Café HAG facts for kids
Café HAG is a well-known brand of coffee sold all over the world. What makes it special is that it's decaffeinated coffee. This means most of the caffeine, which is a natural stimulant found in coffee, has been removed. Today, Café HAG is owned by a company called JDE Peet's.
Contents
The Story of Café HAG
How It All Began
Café HAG started in a city called Bremen, Germany, in 1906. Its original name was quite long: Kaffee-Handels-Aktiengesellschaft, which means "Coffee Trading Company". The person who founded the company was Ludwig Roselius. He was very important because he helped create the first way to remove caffeine from coffee on a large scale. This was a big deal because it meant people could enjoy coffee without the stimulating effects of caffeine.
Art and Advertising
Two artists, Alfred Runge and Eduard Scotland, helped make the company famous. They designed the posters and the packaging for Café HAG. Their designs were so good that they really helped define the look of the company for many years.
Collecting Fun: Café HAG Albums
In the 1920s and 1930s, Café HAG became known for something else: special collecting albums. These were called the Café HAG albums. People could collect pictures of heraldic emblems, which are like special symbols or coats of arms used by families or towns. It was a popular hobby back then!
The Sanka Connection
Did you know that another famous decaffeinated coffee brand, Sanka, actually came from Café HAG? In 1910, Sanka was created for the French market. Its name "Sanka" is a shorter way of saying "sans caféine," which means "without caffeine" in French. The rights to sell Sanka in America were sold in 1913.
Who Owns Café HAG Now?
Over the years, Café HAG has been owned by several different companies.
- In 1928, the Kellogg Company (yes, the cereal company!) bought the American part of Roselius's business.
- Then, in 1939, Kellogg sold it to General Foods.
- Much later, in 1979, General Foods also bought the original German Café HAG company.
- In 1990, General Foods merged with another big company, Kraft Foods. So, both HAG and Sanka became brands of this larger American company.
- The way "Café HAG" was spelled became standard in the 1990s.
- Since 2015, Café HAG has been owned by JDE Peet's, which is a big coffee and tea company today.
Memorable TV Ads
In the 1980s, Café HAG had some very popular TV commercials. One character, named Klaus, played by an actor named Roger Callister, became quite famous. Many people who loved watching advertisements really enjoyed his character.
