Showcasing true innovation and coveted ideas, The Concept Lab will present a hand-picked collection of the industry’s most forward-thinking independent brands offering unique and exciting solutions to implement in your hotel. In advance of the show, we caught up with some of the brands to find out more about their company and what you can expect from visiting them at The Concept Lab...
How did the company start?
De Koffiejongens started around five years ago, when Co-Founders Walter and Corne ran out of coffee and decided to do something about it. They launched a coffee subscription model creating pods designed to work in mainstream espresso machines, and two years ago made the switch to biodegradable pods.
As lockdown continued and awareness for our planet raised, the business was able to grow very fast and invested in telling its story at a time when a lot of companies were drawing back their media spend. In this manner De Koffiejongens has grown to a market leader position in biodegradable coffee cups in The Netherlands.
How do you approach sourcing your product?
We pay a lot of attention to the quality of our coffee and our partners. Our coffee is Rainforest Alliance Certified and we ensure that our farmers are earning a fair and honest wage.
Sustainability is about the whole supply chain, and we ensure we’re buying certified coffee in a sustainable way, our pods are biodegradable where many alternatives are aluminium or plastic, and our product packaging is sustainable too. We consciously try to make the right decision in everything we do.
From a customer point of view, when you’re drinking coffee every day you can see the tangible impact that you’re having when you can throw the pods into a food waste bin. We’re also cheaper than many of the mainstream alternatives, so there’s a benefit for your wallet and the environment.
Why are you interested in the hotel market?
We’ve grown strongly in the consumer market and now we’re tapping into the B2B market, and hotels are a prominent segment within that. It’s a sector that has challenges with its environmental footprint and when we speak to hoteliers, they’re interested in making steps towards greater sustainability. They take it very seriously and we are able to provide them with a solution for every room.
Not only does it make a big impact, very simply, it’s also a very visible and tangible solution for your guests, and at an attractive price.
We have also created a concept for hotels where in addition to the coffee we’re offering a bamboo display and a flyer with information about the sustainable coffee and its benefits. It’s a full presentation and solution for hotels which can be implemented very easily.
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