Brandstof Koffie

More About Brandstof Koffie

Brandstof Koffie is a boutique coffee roastery hailing from Goeree-Overflakkee. The company was founded by brothers Jan Meijerink and Joost Meijerink, both of whom grew up on the island. Their public profile emphasizes local roots, small-scale production, and traceable coffee. The roastery focuses on freshly roasted beans, with fair trade and sustainable practices serving as their core principles.

Founding and development

The launch of Brandstof Koffie first appeared in local news on January 1, 2019. Shortly before that, in November 2018, Jan and Joost Meijerink purchased a small coffee roaster via Marktplaats. The first roasting trials took place in Joost’s shed in Sommelsdijk, starting with a single 70kg bag of Costa Rica beans.

The founders didn’t originally come from the coffee industry; Joost Meijerink was a graphic designer and Jan Meijerink a teacher. The brothers envisioned a local roastery with short, transparent lines back to the coffee’s origin. Following their launch, the business went through several moves, migrating from the shed to Gerard Walschapstraat in Sommelsdijk, then to Menheerse Werf, and eventually to a location in an industrial estate in Middelharnis.

Roasting and Methodology

Brandstof Koffie started with a small electric roaster, later upgrading to a 6kg electric Giesen roaster. The company highlights that they do not use gas for roasting and have expressed ambitions to generate their own power via solar panels. Public reports link their roasting expertise to a contact from Costa Rica who taught the brothers the art of the roast.

The roastery describes its sourcing strategy as being focused on identifiable origins, stating they only purchase coffee when the specific farmer is known. They describe this approach as “near-direct trade.” For their Costa Rica coffees, they specifically mention Turrialba, farmer Victor Salmeron, the Arabica Caturra variety, and washed processing.

Assortment and Origin

Their documented range includes blends, single-origin coffees, tasting packs, and a coffee subscription. The blends include Espressoblend, Thuisblend, Filterblend, and Hartverwarmend – Winterblend. Their single-origin offerings include Costa Rica Medium Roast, Costa Rica Dark Roast, Colombia Medium Roast, and Brazilië Medium Roast.

The tasting packs are categorized by brewing method or coffee type, such as Espresso & Volautomaat, Filter & Pour-over, The Blends, and Single Origins. The subscription offers a choice of several coffees with a delivery frequency of every two or four weeks, available in 350 gram, 500 gram, and 700 gram weights. Product pages offer options for whole beans, espresso grind, and filter grind.

The origin countries featured in the available material are Costa Rica, Brazilië, and Colombia. According to product information, the winterblend combines a natural coffee from Brazilië with a washed coffee from Costa Rica. No public documentation was mentioned regarding certifications such as B Corp, Fairtrade, Organic, or Rainforest Alliance.

Packaging, sales, and distribution

The company aims to package its coffee as sustainably as possible without compromising product quality. Several product pages mention plastic packaging that can be disposed of with PMD waste. Additionally, they offer the Brandstof blik, a refillable tin designed to reduce packaging waste. Refills can be sent via letterbox parcel or filled in person in Middelharnis.

Brandstof Koffie sells through its own webshop, with categories for coffee, accessories, and brewing methods. Distribution is partially localized, with local delivery in Middelharnis and Sommelsdijk, a delivery route on Tuesdays or Wednesdays across Goeree-Overflakkee, shipping via PostNL for orders outside the island, and a pickup point in Middelharnis. There is also a stockists page, with Streekmeesters listing PLUS Slingerland in Middelharnis as a retail point.

Coffeeshop, events, and local role

On July 1, 2023, Brandstof Koffie opened a coffeeshop at Menheerse Werf. Reports from that year listed opening hours from Thursday to Saturday, 08:30 to 14:00, offering coffee, breakfast and lunch dishes, and bags of coffee for home use. In April 2024, local press reported that the roastery had moved again, this time to another location in Middelharnis.

Fixed current opening hours for a café or tasting room at the new location are not publicly documented. However, information regarding the Brandstof blik mentions that refills in Middelharnis are available on Tuesday mornings from 09:00 to 12:00. In addition to fixed locations, the company provides on-site coffee services using a coffee-Piaggio, an old cargo bike, a mobile bar, filter machines, and hot water kettles.

The roastery also played a role in local community activities. Prior to its official launch, Brandstof koffie made an appearance at the Flakkeese Dagen. The official launch was announced for May 3, 2019, at Menheerse Werf, featuring a unique coffee variant inspired by Solaes-bier. In December 2023, Brandstof opened its roastery for a free Christmas meal, which saw approximately 25 registrations.

Team and Public Visibility

The publicly listed founders and owners are Jan Meijerink and Joost Meijerink. No other publicly documented head roaster has been identified alongside Jan or Joost. LinkedIn categorizes the company under Food and Beverage Manufacturing, with a team size of 2 to 10 employees and headquarters located in Sommelsdijk. Public information regarding Brandstof primarily stems from local media and regional platforms.

Disclaimer: We do our best to keep all information in this article as accurate as possible. Have you come across something that is no longer quite correct? Send a message to the editorial team at [email protected] and we'll update it!