Dino Coffee

More About Dino Coffee

Dino Coffee, a local specialist focused on freshness and traceability

Dino Coffee was founded in 2020 in Leiden, when founder Dino began experimenting over open fires and a small garden burner. In 2021, he completed a professional SCA roasting course, marking the transition from a hobby to a structured operation. Today, the roastery operates from its own Coffee Lab at The Field, located next to Leiden Centraal. The brand's message centers on roast-to-order freshness and a growing community of coffee drinkers in Leiden. The business is registered under KvK 80713750 and BTW NL003477275B96.

Roast Philosophy and Technique

The selection focuses on specialty coffees, with a target of SCA 85+ for the majority of the assortment. The roasting model is demand-driven, with a visible “next roast date“ on the webshop to communicate cadence and freshness. The “Daily Drivers” receive an omniroast that works for both filter and espresso. For “exceptional” lots, separate filter or espresso profiles are developed. A resting period of at least five days is recommended, with the flavor peak occurring from day five up to approximately four months.

Production takes place on a technologically advanced machine with precise control over roasting parameters. The brand of the machine has not been made public. This combination of process control, resting advice, and limited inventory pressure underscores a quality-driven approach that prioritizes consistency and the experience of freshness.

Assortment, flavor profiles, and origin

The assortment combines recognizable blends with distinct single origins. The blends and origins are selected for flavor clarity, the story of their origin, and, wherever possible, direct relationships. Below are some of the fixed anchor points that characterize the style of Dino Coffee.

“Leidsche Blend”, a house blend of several Arabica varieties, featuring chocolate and nut notes, complemented by a fresh fruity signature.
“Peace Blend Decaf”, Ethiopian heirloom and Colombia Pink Bourbon, washed and natural, with notes of chocolate, hazelnut, toffee, and cinnamon.
“Natural Himalaya” from Dhading, Nepal, full-bodied and powerful with chocolate, vanilla, and nut, imported directly in-house.
“Kenya Washed Kiandu AB” from Tetu, Nyeri, SL28/SL34, SCA 88, featuring red fruits and blueberries, with a dark chocolate finish.
“Uganda Robusta” from Zombo, Alur Highlands, for lovers of a very strong, pure cup in a classic espresso style.

Sourcing and Producer Relations

The sourcing principle centers on fair payment to farmers and goes “beyond Fair Trade“, working through reliable traders and, where possible, directly with producers. In Nepal, a direct relationship exists with farmer Bharat in Dhading, where manually managed organic cultivation supports the “Natural Himalaya”. The Field confirms that Dino Coffee imports directly from Nepal and roasts on-site two days a week. Additionally, the offering includes traceable lots from East Africa and Central America, such as Kenya Kiandu AB and Costa Rica “El Moral”. Long-term fixed farm partnerships outside of Nepal are not publicly documented.

Production, cadence, and freshness

External Leiden sources describe a roasting schedule of one to two days per week, aligning with the communicated roast dates on product pages’s. The omniroast for Daily Drivers keeps inventory limited, while rare “exceptional beans” are produced strictly to order. Quantitative batch sizes or annual volumes are not public. Guidelines advise a resting window of at least five days and an expected freshness experience of up to approximately four months in sealed packaging.

Retail, hospitality, and community

The roastery and Coffee Lab are located at The Field, right next to Leiden Centraal, serving as the productive heart of the operation. In terms of retail, Dino Coffee in Leiden is available at MijnTafel, Haarlemmerstraat 216, which also serves as the pickup point for webshop orders, and at Oogst on the Hogewoerd. An active Instagram presence supports their collaborations and local visibility.

Served at Roka, Leiden
’t Suppiershuysinge, Leiden
Waffel, Rotterdam
Café In het Witte Huis, Rotterdam

Sustainability and circularity

The packaging approach is minimal and eco-conscious. Chaff from the roasting process is provided to the local “Funghi Farmers” as a substrate for oyster mushroom cultivation. The Field positions this within a broader circular framework, giving meaning to direct Nepal connections and local roasting. Fair payment to producers remains a core pillar. Formal carbon accounting or LCA reporting is not publicly available.

Team and B2B services

The founder and namesake Dino leads the brand and the roastery. The team includes Martin (“coffee professor”, green selection and events), Sibel (marketing and CRM), Thijs (Chief Coffee roaster) and Harm (trainee, sales and marketing ideas). From the Coffee Lab, the team regularly organizes tastings and community-focused activities.

For business clients, Dino Coffee provides wholesale services including tastings and onboarding. Barista training for teams is available upon request. Additionally, the webshop offers a recurring subscription, “DINO COFFEE ABBO”, for regular deliveries. In the FAQ section, consumers can find advice on selection, resting, and brewing methods, and can experience the coffee first at partner locations.

Transparency and points of attention

Some single-origin pages list SCA scores, such as SCA 88 for Kenya Kiandu AB. The direct trade relationship in Nepal with farmer Bharat, including the agronomic and labor context, is explained on the product page. There is no public annual report on sourcing transparency, and no third-party certifications are mentioned. The inclusion of KvK and BTW numbers in the footer underscores legal transparency. For Dutch coffee professionals, Dino Coffee thus serves as a local anchor point with clear quality choices and room for further reporting growth.

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!