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George Howell
Coffee Roaster
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Training and Lineage
Specialty coffee’s trade register in the United States was still being written when George Howell founded The Coffee Connection in 1974. His education at Yale University, Harvard University, and Boston University preceded a two-decade retail and sourcing practice that treated coffee as an agricultural product with quality distinctions worth naming, buying, and serving. The Coffee Connection operated until 1994 and became part of the early specialty coffee movement’s working vocabulary around selection, service, and consumer expectations. Coffee quality programs changed the way producers, buyers, and roasters spoke to one another when George Howell founded the Cup Of Excellence program in 1999. The structure gave competition and recognition a role in identifying top lots and raising standards across producing and buying markets. Since 2004, that same quality framework has continued through George Howell Coffee, where the work has centered on specialty coffee and the buying, preservation, and presentation decisions that shape the cup.
At Work Now
Single estate coffee is the operating focus at George Howell Coffee, established by George Howell in Newtonville, Massachusetts. The company is known for setting higher quality standards, with attention placed on selection, direct sourcing, packaging, and cup preparation. The craft position is clear: keep the identity of the coffee legible from sourcing through service. Green coffee preservation is part of that quality argument. George Howell is known for pioneering the freezing of raw green coffee, a method used to preserve freshness and flavor so the brewed coffee can remain closer to its origin character and quality. In trade terms, the technique treats storage as an active part of coffee quality, not a neutral interval between purchase and roasting.
Honors
Industry recognition has followed the quality systems and standards work attached to George Howell’s name. The Better Coffee World Award in 2007 recognized his contributions to improving coffee quality on a global scale. The Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996 marked earlier industry acknowledgement of his influence in specialty coffee and his long-running commitment to the craft.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of George
Where did George Howell train or study?
George Howell trained at Yale University and Harvard University.
What recognition has George Howell received?
Better Coffee World Award (2007).
