprint. Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword for us—it’s something we’ve always taken seriously. The best part? Seeing the bags out in the world. Whether it’s on a café shelf in downtown Whitehorse or tucked into someone’s backpack on a backcountry trip, it’s rewarding to see how our coffee—and now our packaging—tells a story.
I want to turn this question over to Bruce (Head Roaster). How did someone like yourself get into roasting coffee, and to be doing it with Bean North for over 25 years. What keeps you going in this industry? What do you love?
Bruce here! I’ve loved coffee since I was young—it just made sense as someone who’s always been particular about good food and drink. Back when I was managing another business, we set up a coffee bar and started sourcing beans. That’s when I discovered Bean North. Once I saw what the company stood for—fair trade, sustainability, and quality—there was no question that we’d use their coffee.
I got to know the original owners, started coming out to the café for cuppings, and found myself more and more interested in the craft. When the business I managed was sold, Bean North asked if I wanted to come on board. I said yes—and never looked back.
I’ve since had the chance to travel to origin and meet the farmers growing the very beans I roast here in the Yukon. That’s the part I love. Bean North is really just the tip of the iceberg—what we do here connects directly to people and communities around the world. That connection is what’s kept me going all these years.
Plus, I still get excited every time we get a new lot of green coffee in—dialling in roast profiles, tasting, tweaking, and doing my best to honour the work that’s gone into those beans.
And honestly? It’s been 25 years and I still haven’t left—partly because I’m passionate about the work… and partly because it’s a really short commute from my house.
Friends of mine recently returned from Whitehorse and said your “café in the woods” was one of their favourite—if not all-time favourite coffee shops they have ever visited. The atmosphere, the staff, and the whole vibe was just incredible. Can you share with our readers if they find themselves up in Whitehorse what they can expect when they visit.
Magic, mostly.
Our café is tucked into the forest just outside Whitehorse, and stepping into it kind of feels like entering a secret cabin for coffee lovers. You’ll be greeted by the smell of freshly ground beans and genuinely kind people behind the bar who are always up for a chat.
We’ve got big windows, reclaimed wood furniture, and a 3 season patio where you might spot a fox or a squirrel if you’re lucky. People come for the atmosphere, stay for the scones, and come back for the coffee.
So Bean North has been around since 1997 (that’s almost 30 years). That is quite the accomplishment. What are you seeing now in the specialty coffee community that excites you for the next 30+ years of business? Or where would you like to see specialty coffee head in the future and how are you helping to take it there?
Honestly? The increasing focus on transparency and sustainability. When Bean North started, Fair Trade and organic certifications were still gaining traction. Now, consumers are asking deeper questions: “Who grew this?” “Were they paid fairly?” “How does this coffee impact the environment?”
We love that. And we’re here for it.
For the next 30 years, we hope to keep pushing the envelope—whether that means shorter supply chains, deeper producer relationships, compostable packaging, or more community-driven events. Specialty coffee should keep getting more inclusive, more sustainable, and more delicious. We plan to help lead the way.
Thanks so much for sharing your story! Here’s your chance to say anything else you want to. Go for it. Is there anything else our readers need to know?
Just that we’re so grateful. To our community here in the North, our producer partners across the globe, and coffee lovers near and far—thank you for supporting small, ethical roasters like us.
If you ever find yourself in the Yukon, come by for a visit. And if not, we ship across Canada. (Shameless plug? Maybe. But you’ll thank us later.)
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Contact Info:
web: www.beannorth.com
instagram: @beannorthcoffee
email: info@beannorth.com
Find their beans: If you’re looking to get your hands on some beans then definitely check out their web-store for what they’re currently roasting.
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I just wanted to say a huge thanks again to Christine at Bean North for being a huge contributor to not only the specialty coffee community in Whitehorse, but also across Yukon & Canada! Be sure to check out the Bean North website, and grab some coffee.
-Tyler
commonly coffee 