In the heart of the peaceful town of Vianden, Sandra and Thomas have opened a real refuge where you can enjoy a (very) good coffee and simply take your time.
Before, you would go to Vianden to visit the castle with your family or to stop off before starting a hiking trail. From now on, your wanderings will lead you first to Collette for a shot of caffeinated bliss.
Carefully selected coffee
For 40 years, Collette was a hotel, named after its owner. “When we brainstormed for a name, Collette came to mind quite quickly, as the impact of her presence and hospitality still last on the locals ‘minds. Her mantra ‘fidelis et rectus’ really resonates with us,” admits Thomas, the head roaster behind Collette, who completed the SCA (Speciality Coffee Association) Coffee Skills Programme. Together with his wife Sandra, they embarked on this entrepreneurial adventure above all to share their love of coffee. “When I started drinking the coffee prepared by Thomas, I said to myself: we have to let people enjoy this marvel!” told us Sandra.
Thomas will be delighted to take you through the coffee-making process, from selecting the beans in the farm to roasting them in Vianden using Rosie, their roasting machine. “We have to develop the right roasting profile, then reproduce it before each roast, because customers expect to find the same notes in the coffee the next time as they did the first time”. He likes to talk about the imprint left on each cup, as their logo so beautifully reminds us (a coffee bean drawn like a fingerprint, editor’s note). “Roasting doesn’t improve the quality of green coffee, you just have to make it stand out!” emphasizes Thomas.
At Collette, Thomas and Sandra offer coffees from Brazil and Colombia. The couple are committed to working directly with growers whom they have met personally and who they are sure respect the fundamental values of sustainability, quality and fairness.
Again, with sustainability in mind, you won’t drink milk with your cappuccinos, but an oat drink, which goes wonderfully well – don’t worry, it’s very smooth. “I love our coffee so much that I often find myself not finishing my cup straight away, and I enjoy it cold several hours later,” says Sandra.
A café-shelter
Sandra and Thomas have designed the interior themselves, looking for unique furniture, sometimes even built by them. You will find different sitting areas depending on your mood: a long high table, a large wooden barrel, an imposing Chesterfield sofa or colorful patchwork armchairs on which the couple have fixed a small table, just big enough to hold… a coffee and a cake!
Thomas also built an imposing wooden table himself. “I wanted a big communal table, with a flowing river in the middle (editor’s note: a blue line). If I could have made it any bigger, I would have!
To accompany your coffee, succumb to the cakes expertly prepared by Sandra. Big chunky cookies, blondie brownies and vegan apple tarts will not leave you indifferent – quite the contrary!
You will love to take your time enjoying the soothing atmosphere that the young couple have created. If you’re bringing children, there’s a corner where they can play coffee-making while you sip yours.
We’re telling you, it’s great to come to Collette. And never leave.
Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm.