It was a Saturday morning spent doing one of our favourite things - taking a couple of hours to relax and indulge at a Cape Town market. This was actually one of our first times at the Stellenbosch Slowmarket at Oude Libertas; now one of our favourites. We we were doing what we usually did at a market on a Saturday morning: wandering from stall to stall, sampling whatever looked tastiest, and accumulating an ever-larger amount of delicacies to take home. We quickly noticed that a rather long queue had formed in one spot, leading up to a small market stall upon which stood an serious-looking espresso machine.

Beside that machine were some bright blue bags of coffee with a name that we immediately concluded must have been European: häzz. Undaunted by the queue and intrigued to find out why this European coffee was drawing such a crowd, we waited patiently and ordered some cappuccinos. Those who have been lucky enough to have a häzz coffee at the Stellenbosch market won't be at all surprised to hear that we were blown away by the coffee we were served.

I think we left that day still thinking that we'd sampled some fantastic European coffee, confused about why we hadn't heard of this international brand before. Once we started returning to that market, the häzz coffee stall quickly became our first stop and eventually, the people working at the stall enlightened us.

About häzz

Needless to say, we learned quickly that häzz wasn't a European brand of coffee but rather a proudly South African one. With headquarters at a beautiful cafe in Stellenbosch, häzz is South Africa's best answer to the big European coffee brands. The makers of häzz realised that South African consumers were having to make a choice between a recognisable brand and a fresh locally-roasted coffee and so they created a coffee to fulfil both needs. häzz keeps it simple, much like the European brands that inspired its creation. There is only one häzz blend, it's freshly roasted every day and it's just plain excellent.

What we love about häzz

We love the straightforward approach that the makers of häzz have taken. The South African consumer can be overwhelmed with choice when trying to pick freshly roasted beans from some of the Cape's roasters. For those who just want a consistent, excellent cup of coffee, no matter what your brewing method, häzz is your answer.

On top of that, we think that the makers of häzz have succeeded in creating a strong brand (one for heroes) which is accompanied by an amazing coffee experience. To see what we mean, pop into the cafe on Ryneveld street in Stellenbosch the next time you're in the area. You'll enjoy a fantastic cup of coffee and a real taste of cafe culture to rival the best that Europe has to offer.

So if you're the type of coffee-drinker who seeks out single-blend big coffee brands at the grocery store, why not give South Africa's answer a try: häzz - coffee for heroes