Drents Bakkie

More About Drents Bakkie

Drents Bakkie, a social roastery from Emmen focusing on quality and impact

Drents Bakkie, officially Bakkie Koffie B.V., has been active in Emmen since 2019. The initiative grew from a collaboration between three entrepreneurs from Drenthe. The first batches were roasted at the zoo in Emmen, followed by the establishment of a full-scale roastery. The mission is clear: “coffee with work in it”, providing development opportunities and paid employment for people distanced from the labor market.

The organization grew step by step into a regional player with nationwide delivery. Since 2022, they have partnered with wholesaler Feyen/1899 for locally roasted private-label coffees produced at the Emmen facility.

Roast philosophy and quality assurance

The roastery uses a Giesen drum roaster and employs an internal “QR: Quality Roast Code” system. Cupping is central to their process, with professional cuppers evaluating the coffees. Specialty thresholds are explicitly mentioned, starting from 80 SCA points. The roastery shares process data with the public, such as typical transformations around twelve minutes at approximately 220°C in the artisanal roaster.

Portfolio, blends and single origins

The assortment combines permanent blends with rotating single origins. The flavor profiles are distinct and practical for use in hospitality, offices, and at home.

Bakkie Puur, a balanced blend for every day, available in multiple grind sizes.
Bakkie Emmen, “the loyal companion”, a classic cup for espresso or filter.
Bakkie van Oranje, a seasonal blend featuring five Arabica varieties, launched for King's Day.
Bakkie Surprise Darkroast, a variable dark roast made from remaining lots, intended as a no-waste flavor adventure.

Single origins include Colombia with fruit and chocolate, Peru with walnut, fruit, and mild acidity, Honduras with citrus and orange, and Nicaragua with a full, creamy body.

Sourcing, Origin, and Certifications

Drents Bakkie works with Rainforest Alliance certified coffees and provides detailed information regarding these standards. Their current origin list includes Nicaragua, Honduras, Peru, Colombia, and Congo. In terms of social impact, they are affiliated with Social Enterprise NL and the Code Sociale Ondernemingen.

The coffee is positioned for SROI (Social Return on Investment) procurement, making it available to public sector clients across sixty municipalities. This makes their offering highly relevant for organizations aiming to meet social performance targets.

Capacity, Equipment, and Packaging

The roastery has installed a Giesen W30 Pro, facilitating a scale-up to medium-scale production. The W30 series can roast up to thirty kilos per batch, providing ample room for growth and private-label projects.

Packaging sizes are tailored for both retail and high-volume users. They offer 500g and 1kg bags for retail, 250g for sampling and specials, and 4kg and 8kg tins for bulk consumption.

Distribution and B2B Services

Sales are handled through their own webshop with nationwide shipping and subscription options. International delivery is available upon request. For business clients, they offer private-label bags with custom branding and support for espresso machine maintenance.

For e-commerce logistics, the roastery uses BOXO reusable shipping packaging. This reduces return flows and the CO’ footprint across the supply chain.

Social Impact and Circularity

The roastery typically provides fifteen to twenty development and workspaces simultaneously. This impact is tracked via an internal “impact circle”. There is a direct link between output and employment, where approximately five hundred kilos of coffee per month translates to one full-time equivalent (FTE) paid position for someone with a disability.

The organization follows the reduce, re-use, recycle principle and returns coffee grounds to the soil as a local circular stream. Additionally, Rainforest Alliance information and a supplier code have been published for supply chain accountability.

Team, Culture, and Visitors

The founder is Ruben Haak. The roast leads, internally referred to as “Brandbaas”, include Sebastiaan Kemp and Miriam Akker. Job titles such as Inpakbaas, Kwaliteitbaas, and Bezorgbaas emphasize ownership and accessibility.

The roastery is located at Phileas Foggstraat 22A in Emmen and is open Monday through Friday, from 09:00 to 16:30. Visitors are welcome to take a look at the process. Open-house events, such as Open Bedrijvendag Emmen, showcase the Giesen roaster and the roasting process.

Accreditations and Network

Drents Bakkie holds PSO Nederland certification Trede 3 & 30+, valid from 01-08-2025 to 01-08-2027. Rainforest Alliance is recognized and detailed, while regional visibility is maintained through Impact Noord and business community events, such as OE Lunchbox.

What this means for the Dutch coffee chain

Drents Bakkie bridges artisanal quality with scalable production and demonstrable social value. For cafés and hospitality, the range offers consistent profiles and clear quality control. For public and private procurement, the SROI positioning provides practical added value, supported by certification and transparency. Together, this makes the roastery a relevant partner for flavor, continuity, and impact.

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!