About us

Miko is a story of innovation, success and sheer hard work. From humble origins, the company has grown to become a well-respected provider of coffee across five continents. Having been in operation for more than two hundred years, Miko is a brand with an impeccable heritage. It is still located in Turnhout, Belgium – the same town where the Miko story started in 1801, when Leo Michelson opened the grocery store which was the beginning of the Miko journey.

A product of the heritage

Michelson’s grocery store mainly sold imported goods from across the globe which included rice, spices, herbs, coffee and tea. Passed down from father to son, the store traded for around a century before the decision was taken to capitalise on the success of coffee sales and set up a coffee roasting enterprise as a sideline. Known as Michelson Koffie, the company continued to thrive for the next few decades. The coffee roasting business was extremely successful, selling not only across Belgium, but also exporting coffee to other countries. In the early 1930s, the company moved to the outskirts of Turnhout and changed its name to Miko (a combination of Michaelson and Koffie).

Retrospectively, the decision to set up a coffee roasting business may well have been one that saved the company from extinction during the tough trade years of the late 1930s and WW2. With imports of fine goods (including coffee) severely restricted by the hostilities, the Belgians were forced to rely on whatever would grow in their own country to meet their nutritional needs. In the absence of coffee, Miko roasted acorns to create an ersatz coffee substitute which was widely drunk in Belgium until the end of the war, when coffee beans became more easily available again. The creation and sale of the ersatz coffee helped Milo to stay profitable throughout the tough war years. Synonymous with innovation and diversification, the company’s actions during the war years were typical of the Miko ability to adapt, survive and thrive.

A culture of continuous innovation

One of the reasons Miko has continued to do well is the innovative nature of its products and culture. From pioneering waterproof packaging for their coffee to optimise flavour through to a uniquely engineered catering coffee pot filter, Miko continues to push the boundaries. Even the company’s diversification into coffee machines, barista training, coffee-making equipment and the sale of other beverages is characterised by its usual innovative, ground-breaking style.

One-stop solution for all your coffee needs at Miko

From its humble beginnings so long ago right the way through to its current international reach, Miko has continued to embrace the same key values of premium products, good old-fashioned customer care and a product base that’s constantly updated and altered to suit current trends. Experts in both coffee flavour and preparation, today the company sells its products extensively across Europe and on into Australia. A byword for excellence, Miko remains one of just a select few companies that makes coffee machines and roasts coffee.

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