Steve Polignano and his coffee beans

There aren‘t many areas where the rich aroma of freshly-roasted coffee permeates the early morning air. But in Kimberton, Steve and Mary Polignano are able to provide that for the neighbors of their business - the Kimberton Coffee Roasting Co.

Kimberton Coffee is not your typical large-scale company.

Its rustic roasting facility is located 20 feet from the back door of the Polignanos‘ house, and is a cottage industry in every sense of the word.

Steve Polignano worked for AstraZeneca pharmaceutical company until 2004, when he left "in pursuit of a dream." His dream - to be a roastmaster and owner of a small coffee company.

A part of the property just outside the back door of the family home, which was once home to the Polignano children‘s swing set and sandbox, became a concrete pad, then a wooden structure.

Polignano then set off across the country to learn to become a roastmaster.

"I spent four days in Idaho burning coffee beans, learning to roast," he said. "It‘s not rocket science."

When he returned, the Polignanos opened for business.

They began roasting and packaging their coffees locally, using local business Independent Signs, located on Bridge Street in Phoenixville, to create the colorful and familiar brand name labels for their product.

Since the businesses opened, Kimberton Coffee Roasting Co.‘s signature silver bags with black and olive-green labels have become a fixture in local businesses and restaurants.

Because Kimberton Coffee is local, Steve Polignano is able to make his coffee bean deliveries to grocery stores, shops and restaurants in person every few days, giving him the opportunity to get feedback first hand.

The furthest businesses that sell Kimberton Coffee are a health foods store in Wyomissing, a Giant grocery store in Exton and the Whole Foods Market in Philadelphia, which means freshly-roasted coffees are delivered the day after being roasted.

The roasting process itself is short.

Kimberton Coffee uses Arabica beans, which arrive at the roasting facility in 150-pound burlap sacks, piled nine high on a pallet. Once he gets the bags inside the building, Polignano separates organic from non-organic beans and stores them in separate areas.

When roasting is ready to begin, the raw coffee beans, which are light green in color, are placed into a mid-sized Diedrich roaster - the Cadillac of coffee roasters, said Polignano - 15 pounds at a time.

The roasting itself takes between 12 and 20 minutes, depending on the type of roast.

Medium-bodied coffees like Colombian Supremo are roasted to a chocolate-brown color. Bold, full-bodied coffees like Sumatra are roasted to a dark brown color. And the darker the roast, the greasier the bean appears to be.

One of the unique highlights of Kimberton Coffee is the company‘s blending abilities.

The Polignanos have created their own signature blends of coffee, like its best seller called African Mistress, a blend of African beans that has the deep character of a French Roast with a crisp, clean finish.

"I really think the name makes it the best seller," Polignano said. "Consumers like romance, a little story, mystique."

It is old memories that drive people to buy Kimberton Coffee blends, he said. Which could explain why another hot seller is Chester Springs Blend - a medium-bodied coffee that is, according to its description, "just perfect for your ride down Route 113" -- or Kimberton Rhoades, which is actually named for Rhoades Street on Phoenixville‘s North Side.

"We do little things to catch people‘s eye," said Mary Polignano. But the most recognizable blends of coffee aren‘t named for borough streets or state roads, but for local businesses like Majolica, Artisans‘ Café and Cheese!

Because they are small and local, the Polignanos provide a service that larger companies cannot compete with -- the option for local businesses to create their own signature blend of coffee.

Sarah Johnson and Andrew Deery, owners of Majolica restaurant on Bridge Street in Phoenixville, took home more than a dozen varieties of coffee beans and took their time sampling and blending them in their own kitchen to create the blend perfect for them, the blend that bears their restaurant‘s name.

"It‘s their creation using our beans," said Steve Polignano. Like the restaurant itself, Majolica coffee has gotten a lot of notice in Philadelphia, where it was featured as February‘s Coffee of the Month at the Whole Foods Market located near the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Michael Ramondo, owner of Cheese!, also selected his own blend of coffee, as did the owners of Artisans‘ Gallery and Café, and the newly-opened Café Fortuna in Oaks - all food-related businesses that cater to discerning palates.

While some business owners had a taste in mind when they create their blends, others approach Kimberton Coffee for assistance.

"Some people know exactly what they want, who their target audience is going to be," said Mary Polignano.

Guy Clausson, owner of the Black Lab Bistro on Bridge Street, was one of the customers who knew what he wanted.

"We spent a long time with the Black Lab to come up with a taste profile," said Mary Polignano. "The owner knew what he wanted, something dark, so we created a blend."

There is no charge to businesses who are interested in creating their own blend.

"We do it in hopes of gaining their business," said Steve Polignano.