Heritage Blend

About the Coffee

Heritage Blend is Pilot's signature espresso blend and has been their cafe standard for years. The product page doesn't disclose the specific origin countries or producers behind the blend, which is common for blends that shift seasonally to maintain a consistent cup profile. What Pilot does share is that they work directly with producer partners and aim to understand what makes each harvest distinct before finalizing how the components come together.

The blend is designed to hold up across brewing methods, not just espresso. Pilot provides brew recipes for V60, espresso, and French press, each with specific ratios and rest periods: 20g at 1:15 for V60 with a 7-day rest, 20g at 1:1.9 for espresso with an 8-day rest, and 30g at 1:16 for French press with a 7-day rest. The rest period guidance is a small but useful detail, since freshly roasted coffee off-gasses CO2 and benefits from a few days before brewing.

About Pilot

Andy Wilkin and Jessie Holmes opened Te Aro Roasted in May 2009 in Toronto's Leslieville neighbourhood, inside a former car garage. Andy had grown up in Te Aro, Wellington, New Zealand, and brought that cafe culture with him. He came in as a Q Grader, a certification that involves passing 22 tests covering sensory evaluation and green coffee assessment.

By 2013, the operation had grown enough to move roasting to a larger facility at 50 Wagstaff Drive and the name became Pilot Coffee Roasters. Their sourcing approach centres on direct, ongoing relationships with producers, built over multiple harvests rather than one-off purchases.