Nederlands
At Hutten, we care about good coffee—coffee with the best flavour and quality, and a traceable origin from berry to bean. Years ago, together with Pieter Cornelissen from Cornelissen Coffeeroasters, we set out to find the perfect beans for our coffee machines and espresso bars. The result? A unique and sustainable coffee chain under the name We Care Coffee. “From harvesting to roasting to packaging to recycling—we manage every link in the chain,” says Pieter Cornelissen.
We visit Pieter at his roastery in Veghel. Far from the coffee plantations, he tells us the story behind “his beans.” They come from no fewer than 13 countries and are purchased directly from farmers (direct trade). He’s in constant contact with them about cultivation and processing methods. “Everything affects taste and quality,” Pieter explains. “It’s just like wine. Before coffee is traded, it’s given a cupping score. Bean size, for example, plays a role. The grading is done by so-called Q-graders—essentially coffee sommeliers—often in ports like Antwerp. The cupping score ranges from 0 to 100. We only purchase Specialty Coffee with a cupping score of 80 or higher. That’s just 5% of the world’s total coffee harvest. We also only buy recent crops—never old stock.”
“Direct trade, recent crop, and specialty coffee are our three key USPs when it comes to raw beans”
Unique beans for Hutten
“So before we even start roasting, our raw ingredients are of the highest quality. The cupping score also reflects ecological and social sustainability. Specialty Coffee not only tastes better but ensures a better price for farmers,” says Pieter. For Hutten, he sourced two unique beans: 100% organic Arabica beans from Colombia sold under the name We Colombian, and RFA-certified Arabica beans from Brazil, sold as We Brazilian. We Colombian is ideal for espresso bars, while We Brazilian is suited for fully automatic coffee machines. With both beans, Hutten supports the International Women's Coffee Alliance (IWCA), a global network that empowers women in the coffee industry. One euro per kilo of coffee is donated to the IWCA. Over the years, Hutten has contributed tens of thousands of euros. Their current donation supports a project in Burundi (provinces Kayanza, Ngozi, Muyinga, Muramvya, and Gitega), helping rural women to grow specialty coffee and earn a better income. This project runs until the end of October 2024.
Slow roasted
At Cornelissen’s Veghel roastery, beans are roasted slowly and traditionally using a drum roaster. “Coffee is essentially a berry containing two seeds. After harvesting, the seeds are extracted and the pulp is returned to the plantation as natural fertiliser. The seeds are then washed, fermented, dried, and packed in jute sacks. At that point, the raw coffee still doesn’t resemble what we know as coffee. The real flavour only develops during roasting. We roast slowly, at lower temperatures. One batch takes about 15 minutes—much longer than industrial roasters. We monitor air flow, temperature, and rotation speed to control the roasting process with precision, ensuring consistent results. The freshness of the beans also plays a role—some may be 2 months old, others 9. That affects how you roast them. This process draws out the best flavours.”
For We Colombian Coffee, there are two roasts: the shorter Smooth Roast and the longer Deep Roast. The Smooth Roast is soft, fruity, and has hints of milk chocolate and red berries. The Deep Roast is bolder, with notes of dark chocolate and dried apricots.
“We set the temperature to the exact degree to ensure consistent quality, every single day”
Low CO₂ emissions
Cornelissen invested in an energy-efficient roasting system that uses significantly less gas than most industrial roasters. For Hutten, they also use a unique packaging system: “Since Hutten manages their own logistics, we deliver the beans in special reusable drums. Typically, coffee is packed in disposable foil bags, which require a lot of material. Our reusable system saves 20,000 metres of foil per year. Packaging is handled at the roastery by people with a distance to the labour market—currently, 10 people are employed in this way.”
A sustainable match with Hutten
The partnership between Cornelissen and Hutten was no coincidence. “We share the same values,” Pieter says. “We want the best quality and a fair price for the people we work with. Coffee has become a mass-market product in recent decades. We believe people should drink less coffee—but of better quality. That way, farmers can invest in themselves and their plantations and become future-proof. Our company must grow, but in the right way—one that we can feel proud of. That’s the connection we have with Hutten.”
