History

1896

It all started in Antwerp, when Frans Rombouts decided to rent a roasting cylinder and started roasting coffee himself, much to the delight of in-the-know coffee lovers. Thus began a remarkable success story. Its “sweet and savoury” tale today is appreciated more than ever by passionate coffee lovers.

1958

For the Brussels World Exhibition, the Rombouts company invented the individual coffee filter.

This revolutionary concept allowed coffee lovers to make a cup of coffee using the perfect amount of coffee that had been roasted and ground using traditional methods. So, it was impossible to get it wrong!

This innovation made Rombouts into the creator of pre-measured coffee.

In 1964, Rombouts began marketing this concept, which was a huge success in the horeca and retail sectors. Today, Rombouts owes its international reach to this first innovation, and to the quality of its coffees.

1966

Rombouts was awarded the title of Certified Royal Warrant Holder of Belgium. This distinction brings a sense of pride at having been recognized in the most prestigious way possible, but also imposes a sense of obligation to uphold the highest standards of quality, resulting in the utmost in consumer satisfaction.

1968

marked a new era in the company's history.

Hugo Rombouts decided to approach Malongo coffees, which at the time was a small roaster in Southeastern France, to expand the company.

This gamble was largely successful, thanks to the hard work of the Malongo team, currently led by Jean Pierre Blanc. Today, Malongo's coffees are available and renowned for their quality not only in France, but also in numerous other countries.

1980

was a challenging year. The price of coffee rose sharply, and Rombouts didn't want to raise its prices.

The company continued to innovate, notably with the launch of its hermetically sealed “Pure Origins” tins.

In France, the first tasting shops, the Malongo Cafés, were opened. Today, there are 16 Malongo Cafés in France, and one in Morocco.

1992

A meeting was held with Father van der Hoff, the founder of the UCIRI growers' cooperative in Mexico, and co-founder of the Max Havelaar seal of approval. Rombouts was aware of the importance of this project, and would later develop a full line of Fair Trade products.

1995

Rombouts launched its revolutionary 1,2,3 Spresso pod system, which made it possible to easily prepare espresso.

In the coming years, the Research and Development department will cooperate with many coffee machine brands to refine a product line that covers all needs: from horeca to the home user, never forgetting the office client.

2007

Rombouts remains a family company, and today includes more than 600 associates, for a total sales turnover of 120 million Euros (total for the group). Its worldwide development is ongoing, thanks to its innovations and the quality of its coffees.