Alley Cat Breads & Coffee

More About Alley Cat Breads & Coffee

Alley Cat opened on June 6, 2015, under the name Alley Cat Bikes & Coffee. The business was founded by Renske Tackenberg and Ruud van Loo. Both had previously worked in healthcare before making the switch to coffee and cycling. The original concept brought together a coffee bar and facilities for cyclists. Visitors could, among other things, park their bikes indoors.

The business is located at Hoenderstraat 15–17, close to the Markt in the center of Maastricht. The official website now primarily uses the name Alley Cat Breads & Coffee. The old name still appears in public listings and in the website footer.

The combination of coffee and cycling

The location is described as a blend of a roastery, a café, and a bike shop. This current setup remains true to the concept established in 2015. The business caters not only to coffee drinkers but also to members of the local cycling community. The indoor bike storage area serves as a practical feature of the venue.

The business also presents the space as a meeting point for coffee enthusiasts and cyclists. However, no public information is available regarding current group rides, workshops, cuppings, or other scheduled events. Additionally, no recent collaborations with producers or other companies have been documented.

Coffee offerings and subscriptions

The webshop lists two fixed subscription options: the Single Origin Subscription and the Espresso Subscription. For these subscriptions, the business selects a different coffee each month. The choice depends on the season and the availability of recent harvests. As a result, there is no permanent overview of individual coffees on the public shop pages.

The espresso subscription is available in 250-gram, 500-gram, and 1-kilogram packages. This coffee is offered for use with espresso machines and moka pots. Orders are billed monthly, and shipping costs are included in the subscription. According to the subscription information, shipments are dispatched on the first Tuesday of every month.

The subscriptions are only available for addresses within the Netherlands. In addition to coffee, the webshop sells brewing equipment from AeroPress, Hario, Origami, and Comandante. The physical location also sells coffee and equipment. There is no public information regarding wholesale clients, supermarkets, or other retail outlets.

Roasting and Freshness

The website advises customers to let roasted coffee rest for approximately ten days. According to the same information, freshness begins to decline after about three weeks. A fixed roast profile, such as light, medium, or dark, is not publicly described.

Technical details about the roastery are also not published. This includes the manufacturer and model of the roaster, the capacity per batch, and the software used. Furthermore, no figures are available regarding the annual production volume.

Origin and Sustainability

Alley Cat states that the coffee originates from small, fairtrade, and organic farms. According to the website, these businesses use cultivation methods that support farmers and help preserve natural resources. However, the current countries of origin are not named.

Names of farms, cooperatives, exporters, or importers are also not publicly recorded. The same applies to purchase prices, payments to producers, contract duration, and purchased volumes. As a result, the precise structure of the supply chain cannot be verified based on the available information.

The terms fairtrade and organic are used without mention of a certification holder or certificate number. Furthermore, public data on packaging materials, reusable packaging, and waste processing is missing. There are also no published goals for energy, water usage, or emissions.

Café, team, and public mentions

The café on Hoenderstraat shares the same space as the roastery and bike shop. A current menu featuring coffee drinks, filter methods, bread, breakfast, or tastings is not publicly documented. As a result, the current food and beverage offering remains largely unknown outside of subscription information.

Renske Tackenberg and Ruud van Loo were named as founders and operators at the opening. Public profiles still link both to Alley Cat Bikes & Coffee. Their current job titles are not clearly stated. Additionally, no names have been published for a head roaster, buyer, production lead, bakery lead, or café manager.

Since the opening, the business has appeared in various local and industry-specific listings. These include publications from Maastricht University, Visit Maastricht, European Coffee Trip, and FietsActief. Documented competition results, barista titles, roasting awards, or formal product distinctions are not publicly available.

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