Friele

Friele, also known as Kaffehuset Friele, is a Norwegian coffee manufacturer and brand with roots in Bergen dating to 1799. The business was established by ship captain Herman Friele after he arrived in Bergen and began operating an import trade with a particular emphasis on coffee. Its history reflects the development of coffee from an imported luxury and trading commodity into a widely consumed packaged beverage in Norway. The company remained associated with the Friele family for many generations. Herman Friele operated the business until his retirement in 1835, when his youngest son, Berent Friele, assumed control. In 1862, Berent brought his son Herman Friele and his son-in-law Alexander B. Grieg into the business, and the company adopted the name B. Friele & Sønner. The Friele and Grieg families continued to own the company together until 1897, after which ownership became concentrated within the Friele family. Herman Friele, born in 1877, eventually became sole owner and remained an important figure in the company’s subsequent development. Family succession continued into the twentieth century. Einar Friele, a member of the next generation, joined the business as a junior executive in 1925, although he was later killed during the Second World War. The company was subsequently controlled by later generations of the Friele family, with Herman Friele serving as chairman before the business was sold in 2013. Friele’s manufacturing base is in Midtun, in the Fana borough of Bergen. Its present production plant was constructed in 1981. The company historically developed from a regional business serving Western and Northern Norway. Until approximately the mid-1980s, most of its coffee was sold in those regions; it later expanded distribution across Norway and became a national coffee brand. Friele has been described as Norway’s largest coffee producer. The business sources coffee beans from multiple producing countries, reportedly around nine or ten at a time, with Brazil and Kenya among the principal origins mentioned in reference material. Its core activity is the roasting and sale of coffee rather than a broad consumer-goods portfolio. Friele was sold to DE Master Blenders 1753 in 2013. Following subsequent corporate developments, the brand became part of JDE Peet’s. Friele therefore combines a long-standing Bergen identity and family-company heritage with ownership within a large international coffee group.

Friele traces its origins to 1799, when ship captain Herman Friele established an import business in Bergen after settling there. Coffee was central to the enterprise, placing the company within the long development of Norway’s imported-food and beverage trade. During the nineteenth century, coffee consumption expanded as increasing global production contributed to lower prices, creating more favorable conditions for a dedicated coffee business. Herman Friele remained in charge until retiring in 1835. His youngest son, Berent Friele, then assumed control. In 1862, Berent expanded the ownership and management structure by admitting his son Herman Friele and his son-in-law Alexander B. Grieg as partners. The company was renamed B. Friele & Sønner, reflecting its family-based organization. Friele and Grieg remained associated until 1897, when Grieg departed and Berent Friele’s son, also named Berent, became a partner. In 1900, another son, Herman, joined the partnership, while the older Herman Friele retired. After Berent’s death in 1902, Herman became sole owner. The enterprise continued through successive Friele generations. Einar Friele entered the business as a junior executive in 1925, but was killed during the Second World War. Despite the disruption of war and changing patterns of food distribution, the company retained its family identity for much of the twentieth century. Its production facility in Midtun, Bergen, was built in 1981 and became the base for modern coffee manufacturing operations. For much of its earlier commercial life, Friele was strongest in Western and Northern Norway. By the mid-1980s, it had begun extending its reach beyond those regions and developed a broader national presence. The company’s coffee supply has drawn on beans from several producing countries, including Brazil and Kenya, with sourcing described as involving approximately nine to ten countries. The business remained controlled by the seventh generation of the family, including chairman Herman Friele, until its sale to DE Master Blenders 1753 in 2013. Through later corporate ownership changes, Friele became part of JDE Peet’s. It remains associated with Bergen while operating within the portfolio of a large international coffee company. Its historical significance rests on the combination of an unusually long family-business lineage, a continuous coffee focus, and its role as a major Norwegian coffee producer.

1. 2013Sale to DE Master Blenders 1753

   The long-standing family-owned company was sold to DE Master Blenders 1753.

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2. 1981Current production plant constructed

   Friele’s present manufacturing facility was built in Midtun, Bergen.

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3. 1925Einar Friele joined the business

   Einar Friele entered the company as a junior executive.

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4. 1902Herman Friele became sole owner

   Following Berent Friele’s death, Herman Friele assumed sole ownership.

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5. 1897Grieg partnership ended

   Alexander B. Grieg left the company, and Berent Friele became a partner.

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6. 1862Company reorganized as B. Friele & Sønner

   Berent Friele brought his son Herman Friele and son-in-law Alexander B. Grieg into the business, which adopted a new name.

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7. 1835Second-generation succession

   Herman Friele retired and his youngest son, Berent Friele, took over the business.

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8. 1799Business founded in Bergen

   Ship captain Herman Friele established an import business in Bergen with a strong emphasis on coffee.

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A traditional Norwegian coffee brand emphasizing Bergen heritage, long operating history, and national coffee-market presence.

• Friele coffeeCoffee

  Friele’s core offering is packaged coffee produced from beans sourced from multiple coffee-growing countries. The brand’s business centers on coffee manufacturing and distribution in Norway, including the roasting and sale of coffee for household and broader consumer consumption. Reference material identifies Brazil and Kenya among its important sourcing origins, while the overall supply base has included approximately nine or ten countries.

• 2013Sale to DE Master Blenders 1753M&A

  Friele had remained under family ownership for many generations before the ownership transition.

  What changed. The Friele business was sold to DE Master Blenders 1753.

  Aftermath. Friele subsequently became part of JDE Peet’s and continued as a Norwegian coffee brand within an international coffee group.

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• 2013Friele sold to DE Master Blenders 1753

  After remaining under family ownership for many generations, Friele was sold to DE Master Blenders 1753.

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1. Friele