C. F. Rich & Sønner
C. F. Rich & Sønner was a Danish manufacturer and brand of coffee substitute made primarily from processed chicory and dandelion roots.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
C. F. Rich & Sønner was a Danish coffee-substitute manufacturer based in Copenhagen. Its history began on 1 August 1834, when Caspar Friderich Paulus Rich purchased a coffee-substitute factory founded by artillery lieutenant Jacob Luders von Høyer. The business processed dandelion roots gathered from Copenhagen’s fortifications and nearby countryside, turning a locally available agricultural material into an inexpensive alternative to coffee. Its first known premises were in Sankt Peders Stræde, where manufacturing was combined with a retail outlet. The company expanded during the nineteenth century as demand for coffee substitutes developed in Denmark. In 1851 it opened a newer factory in Vester Voldgade. Although several competing manufacturers entered the market, Rich’s retained a leading position. In 1872, six competing businesses were combined to form De Danske Cikoriefabrikker, creating a substantial rival in the Danish chicory industry. After Caspar Rich died in 1874, his sons Georg Rich and Hans Adolph Rich continued the enterprise under the name C. F. Rich & Sønner’s Kaffesurrogatfabrik. Ownership and management changed in the late nineteenth century. Sthyr & Kjær acquired a share in 1885, and Georg Rich left the company in 1889. In 1896, De Danske Cikoriefabrikker acquired C. F. Rich & Sønner. The Rich business nevertheless continued to operate under its own name as an independent subsidiary, preserving the brand identity within the larger coffee-substitute group. Production was later associated with Dansk Cikoriefabrik at Gerdasvej 3–5 in Valby, Copenhagen. The product was sold in small consumer packages; in the 1930s, a 125-gram packet was priced at 35 øre. Rich’s became especially prominent during the Second World War, when shortages and restricted access to real coffee increased demand for substitutes. Daily sales reportedly reached as many as 225,000 packets during that period, making the brand a familiar part of wartime Danish consumer life. The brand’s commercial importance declined after the availability of real coffee improved and consumer preferences changed. By the 1970s, daily sales had fallen to approximately 25,000 packets. Production of Rich’s coffee substitute in Denmark ended in 1983. Its historical significance rests not only on its long manufacturing history but also on the way it illustrates Danish food adaptation during periods of scarcity. The brand is also remembered for its extensive use of collectible trading cards, which were distributed from 1925 into the 1970s and covered a broad range of educational and encyclopedic subjects.
History
C. F. Rich & Sønner originated in Copenhagen’s nineteenth-century coffee-substitute industry. On 1 August 1834, Caspar Friderich Paulus Rich bought a factory established by artillery lieutenant Jacob Luders von Høyer. The operation initially relied on dandelion roots collected on Copenhagen’s ramparts and in the surrounding countryside. Processing these roots provided a locally sourced alternative to coffee, which was comparatively costly and vulnerable to supply disruptions. The original premises in Sankt Peders Stræde included both manufacturing facilities and a retail shop. The enterprise expanded in the middle of the century. A new factory in Vester Voldgade opened in 1851, reflecting the company’s growth and the modernization of its production base. Competition also increased as other Danish manufacturers entered the coffee-substitute trade. Despite this expansion, Rich’s maintained a leading position. In 1872, six competitors were consolidated into De Danske Cikoriefabrikker, an important development in the structure of Denmark’s chicory and coffee-substitute sector. Following Caspar Rich’s death in 1874, the business passed to his sons Georg Rich and Hans Adolph Rich. They continued it under the formal name C. F. Rich & Sønner’s Kaffesurrogatfabrik. The company later experienced outside participation when Sthyr & Kjær acquired a share in 1885. Georg Rich departed in 1889, marking a further change in the family’s involvement. In 1896, De Danske Cikoriefabrikker acquired C. F. Rich & Sønner. Rather than immediately eliminating the identity, the acquiring group continued the enterprise as an independent subsidiary operating under the Rich name. Production was subsequently carried out at Dansk Cikoriefabrik on Gerdasvej 3–5 in Valby. Rich’s products were distributed in consumer-sized packets. A 125-gram packet sold for 35 øre in the 1930s, indicating the brand’s role as a low-cost everyday alternative rather than a premium beverage. Its most significant commercial surge came during the Second World War. With genuine coffee difficult or impossible for many consumers to obtain, coffee substitutes became an important part of household provisioning. Rich’s daily sales reached as many as 225,000 packets during the wartime period. After the war, the market contracted. Improved access to real coffee and changing consumer preferences reduced demand for substitutes. By the 1970s, daily sales had declined to around 25,000 packets. The brand nevertheless retained a distinctive cultural presence through its promotional trading cards. From 1925 until the 1970s, Rich’s distributed cards on a wide variety of educational and encyclopedic topics, making the packaging and promotion useful beyond the product itself. Danish production ended in 1983. C. F. Rich & Sønner is therefore a defunct historical brand and manufacturer, remembered for its long connection with Copenhagen’s food-processing industry, its role during wartime scarcity, and its innovative use of educational collectibles in consumer marketing.
- 1983
Danish production ends
[1]Production of Rich’s coffee substitute in Denmark was discontinued.
- 1970
Sales decline during the 1970s
[1]By the 1970s, daily sales had fallen to approximately 25,000 packets, reflecting the contraction of the coffee-substitute market.
- 1940
Wartime sales surge
[1]During the Second World War, shortages of real coffee drove daily Rich’s sales to as many as 225,000 packets.
- 1930
Documented 125-gram retail packet
[1]During the 1930s, Rich’s coffee substitute was sold in 125-gram packets priced at 35 øre.
- 1925
Trading-card promotion begins
[1]Rich’s began distributing trading cards covering educational and encyclopedic subjects, a promotional practice that continued into the 1970s.
- 1896
Acquisition by De Danske Cikoriefabrikker
[1]De Danske Cikoriefabrikker acquired C. F. Rich & Sønner, while allowing it to continue under its own name as an independent subsidiary.
- 1885
Sthyr & Kjær acquires a share
[1]Sthyr & Kjær took a shareholding in the company, adding an outside commercial participant to the family enterprise.
- 1874
The Rich sons continue the company
[1]After Caspar Rich’s death, Georg Rich and Hans Adolph Rich continued the business under the name C. F. Rich & Sønner’s Kaffesurrogatfabrik.
- 1872
Competitors merge into De Danske Cikoriefabrikker
[1]Six competing manufacturers combined to establish De Danske Cikoriefabrikker, reshaping the Danish coffee-substitute market.
- 1851
New factory opens in Vester Voldgade
[1]The company inaugurated a newer factory in Vester Voldgade as its production operation expanded.
Products and positioning
An affordable Danish coffee alternative made from processed plant roots, positioned for everyday household consumption and especially relevant when real coffee was expensive or unavailable.
Coffee substitute · 1834
Rich’s coffee substitute
The company’s principal product was a packaged substitute for coffee made from processed plant roots, including dandelion and chicory. It was positioned as an affordable everyday drink and became particularly important when genuine coffee was difficult to obtain. The product was sold in consumer packets, including a documented 125-gram format in the 1930s. Danish production continued until 1983.
Consumer promotional material · 1925
Rich’s trading cards
Beginning in 1925, Rich’s used collectible cards to promote its products. The cards covered a broad range of educational and encyclopedic subjects and were issued through the 1970s. They formed an important part of the brand’s public presence and extended its marketing beyond the packaged beverage itself.
Marketing campaigns
- 1925Rich’s educational trading-card program
Denmark
Rich’s promoted its coffee substitute through trading cards featuring a wide range of educational and encyclopedic topics. The program helped make the brand familiar in Danish households and continued for several decades.
Outcome. The card program remained associated with Rich’s until the 1970s, although no separate campaign performance figures are documented in the supplied material.
Brand decisions
1983
Discontinuation of Danish productionStrategyBackground
Demand had declined substantially by the 1970s, with daily sales reported at approximately 25,000 packets compared with the much higher wartime level.
Action taken
Production of Rich’s coffee substitute in Denmark was discontinued.
Aftermath
The Danish manufacturing history of the brand ended, leaving Rich’s primarily as a historical name associated with coffee substitutes and trading cards.
1896
Acquisition by De Danske CikoriefabrikkerM&ABackground
De Danske Cikoriefabrikker had become a major force in the Danish coffee-substitute sector after the consolidation of six competitors in 1872.
Action taken
The group acquired C. F. Rich & Sønner and continued it as an independent subsidiary operating under the Rich name.
Aftermath
The Rich identity remained in use, while later production was associated with Dansk Cikoriefabrik in Valby.
Sources1 sources
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