J.J. Darboven celebrates 160th company anniversary and 90th birthday of Albert Darboven

"Coffee is only harmful if a whole bag falls on your head from the fifth floor." With his Hanseatic entrepreneurial spirit and a pinch of North German humor, Albert Darboven has been shaping German coffee culture and the family business J.J. Darboven for over six decades. For him, coffee is far more than just a product - it is a life's work that he is still passionate about every day.

In 2026, the Hamburg-based hot beverage specialist will be celebrating two special events: On April 15, owner Albert Darboven celebrates his 90th birthday. Just a few weeks earlier, on March 21, the traditional company celebrates its 160th anniversary.

The family business has always combined Hanseatic merchant tradition with innovative coffee culture and is now internationally successful with well-known brands such as IDEE KAFFEE, EILLES and Café Intención. However, the Hamburg-based company not only refines selected coffee beans in its own roasting plants, but also creates high-quality tea and cocoa specialties. Whether in the catering, hotel, bakery or retail sectors, J.J. Darboven has established a name for itself throughout Europe as the preferred partner for coffee, tea and cocoa with its comprehensive hot drinks expertise and is the German market leader in the out-of-home market.

When Johann Joachim Darboven founded his company in Hamburg, an extraordinary success story began that continues to this day. Starting out as an innovative mail order business for roasted coffee and sugar cubes, the business developed into an international family company with currently 15 subsidiaries in nine countries.

The connection to the Port of Hamburg as a central transshipment point for green coffee, tea and cocoa from all over the world has shaped the company's identity from its beginnings to the present day. An important milestone was the introduction of IDEE KAFFEE in 1927, which is still a central product in the range today thanks to its refinement process. With the takeover of traditional companies such as EILLES (1987) or the Bavarian roasting company Burkhardt & Imhof(Burkhof) (1974) and the introduction of Fairtrade coffee under the Café Intención brand (1993), the entrepreneur has always demonstrated foresight and a sense of social responsibility.

J.J. Darboven was founded on March 21, 1866 by Johann Joachim Darboven in Hamburg. The successful Hanseatic family business is now managed by Albert Darboven in the fourth generation. With a comprehensive product range of coffee (e.g. J.J. Darboven Classics, Alfredo), tea(EILLES TEE) and cocoa(COCAYA), the company is the market leader in the out-of-home sector and a convincing supplier of coffee to the food retail trade (e.g. IDEE KAFFEE, EILLES KAFFEE, Café Intención, and Mövenpick). J.J. Darboven stands for quality, tradition and innovation. The group is currently active in nine European countries.