HEADLINE: The proof is in the Seattle pudding

BYLINE: Iréne-Mari van der WaltAt the Seattle Coffee Company, great care is taken to ensure that the delicious pastries and impeccable coffee speak for themselves. “At Seattle we believe that the proof is in the pudding,” says Madie Langeveldt, the manager of Seattle Namibia. Langeveldt says that quality is not an option for the Seattle Coffee Company, but a necessity. “Due to the fact that we have an American-style service which does not serve directly to a customer’s table, we do not have the opportunity to go to a table and connect with our customers. Therefore, our product needs to sell itself and the product has to be enough to make a client feel special and convince them to come back,” she says. Despite the cogwheels of business turning behind the scenes, Langeveldt says that Seattle Coffee puts business second and people first. “Our owners are very people-oriented. At our head offices in South Africa, the walls are full of photos of pickers who pick our coffee beans. Our founders understand that their success is not just their own doing, but that help from other people have made it possible for them,” she says. The owners of the Seattle Coffee Company, Pete Howie and Barry Parker, ensure that Seattle Coffee receives only the finest quality coffee beans from all over the world by visiting the various farms where their coffee beans are grown. “The owners want to see for themselves where the coffee comes from. They want to meet and shake hands with the people who pick our coffee. People are very important to them, because without those hands Seattle would not be the success it is today,” says Langeveldt. The love of people is carried through to the product by ensuring that all Seattle pastries are made from the finest quality ingredients with no preservatives or artificial flavouring. “We are very pro-health. We only use free-range chicken, free-range eggs and real ingredients. We don’t sell the usual soft drinks either; our Skinny Juice is made from real fruits and vegetables with no preservatives. Our cakes are made with real chocolate and our brownies are made with real nuts. Seattle stands for quality, health and the experience,” she says. Langeveldt is ecstatic about the opening of a third location in the city of Windhoek which will have a different face. “We are getting a new look at our new location, but the product will remain unchanged. People can still enjoy the proper coffee and pastries they love,” she says.

HEADLINE: The proof is in the Seattle pudding

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-16

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HEADLINE: The proof is in the Seattle pudding

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-16

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