Hof der dingen - Coffee bag from 'Grootmoeders Koffie' and Hanssens coffee barrel

In coffee circles, the name Hanssens needs no introduction. Among coffee lovers, the name Hanssens is one that lingers. 

Flax farmer Nestor Hanssens discovered a new passion during the war: selecting and roasting coffee. When he made it his profession in 1935, success came quickly. Even across the border, people developed a taste for his coffee. The only problem? They struggled to pronounce “Hanssens” correctly. Instead, they referred to it as celui avec la petite grand-mère—“the one with the little grandmother”—a nod to the logo on the packaging. And so, the name Grootmoeders Koffie was born. 

Nestor began a family tradition. His son Julien, became a coffee roaster himself, working for another family-run roastery in our province: Torenhof in Eernegem. 

West Flanders is now a landscape sprinkled with small, family-run coffee roasteries. At the close of the last century, some 30 were in operation. By 2014, that number had dropped to 20. Yet in recent years—riding the wave of trendy barista and coffee culture—new, small-scale roasteries have begun to bloom again. 

Only one coffee company ever aimed beyond the small-scale tradition: Bruynooghe Coffee Roasters of Kortrijk. At its height in the 1980s, it employed 40 people. In 1999, the West Flemish market leader was sold to fellow roaster Miko from Turnhout, which soon moved production away from Kortrijk to the Kempen. 

Of course, roasting is only part of the craft—there is also the noble art of brewing. In recent years, the number of baristas has soared. And let’s not forget: the very first Belgian Barista Champion was also a West Flanders native. That honour went to Peter Deprez of Vichte in 2006. His brother Bart, with whom he runs the Viva Sara roastery, has, since 2014, served as a board member of the World Specialty Coffee Association, representing coffee interests on a global stage. 

Proof, once again, that West Flemish people simply cannot resist making their mark—even on the international stage.