In 1929, Nestlé was challenged to help preserve the surplus coffee beans in Brazil that resulted from the Wall Street Crash. And Nestlé accepted the challenge.
Our coffee specialist, Max Morgenthaler, was on a mission to create a delicious cup of coffee simply by adding water. Max and his team worked hard to find a new way to make instant coffee that would retain the coffee’s natural flavour. In 1938, they found the answer, and NESCAFÉ® was born. Named by using the first three letters in Nestlé and suffixing it with ‘café’, NESCAFÉ® became the new name in coffee.
We’ve been through so much since 1938, so let’s take a stroll down memory lane and see our highlights throughout history.
Our factory in Orbe, Switzerland has been with us from the start, producing our products since we started it all back in 1938
Up until the 1960s NESCAFÉ® was only available in tins. Then in 1961, we launched our very first glass jar, in Japan. It was a huge success and helped position NESCAFÉ® as a premium product. So in 1962, we decided to launch the glass jar in Europe too.
This 1930s Swiss newspaper advert (image on left) played on the speed and ease of making a NESCAFÉ®. And it worked. NESCAFÉ® was an instant success. Never before had making coffee been so convenient, fast and easy
When we first launched NESCAFÉ® in Switzerland on 1 April 1938, it was predicted to be a huge success. But then WWII started in 1939. During the war, NESCAFÉ® was a staple in the food rations of the US forces, and they loved it. Quick, easy and delicious coffee.
After the war, NESCAFÉ® was exported to France, UK and the US, and the American troops became our brand ambassadors, spreading their love of NESCAFÉ®.
During the rest of the 1940s, the popularity of NESCAFÉ® grew.
Today, NESCAFÉ® is enjoyed in over 180 countries and has become the world’s favourite coffee.
Once the beans have been grown, picked and roasted. What happens next is just as important if you want to find your perfect cup. Want to find out more about the rich and complex flavours of coffee? Read our guide to coffee tasting.