Smit & Dorlas

What Smit & Dorlas does

Smit & Dorlas is a Dutch specialty coffee roaster founded in 1822, headquartered in Mijdrecht, Netherlands, and operating as a subsidiary of UCC Coffee Europe (itself part of UCC Holdings, Japan) following the 2012 acquisition. The company roasts coffee on a Probat roaster purchased in 1933 and serves three primary segments: Dutch horeca (hotels, restaurants, cafés, catering), office coffee buyers, and — since 2022 — home consumers reached via its own webshop and Jumbo supermarkets. The product portfolio spans whole bean and ground coffee (Espresso Originale/Intenso, Lungo Classico/Passionato, Caffè Delicato/Delicato BIO/FT, Decaffeinato), Nespresso-compatible capsules (Classic, Dark, Extra Dark), ready-to-drink iced coffee (Iced Latte, Iced Matcha Latte), and a Legends of Tea sub-brand, all backed by Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade Max Havelaar, and organic certifications.

The business operates a "Total Coffee Solution" model that combines proprietary coffee, installed espresso equipment from partners La Cimbali, Thermoplan, and Aequator, SLA-compliant field service (mobile technicians dispatched from Mijdrecht), and the COFFEEWORKS training, remote monitoring, and barista enablement programme developed by parent UCC Coffee. Revenue mechanics include one-time coffee bean/capsule sales via wholesale and webshop, hardware placement and sales for B2B clients, recurring service contracts on installed machines, and professional services revenue from COFFEEWORKS training and consulting. GTM combines a Dutch rayon-manager field-sales force for horeca and enterprise accounts (including private-label work with Landal holiday parks), direct webshop e-commerce for SMB and consumers, and Jumbo supermarket retail. Pricing is unit-based in EUR inclusive of VAT for consumer products (e.g., 1kg beans at ~€30–€34.50, 120-count capsule boxes at €41–€49) and quote-based for corporate equipment and supply.

The company has 51–100 employees, sits within UCC Europe's 1,200-employee, 5-country organization, and ships to the Netherlands and Belgium. App-based customer self-service is provided through the Klantportaal (mijn.smitdorlas.nl) for B2B accounts, while the COFFEEWORKS app supports on-site Coffee Excellence Checks. Recent strategic emphasis has been on D2C growth, retail scale via Jumbo, RTD product innovation, and sustainability positioning (CO2-neutral roasting today, full CO2 neutrality target by 2040).

Name

Smit & Dorlas

Legal name

Smit & Dorlas koffiebranders B.V.

Website

https://smitdorlas.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1822

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Smit & Dorlas is a 1822-founded Dutch coffee roaster and subsidiary of UCC Coffee Europe, serving Dutch horeca, offices, and home consumers with roasted beans, capsules, RTD iced coffee, espresso equipment, and SLA-backed service under the COFFEEWORKS programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Coffee Roasting & Distribution

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Coffee, Espresso & Tea Appliances Retail (CRACADAC)

Keywords

• Coffee roasting
• Coffee beans
• Coffee capsules
• Horeca coffee service
• Office coffee solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Mijdrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Coffee Products (Wholesale & Retail): Sale of premium roasted coffee beans, ground coffee, capsules, and iced coffee drinks to businesses (horeca, offices) and consumers via webshop and Jumbo supermarkets. One-time product purchases and repeat orders.
2. Coffee Equipment & Service: Sale, installation, and maintenance of espresso machines (La Cimbali, Thermoplan, Aequator) for B2B clients. Field technicians provide SLA-compliant maintenance, repairs, and machine installation. Revenue from equipment provision and ongoing service contracts.
3. COFFEEWORKS Training & Consulting: The COFFEEWORKS programme provides training, process optimization, and remote monitoring services to clients. Includes barista training, coffee excellence checks, and tailored action plans for coffee quality improvement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Smit & Dorlas is a Dutch coffee roastery that produces and sells roasted coffee beans, coffee capsules, iced coffee, and tea, complemented by coffee machines and full-service coffee programs for the horeca and office channels. Beyond packaged products, the company delivers an integrated B2B coffee solution — equipment, installation, and on-site servicing — and also distributes consumer-facing products through its own webshop and Dutch grocery retail.

Product overview

Smit & Dorlas is a Dutch specialty coffee roasting company founded in 1822, operating as part of UCC Coffee Europe. The company offers a unified product portfolio centered on premium roasted coffee and complementary products, structured around several core categories: whole coffee beans and ground coffee in various roasts (Espresso Originale, Espresso Intenso, Lungo Classico, Lungo Passionato, Caffè Decaffeinato, Caffè Delicato, Caffè Delicato BIO/FT); coffee capsules under the Classic Roast, Dark Roast, and Extra Dark Roast lines; ready-to-drink iced beverages (Iced Latte, Iced Matcha Latte); and a full tea sub-brand called Legends of Tea covering black, green, white, and herbal teas. Accessories and sides include reusable to-go cups (250ml and 350ml), milk cups, sugar sticks, and coffee accessories. The company also provides a business-oriented customer portal (Klantportaal) and the COFFEEWORKS service program delivering training, remote monitoring, and maintenance for coffee equipment, alongside office coffee machine solutions (Jura, DR.COFFEE, Animo). Products are sold through a dedicated webshop, Jumbo supermarkets, and a customer portal for business clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Roasted Coffee Beans Roasted coffee beans sold to foodservice, offices, and consumers via B2B channels, webshop, and Dutch retailers such as Jumbo.
• Coffee Capsules Single-serve coffee capsules sold to B2B customers using compatible machines and to consumers through the webshop and grocery retail.
• Iced Coffee Ready-to-drink iced coffee sold for out-of-home consumption in horeca/office settings and for at-home consumption via consumer retail.
• Tea Tea product line sold as a complement to the coffee range through B2B service programs and consumer webshop/retail.
• Coffee Machines and Equipment Coffee machines and related equipment supplied to horeca and office customers as part of the total coffee solution.
• Horeca and Office Coffee Service Program Integrated B2B service program covering coffee machines, consumables (beans/capsules), installation, and on-site servicing for restaurants, hotels, cafés, and Dutch offices.

Quantifiable outcome

• If a machine is 5 seconds slower per drink, output drops 12.5%, costing €25/day in potential lost revenue (for 100 drinks/day), or €9,000/year.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UCC Coffee EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCC developed the COFFEEWORKS programme, which Smit & Dorlas implements for its clients. This excellence programme provides data-driven monitoring, barista training, and quality optimisation frameworks based on UCC's years of expertise.
• Rainforest AlliancecoreOthersAll Smit & Dorlas coffee is sourced from Rainforest Alliance certified plantations. This certification ensures sustainable farming practices, biodiversity protection, and improved farmer livelihoods.
• Fairtrade Max HavelaarcoreOthersSmit & Dorlas coffee is Fairtrade certified, ensuring better trading conditions for farmers in developing countries. Several products (e.g., Caffè Delicato BIO/FT, Lungo passionato) carry full Fairtrade certification.
• Biologisch (Organic) Certified SupplierscoreOthersSmit & Dorlas sources from organic certified suppliers. Products such as Caffè Delicato BIO/FT carry EU organic certification, grown without artificial fertilisers or pesticides.
• La CimbalicoreTechnology or IntegrationLa Cimbali is one of Smit & Dorlas' primary espresso machine brands for hospitality clients. Field technicians install, maintain, and repair La Cimbali machines under SLA agreements.
• ThermoplancoreTechnology or IntegrationSwiss-made Thermoplan espresso machines are supplied and maintained for clients. Thermoplan is known for innovative technology and fully automatic operation with consistent coffee quality.
• JumbocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJumbo supermarkets are the primary retail partner for Smit & Dorlas consumer products. Since 2022, after 200 years of exclusively B2B/horeca focus, Smit & Dorlas became available to home consumers through Jumbo stores.
• Legends of TeaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLegends of Tea is a tea brand distributed alongside Smit & Dorlas coffee products, offering premium teas including black, green, white, rooibos, and chai varieties under the Legends Finest Teas range.
• LandalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSmit & Dorlas produces private label coffee for Landal holiday parks: Dark Roast Landal Fairtrade and Medium Roast Landal Fairtrade. The CO2 neutrally roasted coffee is served to Landal guests.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group: Italian global coffee group owning brands like Segafredo, Boncafé, and various regional roasters. Competes with Smit & Dorlas in European B2B horeca and office coffee through Segafredo Zanetti and other subsidiaries.
• UCC Coffee Japan: Parent company of Smit & Dorlas and one of the world's largest coffee suppliers, headquartered in Kobe, Japan. Operates a broad global coffee portfolio spanning retail brands, foodservice, and UCC Coffee Academy; provides the COFFEEWORKS programme that Smit & Dorlas implements.
• Douwe Egberts (JDE Peet's): One of the largest Dutch coffee companies globally, operating across retail, out-of-home, and professional channels with brands like Douwe Egberts, Jacobs, and Senseo. Dominant incumbent in Dutch horeca and retail, competing with Smit & Dorlas in office and foodservice channels at much larger scale.
• illycaffè: Italian premium espresso brand with global horeca, retail, and office coffee presence. Competes directly with Smit & Dorlas in the premium hospitality and office segments in the Netherlands, though at much larger global scale and with a broader geographic footprint.
• Lavazza: Italian global coffee roaster with extensive horeca, retail, and office coffee presence across Europe. Competes in the same B2B premium espresso segment through Lavazza Professional (formerly Esaote/Coffee Solutions) and competes with Smit & Dorlas in Dutch hospitality channels.

Direct peers

• Peeze: Dutch specialty coffee roaster focused on 100% organic and Fairtrade beans, serving horeca, offices, and consumer channels. Comparable to Smit & Dorlas in B2B/D2C mix, product portfolio, and Dutch horeca focus, with similar sustainability credentials.
• Simon Lévelt: Long-established Dutch specialty coffee roaster (founded 1814) selling roasted beans, espresso equipment, and tea to B2B horeca, office, and consumer markets. Closest direct competitor with similar product mix, channel strategy, and Dutch heritage positioning.
• De Drie Mollen: Dutch coffee roastery based in Bolsward, sister company to Smit & Dorlas under UCC Coffee Europe following the 2012 joint acquisition. Same business model (coffee roasting, equipment, B2B horeca), shared UCC parent, and direct competitor in Dutch horeca market.

Regional players

• Paulig: Finnish family-owned coffee roaster with strong Nordic and Baltic presence in retail, foodservice, and out-of-home coffee. Comparable in B2B/horeca focus and certified coffee portfolio, though geographically focused on Nordics rather than Benelux.
• Löfbergs: Swedish family-owned coffee roaster (founded 1906) operating in the Nordics, Baltics, and selected European markets with focus on certified and sustainable coffee. Similar heritage positioning and B2B/retail mix, though primarily competing in Nordic geography rather than Benelux.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/smitdorlas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smit-&-dorlas-koffiebranders-b.v.
• Instagraminstagram.com/smitendorlas
• Xx.com/smitdorlasbv

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smit & Dorlas