In October 2020, we launched Richmond Blend alongside the grand opening of our second cafe on Forest Hill Avenue. Opening that cafe was a sort of homecoming for Blanchard’s Coffee, as the company’s first roasting facility was just across the street consisting of a humble cafe with homemade scones and a tiny basement where we would roast and package all the coffee by hand way back in 2012. Those first few years at our original location, 5047 Forest Hill Avenue, helped us establish deep ties to the surrounding community and Richmond as a whole. It felt only natural to create a blend that honored those ties to Richmond as we returned to where we started.

Living or visiting Richmond, you are bound to come across the James River in some capacity. The Fall of the James occurs smack dab in the middle of the City of Richmond and it’s where the elevation of the land drops about 100 feet. The fall line creates world-class white water rapids among large granite almost alien-like boulders in the James River as it passes right through the middle of downtown. The James offers a plethora of things for a nature-lover to do like kayaking, rock climbing, hiking, and bird watching. Needless to say, the river is a special place for most Richmond residents, especially the outdoor enthusiast. Even if you’re not an “outdoorsy” person, you’re bound to cross the river while going across one of seven bridges or two pedestrian bridges as you bisect the city from north to south. We wanted to give an homage to this special river that makes Richmond so unique by outlining the shape of the river on our Richmond Blend label. Next time you see a bag of Richmond Blend, take a closer look at the label and see if can you point out your favorite place on the river.

We wanted Richmond Blend to be a coffee that was versatile and unique in it’s own right, just like the city we call home. Richmond Blend is smooth, and creamy, with notes of dark chocolate and toffee. It’s a real crowd-pleaser that can both satisfy the seasoned coffee connoisseur while also appealing to the more casual sipper. It tastes great in just about any brew method, from batch brewers to espresso but our favorite way to enjoy it has to be iced cold, sitting by the river on a hot summer day.