Lavazza alongside Illy and Löfbergs win the European Coffee Awards as best roasters and champion in sustainability action
November 15 - 2024
Coffee Geography Magazine
The European Coffee Awards took place in Berlin, where Löfbergs secured double top placements. The family-owned coffee roastery from Sweden reached the top three in two categories: Europe's Best Coffee Roastery and Europe's Most Sustainable Brand.
“Even though we didn’t make it all the way, this is a victory for Löfbergs. To be ranked among the top alongside global giants like Lavazza and Illy is an enormous achievement, and shows that Löfbergs is a top-class European player,” says Anders Fredriksson, CEO of Löfbergs.
Gabriella Gille, CMO, Anders Fredriksson, CEO, och Kajsa-Lisa Ljudén, Head of Sustainability, were present in Berlin to celebrate Löfbergs' successes.
The Best Commercial Coffee Roaster category recognises roasteries that excel in quality, consistency, and global reach. Out of ten candidates, Löfbergs, Lavazza, and Illy were named finalists, with the Italian Lavazza emerging as the winner.
In the Most Sustainable Brand category, the focus was on brands leading the way in sustainability and ethical practices. Löfbergs was a finalist along with Origin and O-Zone Coffee, with the latter taking the top prize.
Founded in 1906 in Karlstad, Sweden, Löfbergs is now one of the largest family-owned coffee roasteries in the Nordic region. Production equates to 12 million cups of coffee per day, with every second cup sold outside Sweden.
And top winner, Lavazza, established in Turin, Italy, in 1895, has been owned by the family of the same name for four generations. The world's seventh-ranking coffee roaster, Lavazza has a market share by sales of over 36% in Italy, 3,800 employees and revenue of €2.24 billion (2019). The company has six production sites, three in Italy and three abroad, and operates through associated companies and distributors in more than 90 countries.
Illy was founded in 1933 by Francesco Illy, remains family-controlled and employs about 2700+ employees with annual revenue reaching €567.7 million.