Reviving Coffee History: An Interview with Rob Clarijs of “A Matter of Concrete” in Rotterdam

Interview with Rob Clarijs of A Matter of Concrete at the historic Van Nelle Factory

We met Rob Clarijs, Founder of the Netherlands brand, A Matter of Concrete (AMOC) at the UNESCO World Heritage sight, the Van Nelle Factory in Rotterdam.

 The Van Nelle Factory

In a city where historic buildings are precious after withstanding multiple bombardments during WWII, the Van Nelle Factory was built in the 1920s as the largest coffee factory in Europe.

The factory hadn't seen coffee production since 1995, not until Rob opened AMOC 26 years later. The brand's name is derived from the fact that the Van Nelle Factory was one of the first of its kind to be constructed with concrete, matching the brand’s concrete, data-driven approach to coffee.

 A Matter of Concrete

AMOC’s coffee selection process is meticulous, involving blind cuppings to ensure unbiased quality assessment, with a focus on both classic and uncommon profiles. AMOC’s meticulous attention to detail can be found throughout the roastery.

“That’s something that should be thought throughout the whole concept.” Rob said.

“Not just where we get our coffees from but also the packaging, or the way we buy stuff that’s in our roastery—from vintage furniture to reused shelving or sustainable collaborations with our coffee suppliers. Even the gas that comes into the roaster is CO2 compensated. It’s a bit more expensive but at least it’s the best way to get a gas roaster to be more sustainable.”

Rob’s team consists of four people and they roast almost a ton of coffee per week. 

After experiencing the SOVDA Pearl Mini at Dutch Barista, Rob said it was a, “no-brainer,” to purchase a color-sorter for his quality-focused brand.

“Doesn’t matter if you’re a big commercial roastery or a small specialty coffee roastery it will increase quality anyway,” Rob said. “Are you going for quality or not—and for specialty coffee you’re going for quality.”