First Coffee from In-House Production:
Bon Presso Coffee Roasting Plant Commences Operations in Rheine, Germany
Rheine, 31 March 2022
Schwarz Produktion launches the production of a new coffee roasting plant in Rheine, Germany. Bon Presso started producing coffee just 18 months after breaking ground. This marks a successful end to the months-long construction phase and the beginning of ramping up production. The plant in Rheine will soon start supplying coffee products to all European stores within the Schwarz Group.
Schwarz Produktion, part of the Schwarz Group, has built one of the most modern coffee roasting plants in Europe in less than two years. In the future, over 80 employees in Rheine will produce more than 50,000 tonnes of ground coffee and coffee beans annually under the Bellarom (Lidl) and K-Classic (Kaufland) brands.
“We’re delighted that we were able to start production on schedule, despite the challenging conditions arising from the pandemic,” said Jörg Aldenkott, CEO Schwarz Produktion. “Our new coffee roasting plant gives Schwarz Produktion an even larger footprint as a leading food producer and will continue to support the growth of the retail divisions of the Schwarz Group,” continued Aldenkott.
In addition to far-reaching digitalisation and automation, sustainability was a key factor in the planning and realisation of the plant. Among other elements, photovoltaic modules were installed on the roof of the packaging building (over 3,000 square metres in size). More PV equipment is to follow.
The plant is also especially energy-efficient. A variety of measures – such as installation of air circulation systems, efficient heat insulation, waste heat recovery and pre-heating the raw coffee beans with roaster exhaust – reduces electricity consumption significantly compared to similar coffee roasting plants. With its ultramodern exhaust air treatment, Bon Presso already fulfills the strict criteria of Germany’s Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control from 2021, making it one of the first coffee roasting plants in Europe to do so.
Sustainability is also a key focus regarding the products. The majority of the raw coffee used comes from sustainable cultivation. The products in question will bear the Rainforest Alliance quality seal on their packaging in the future.
“The conditions at the Rheine site are ideal. That’s why we’d like to thank everyone who supported us with establishing and building our first plant in Rheine,” concluded Jörg Aldenkott.
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