Dando – The Apple Inc. of the Coffee World!
Standing out in the coffee industry is pretty difficult. With such a variety of delicious, caffeine-injected brews out there, it’s hard to stake a claim and do something truly special; but local coffee-makers Dando have managed to do exactly that.
“Innovation is incredibly important to Dando,” explains founder Friedl Basson, a former IT specialist who’s lept head-first into the coffee industry, bringing his technical experience in the IT field to the coffee world. “We want to challenge every facet of the coffee business, from manufacturing to packaging, and that’s what we do at Dando – no compromises”.
COFFEE WITH A CONSCIENCE
“Dando”, which translates to “giving” in Spanish, is the underlying philosophy of the business. Born out of the desire to help those in need, Dando gives a significant portion of the profits from coffee sales in order to fund community projects, such as Liv Village, through the Dando Scholarship program. “We are extremely proud to be a Nation Builder member, cementing our commitment to help the less fortunate and make a difference. With help and generosity from the RO3 Oasis group, we are able to make even bigger strides towards helping people in need. We value the partnership we have with them.”
SO WHAT MAKES DANDO SO SPECIAL?
So, besides being philanthropically awesome, what does Dando do to be different? Dando believes in delivering quality coffee that is also environmentally friendly, through all stages of the process. The coffee is packaged in Dando Eco Tubes, which are 100% recyclable containers, 75% of which is manufactured from recycled materials. Even during the sealing process of the coffee, no chemical adhesives are used and the Dando EcoTubes use a unique friction sealing lid to ensure an air-tight seal. This unique friction sealing technology also ensures an almost 100% seal upon resealing, keeping moisture and oxygen flow into the container at an absolute minimum, which makes the coffee last longer and taste better.
And about their new premises and where they brew their coffee… we’ve had a little sneak preview and will be giving all the details on that soon; but know that it will be spectacular and is in a space that no one has ever attempted. Yet another way Dando is challenging the norm, proving once again that they will not simply accept the status quo.
WHAT ABOUT THE COFFEE ITSELF?
Well, it’s epic. Without conceding too much of their trade secrets, Dando was courteous enough to divulge just enough information to make us want to delve even deeper into their processes.
Implementing the latest technology, but with the greatest regard for the years of experience of those who has come before them, DANDO seem to have found a perfect balance, marrying tried and tested methods with modern scientific principals. In addition to relying on the trusted Probat name for their roasting, DANDO has also developed a number of unique custom build systems to ensure their clients receive the best product they can possibly manufacture.
Their process starts with the best raw products available, each good enough to be sold as a single origin coffee. True to the Dando standard, these are then carefully and masterfully blended into different recipes to suit a wide variety of taste profiles. Roasting is done under the careful eye of their master roaster, whilst also utilising the latest digital systems as a control. Shortly after roasting and cooling, the beans are automatically transported to the patented DMASS system for storage, where it is ensured that no oxygen or moisture comes in contact with the roasted beans, guaranteeing freshness. These are only some of the measures put in place to ensure their dedication to the quality of their products. We will delve further into the Dando systems at a later stage, as they grant us access to more of their trade secrets.
HERE ARE DANDO’S AVAILABLE COFFEES:
Dando Black (Dark Roast – Strong): A blend of finely selected beans from South America and East Asia that are perfectly roasted and specially blended for any espresso based coffee. Buy here.
Dando Blue (Medium – Decaffeinated): Made from the finest of Colombian beans naturally prepared and gently decaffeinated. Buy here.
Dando Gold (Medium Roast): A full-bodied coffee. It is deeply aromatic and rich, with a full, strong flavour. Made with a delicate balance of beans from South America. Buy here.
Dando Purple (Medium – Dark Roast): Superior African and Central American beans that create a mild yet flavoursome coffee. An excellent after dinner coffee variety. Buy here.
Dando Red (Dark Roast – Strong): A strong coffee with a typical Italian Character. Blended with dark roasted beans, it develops a distinctly hearty flavour. Buy here.
You can check out more on Dando on their official website, and remember to follow them and give them a ‘Like’ on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Originally posted on MenStuff.co.za.