Dagger Coffee

More About Dagger Coffee

Dagger Coffee in Utrecht, small in scale, big on transparency

Dagger Coffee was established in 2017 in Utrecht under the leadership of barista and trainer Dagmar Geerlings. A year later, the first café at Europalaan 500 celebrated its anniversary in March 2018. Since then, the brand has grown to locations at Zijdebalenstraat 2 and Europalaan 93. Local and international media followed this growth, firmly placing Dagger within the Utrecht specialty scene.

Leadership and Team

Dagmar Geerlings, a multiple top-3 finisher at the Dutch Barista Championship, leads the training and the roastery. Team member Noëlle Meis reached the national finals and works as a barista and trainer. This competitive background drives the focus on flavor, consistency and hospitality. The brand promise is “5-minute holiday in coffee paradise”, with an emphasis on producer stories and a fully transparent supply chain.

Roast philosophy and sensory analysis

Dagger sources and roasts coffee within three distinct flavor profiles. Each profile guides their selection, roasting process, and communication, aiming for a clean taste, high sweetness, and a pleasant body. Every year, the team calibrates their palates to ensure tasting notes and quality control remain perfectly aligned. Details regarding the roaster, capacity, and software are not public and are therefore not mentioned.

“blue“, chocolatey and creamy
“yellow“, stone fruit, juicy or silky
“pink“, funky and berry-like

Assortment, profiles, and flavor

Instead of fixed blends, Dagger opts for single origins that fall within the “blue“, “yellow“, or “pink” categories. Recent examples include “Indonesia, Frinsa Collective” with tropical fruit, “Colombia, El Tanque” with cherry and dark chocolate, and decaf “Colombia, El Dragòn” with a pronounced chocolate profile. Packaging and the webshop display tasting notes directly for each coffee, streamlining the selection process and the dialogue with the guest.

Sourcing model and transparency

Transparency is more than just a promise. In 2023, 100 percent of the coffee was sourced transparently. Additionally, 59 percent of the producers focused on women’s empowerment or were female-owned. Furthermore, 46 percent of the origins operated organically, of which 30 percent were certified. Dagger publishes a transparency report and endorses the Transparency Coffee pledge.

Growth in volumes and origin relationships

The procurement of green coffee rose steadily, from 657 kg in 2020 to 1,278 kg in 2021 and 1,583 kg in 2022. In 2023, the volume reached 2,219 kg. Dagger worked with importers capable of fully transparent sales, including Nordic Approach and The Coffee Quest, with additional use of Algrano and the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia. An origin trip to Ethiopia in 2023 provided insights into cherry prices and partnerships in Gedeo.

Ethiopië, Danche, 240 kg, washed
Ethiopië, Hambela Wamena (Boku), 300 kg
Colombia, La Sierrieta, 280 kg
Peru, La Colmena, 207 kg
JOV Coffee 280 kg, Caballero 207 kg, El Zorro Azul 175 kg
Konga 60 kg, La Pradera 210 kg, Decaf El Dragòn 70 kg

The Retail Experience in Utrecht

The Zijdebalen location at Zijdebalenstraat 2, 3513 GZ, is generally open Tuesday through Friday from 08:00 to 15:00, Saturday from 09:00 to 17:00, and Sunday from 09:00 to 16:00. The DotSlash campus sites EL500, Europalaan 500, 3526 KS and EL93, Europalaan 93, 3526 KP, are known for being laptop-friendly. The espresso bar features La Marzocco machines, while filter options such as the AeroPress are prominently featured.

Education and community

Dagger offers public workshops and bespoke training in barista skills, filter brewing, sensory analysis, and latte art. A typical session lasts 2.5 hours and can be held privately, in groups, or on-site. For corporate clients, team outings and a mobile espresso bar are available. Internally, the team performs annual sensory calibration to ensure that terminology and quality standards remain consistent across both training and service.

Wholesale and B2B Services

For business partners, Dagger provides guidance designed to strengthen both brand identity and margins. This includes consultancy on efficient bar flow, waste reduction, and structured on-the-job training. In collaboration with partners, the team also develops signature drinks and training curricula. The wholesale proposition remains rooted in the same core principle: getting the most out of coffee through transparent sourcing and clear flavor profiles.

What this means for the Dutch coffee sector

Dagger Coffee demonstrates how targeted flavor profiles, strict quality control, and measurable transparency reinforce one another. The data regarding volume, women-centric sourcing, and organic cultivation show a clear direction. In practice, this provides clarity for guests, a solid foundation for baristas, and reliable information for business clients. The result is a recognizable cup of coffee that feels like a brief vacation.

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