Yamabiko Coffee

A new spot has opened up which caters to caffeine lovers. Meet Nahoko Nakada and Chris Shinn, the masterminds behind Yamabiko Café, located in the downtown core of Sutton.

The exuberant pair have lots to offer. Having met in Australia, they both discovered a passion for coffee. Nahoko, who is Japanese but was learning English abroad, became intrigued by latté art in local cafés. “I was impressed by the flavour, but also by the look of coffee,” said Nahoko. As for Chris, who originally hails from Ontario, he quickly became immersed in the coffee culture of Australia which differs quite radically from Canada’s. “In Australia, coffee is served in smaller sizes, and many people drink espresso,” he explained.

From Sutton’s Saturday Market to Round Top Bagels

In early 2020, the duo moved to Sutton, a village they came to love ever since Chris’ brother moved here. Nahoko and Chris arrived in Sutton literally days before COVID-19 hit. Undaunted, they set up their Yamabiko Coffee stand at Sutton’s Saturday Market. Today, their shop is set up at Round Top Bagels where they serve espresso-based drinks and coffee beans, whole or ground.

Third wave Coffee

“We sell third wave coffee,” says Chris. “The coffee is selected based on flavour profiles and cupping scores, sourced directly from farmers, and roasted to highlight the unique flavour profiles in each bean. This is achieved by roasting coffee using software to track the exact recipe that yields the best flavour. That being said, we think that specialty coffee is for everyone. We don’t take ourselves seriously, but we do take coffee seriously.”

A mix of Japan and Sutton for the marketing

Their Yamabiko Coffee website and packages, which were created by Nahoko’s Japanese friend, are creative with colourful characters and crafty coffee names. “I wanted to do something fun and bring a bit of my Japanese culture to Sutton,” said Nahoko. If you are wondering what “Yamabiko” means, in brief, the word refers to the echo effect in the mountains. In Japanese folklore the echo is meant to be the spirit of the mountain responding to you. As such, the word itself pays tribute to the magnificent mountains of Sutton, a place Nahoko and Chris now call home. For more information, visit yamabikocoffeeroasters.com.