2 - Engaged
i
Waste and resource use are managed in detail. Packaging is chosen to be recyclable or compostable, coffee cups are industrially compostable, and the move to paper sacks and single-material bags saves roughly 11,000 kilograms of raw material a year. The building runs on district heating drawn from waste heat at the neighbouring Sappi paper mill, with a green gas roasting oven, LED lighting and insulated windows, while city deliveries are made by bicycle courier and zero-emission vehicles.
The social record is extensive. Through the Escuela Blanche Dael foundation, set up in 2009, the company has supported schooling in coffee and tea growing regions of Guatemala, Honduras and Brazil for more than 20 years, funding two-year scholarships for young coffee farmers. Growers are paid above the market rate for arabica under long-term agreements, and the roastery employs people returning to work through local social services.
Blanche Dael was certified as a B Corporation in April 2026 with a B Impact score of 88.2, and holds Rainforest Alliance certification.
The impact dimensions
Low waste & circular practices✓
Sustainable animal products
Multiple named practices across packaging, energy and logistics, independently validated by B Corporation certification.
All packaging is chosen to be recyclable or compostable: industrially compostable coffee cups, single material tea packaging with 250g coffee bags moving to single material by September 2026, and paper sacks replacing cardboard save more than 4,000 kilograms of cardboard and 40 cubic metres of transport volume annually.
The heritage roastery building is connected to the city district heating network fed by waste heat from the neighbouring Sappi paper mill. The roasting oven runs on green gas, with LED lighting, insulated windows, underfloor heating and home automation. Beans move by gravity to cut handling, and an afterburner controls roasting emissions.
From 2025 the company commits to zero emission urban logistics in Maastricht, with around 500 emission free business deliveries a year, a bicycle courier for local deliveries and a Euro 6 or hybrid fleet elsewhere. B Corporation certification awarded in April 2026 with a B Impact score of 88.2 corroborates the waste, energy and logistics measures.
No meat, fish or poultry served; café offers coffee, tea, pastries and biscuits with oat milk alternative.
The café does not serve meat, poultry, fish or seafood. The offer is coffee and tea, sourced as detailed under circular waste reduction and social impact, alongside Limburgse vlaai and biscuits, which contain dairy and eggs. Oat milk is available as a dairy alternative.
Since no animal proteins are served, the dimension does not apply to this fully plant-based food offer.
Active education and fair trade commitments validated by B Corporation certification in April 2026 with a score of 88.2.
The Escuela Blanche Dael foundation, established in 2009, supports education in coffee and tea growing regions of Guatemala, Honduras and Brazil. It has funded two-year scholarships for young coffee farmers, and is reported as improving schooling for more than 3,000 children across more than 20 years. The foundation distributed tablets for remote learning during the pandemic and sponsors school lunch programme coffee cups.
The company pays structurally more than 50 percent above the market price for arabica under guaranteed long term purchase agreements, implements a supplier code of conduct and carries out True Cost Accounting assessments with partner farmers whilst providing financial support for farm infrastructure. Staff travel to origin to assess and buy directly from named growers including the Samboni Zuñiga family in Colombia.
The company employs people re-integrating into the labour market through partnerships with local social services. B Corporation certification awarded on 17 April 2026 with a B Impact score of 88.2 independently validates the social commitment, fair trade and employee practices.
Sourcing signals
✓
Certified organic ingredients
✓
Direct named-farm sourcing
✓
Low-impact beverage program
The company states its coffee and tea are Rainforest Alliance and organic certified and audited annually, with around 90 percent of coffee from certified plantations. An explicitly organic line is sold as Colombia Kachalù Bio, though the company does not hold organic chain of custody certification and carries no EKO seal.
Direct relationships with coffee and tea producers include the Samboni Zuñiga family in Colombia, paid above market rate under long term agreements. Staff travel to origin to assess and buy, with named single origins including Yirgacheffe in Ethiopia, El Limon and Kachalù in Colombia, Mandheling in Sumatra, and Costa Rica.
Green coffee is roasted daily in the building the café occupies, and tea is packed in house. Filter coffee is brewed by hand at the bar.
More than 80 percent of coffee is Rainforest Alliance certified or organically grown, with pricing structurally more than 50 percent above market for arabica and guaranteed long term agreements. Chocolate with certified cocoa holds active Rainforest Alliance certification as of May 2026.
The café serves specialty coffee only, cupped to SCA standards, with six single origin coffees whose origins are named alongside house blends. Tea is bought and packed by the company under its own range, including organic tea and matcha.
