Meet your coffee team
Jonathan and Lisa Lambert are owners of Absolute Bearing Coffee. Jonathan served 20 years in the United States Navy as a nuclear mechanic and retired as a Senior Chief. Lisa is math teacher with 22 years experience in middle school and works at the brand new Groton middle school. She has a terrible view of the light house and Race rock, much better than engine room lower level on a submarine.
The name Absolute Bearing is a nautical term referencing an objects' relation to north. Either true bearing, using the geographical north, or north magnetic bearing. Submarine deployments demand a true north for days without sunlight or great coffee. This was the birth of Absolute Bearing a Specialty coffee company rising from the need for exceptional ORGANIC coffee. Driven by curiosity, empowerment, and a never ending quest for the most delicious coffee in the world.
I started roasting coffee on a popcorn popper setup in 2008. I had attended a technical factory school where the instructor roasted his own coffee. It was a great start but the coffee was so smooth and flavorful, it did not last long in the house. We moved onto a Hot top small electric drum roaster. This roasted 10 ounces at a time but was too slow for back to back roasting. Nothing like spending 4 hours the night before a 6 month deployment roasting coffee.
Where did it start
We moved to a 6 pound RK Drum converted barbecue grill. This was great for learning and honing more of the basics of coffee roasting and the first time I set fire to an entire 6 pound drum of coffee. We started sampling different bags, coffees, and all the equipment required for selling on a larger scale.
2020 was when Absolute Bearing purchased the game changing AMBEX YM-5, a 5 kg drum roaster with roasting software to gain the required consistency. We really learned so much as we increased our quality of roasts and learned through our cupping how to change the subtle notes of the coffee.
How we give back
We believe in supporting our local community by donating $1,000 to the Groton Town food bank. Our family has received so much food while the children were distance learning in the school year. We will continue to support their efforts in nourishing our community.
We have donated over 50 pounds of our coffee to deploying US navy submarines. This is what started this coffee company and developed the signature coffee blend Vulcan Death Watch. Submarine operations can get really tough and sometimes it gets very boring, trust me! A great cup of coffee can make the difference on an 8 hour watch rotation.
We sponsored a coffee fundraiser for the Fitch High school music department raising over $1,533 in a month. This money is used to offset the tremendous cost of traveling with a marching band all over the US and to Europe. This music department has produced phenomenal musicians and set the ground work for years to come in either a music career or just appreciation for the art.
Finally, we call the City of Groton Farmer's market our home. We started with them last year and they provided the framework for a cost effective platform for us to learn how to sell you only the best coffee. This is where we have made lasting relationships with customers and other vendors that continue to this day.
Coffee is always a good idea
