Douwe Egberts
Encyclopedia
Douwe Egberts is a Dutch
corporation that processes and trades coffee
, tea
, and other groceries. Its full name is Douwe Egberts Koninklijk
e Tabaksfabriek-Koffiebranderijen-Theehandel NV, which translates as "Douwe Egberts Royal Tobacco Factory - Coffee Roasters - Tea Traders, Plc.". Douwe Egberts is now a subsidiary of the Sara Lee Corporation.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
corporation that processes and trades coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
, tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
, and other groceries. Its full name is Douwe Egberts Koninklijk
Koninklijk
Koninklijk or Koninklijke is an honorary title given to certain companies and non-profit organizations in Belgium and the Netherlands, by the King or Queen in the respective country. It was first introduced by Louis Bonaparte in 1807, the King of the Netherlands at that time, who awarded the title...
e Tabaksfabriek-Koffiebranderijen-Theehandel NV, which translates as "Douwe Egberts Royal Tobacco Factory - Coffee Roasters - Tea Traders, Plc.". Douwe Egberts is now a subsidiary of the Sara Lee Corporation.
Chronology
- 1753 - Egbert Douwes starts a grocery shop in JoureJoureJoure is a town in the Dutch province of Friesland. With 13,000 inhabitants, it is the largest town in the municipality of Skarsterlân.-History:...
, called De Witte Os ("the White Ox"). - 1780 - The company is transferred to his eldest son Douwe Egberts. Its main activities are processing and trading coffee, tea, and tobacco.
- 1948 - DE starts sales in BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
follow. - 1968 - A holding company, Douwe Egberts Koninklijke ("Royal Douwe Egberts"), is founded.
- 1969 - DE takes over Kanis & Gunnink, another Dutch coffee manufacturer.
- 1978 - DE is in its turn taken over by Consolidated Foods Corporation.
- 1985 - Consolidated Foods becomes Sara Lee Corporation as a result of acquisitions that year.
- 1989 - DE takes over Van Nelle, its main Dutch competitor in coffee, tea, and tobacco.
- 1998 - The hand-rolling tobacco business (DrumDrum (tobacco)Drum is a brand of fine-cut handrolling tobacco, or shag. It was originally produced and distributed by the Douwe Egberts corporation. Douwe Egberts was purchased by the Sara Lee Corporation, which sold Drum to Imperial Tobacco, the current British producer...
, Van Nelle, Amphora and Winner) is sold to Imperial TobaccoImperial TobaccoImperial Tobacco is a global tobacco company headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom. It is the world’s fourth-largest cigarette company measured by market share , and the world's largest producer of cigars, fine-cut tobacco and tobacco papers...
. - 2001 - The company collaborates with PhilipsPhilipsKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
to produce a coffee maker called SenseoSenseoSenseo is a registered trademark for a coffee brewing system from Dutch companies Philips and Douwe Egberts, a subsidiary of Sara Lee Corporation...
. - 2007 - Sued the province of GroningenGroningen (province)Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
over the introduction of rules stating that all coffee supplied in the province must meet Fair tradeFair tradeFair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
criteria set by Stichting Max HavelaarStichting Max HavelaarStichting Max Havelaar is the Dutch member of FLO International, which unites 23 Fairtrade producer and labelling initiatives across Europe, Asia, Latin America, North America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Several of these corresponding organizations in other European countries also use the...
. Courts ruled in favour of the province of Groningen.
Brands
- Douwe Egberts (coffee)
- Pickwick teaPickwick teaPickwick is a tea brand, marketed by Dutch company Douwe Egberts, a subsidiary of the American Sara Lee Corporation.Douwe Egberts tea had been marketed under the company name since 1753, but in 1937 the name Pickwick was chosen by director Johannes Hessel's wife, who was inspired by Charles...
- Natrena (artificial sweeteners)
- Merrild (coffee, in Denmark)
- Kanis & Gunnink (coffee)
- SenseoSenseoSenseo is a registered trademark for a coffee brewing system from Dutch companies Philips and Douwe Egberts, a subsidiary of Sara Lee Corporation...
(coffee-maker, in conjunction with Philips) - Douwe Egberts Coffee Systems (drinks supply)
- Douwe Egberts Coffee Care (drinks supply)
- Piazza d'Oro (espresso)
- Cafitesse (coffee concentrates and systems)
- MocconaMocconaMoccona is a brand of coffee produced by the Dutch corporation Douwe Egberts . It is available in Australia, Finland, Thailand and New Zealand, where it is one of the most popular brands of coffee...
(instant coffee) - Cafe Switch, a frothy coffee drink that is frothed using thumb pods
- Cafe Pilao (coffee brand in Brazil)
- Harris (Coffee and filter papers in Australia)
- Caffiato, an icedIced coffeeIced coffee is a cold variant of the beverage coffee.-Preparation:There are several ways of preparing iced coffee. Ordinary hot-brewed coffee can be served cold, although this may result in a bitter-tasting product. Cold brewing relies on time, rather than heat, to transfer the coffee flavor to the...
cappuccinoCappuccinoA cappuccino is an Italian coffee drink prepared with espresso, hot milk, and steamed-milk foam. The name comes from the Capuchin friars, referring to the colour of their habits.- Definition :...
with caramelCaramelCaramel is a beige to dark-brown confection made by heating any of a variety of sugars. It is used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons, and as a topping for ice cream, custard and coffee....
flavour