Life with a taste of coffee
Discover the story of a family for whom coffee is much more than a passion: a legacy of values and know-how passed down since 1996.
From War to Caffeinated Passion
In 1995, Nikolina and Predrag Okuka fled the devastating war ravaging the former Yugoslavia to find refuge in Quebec City. With them, they carried more than just suitcases; they brought unwavering determination and a shared passion. coffee.
Coffee was already a part of family tradition, but it was during the war that this passion truly blossomed. To survive, Predrag began roasting and selling coffee. He then discovered the comforting power of this beverage, capable of bringing people together and offering a glimmer of hope even in the darkest times.
A Passion Born in Adversity
Upon arriving in Quebec City, Nikolina and Predrag realized that espresso was virtually unknown and saw this as an opportunity to realize their dream: to offer the experience of a truly good coffee, to share their know-how and to build a community united by this passion.
While learning French and developing their business plan, Nikolina and Predrag opened Café Castelo on 1st Avenue in Quebec City in 1996. It was an immediate success. Coffee lovers discovered not only the rich aromas of Castelo coffee, but also a warm and welcoming family atmosphere. Predrag implemented rigorous procedures, from bean selection to packaging, to guarantee consistently superior quality. Each coffee variety is carefully processed to extract its finest aromas, creating unique blends, the recipes for which are closely guarded family secrets.
A Family Affair
Today, two generations work side by side to ensure the continued success of Café Castelo. Anya and Nicolas work alongside their parents, united by the same passion for coffee and a shared expertise. The Castelo family wishes to express its deep gratitude to all those who, every day, choose this Quebec-based family business.
Today, the future of Café Castelo is secured by the founders' children, Anja and Nicolas, who have inherited the same passion for coffee. Café Castelo is much more than a family business; it's a large family of enthusiasts, united by a common mission. The Okuka family expresses its deep gratitude to all those who choose each day to be part of this wonderful adventure.
Since 1996, the story of Café Castelo has been written day after day, thanks to its partners, employees and customers.
Tangible proof that anything is possible when you believe in it and work together with passion and determination.
Welcome to the family!
The heart of our family business
Our foundations
Family, the essence of our commitment
At Café Castelo, family is more than just a family business status; it permeates all our decisions and relationships. We view each partnership as a long-term relationship, aiming to build something healthy and sustainable. The quality of our products reflects our commitment to selling only what we would consume ourselves.
As a family business, we also take responsibility for preserving the environment for future generations by offering eco-friendly products. Our family approach ensures a genuine commitment to our customers and our planet.
Audacity, our caffeine!
Courage is the cornerstone of Café Castelo, guiding our path and our ability to innovate relentlessly. We have the audacity to challenge conventions and push boundaries to offer products that reflect our promise of quality: Better than ever "
This pioneering spirit allows us to explore new ecological paths, develop unique solutions, and adapt with resilience to the challenges of the modern world. Our passion for coffee symbolizes this inner strength that drives us to remain true to our values, whatever the circumstances.
To offer the best of ourselves, and why not with a smile?
At Café Castelo, we believe that happiness is the key to any successful experience. Our priority is to create an environment where every member of our team thrives, because inner satisfaction translates into quality service and exceptional customer relations.
Every cup of coffee we produce aims to offer a moment of joy and comfort, reinforcing our commitment to providing not only quality products, but also positive and memorable experiences. We want to share genuine happiness that goes beyond mere taste and touches the hearts of those around us.
our know-how
Discover our secrets after 30 years as a family business specializing in coffee roasting and distribution.
The art of roasting, the beating heart of our family business
At Café Castelo, every bean tells a story of passion, precision, and consistency. For over thirty years, our Quebec roastery has been perfecting an artisanal expertise passed down with pride and exacting standards. What drives us day after day is the love of well-made coffee, roasted with care, freshness, and integrity, from bean to cup.
Roasting is where science and skill meet. At Castelo, we have chosen the infrared roasting, A gentle and precise method that heats the grain from the inside out. This process preserves natural oils and essential sugars, reduces bitterness, and highlights the aromatic richness specific to each origin and exclusive blend.
Before each roast, our experts check the moisture content of the green beans to ensure a perfectly even roast. This meticulous control guarantees that each bean reacts consistently to the heat, revealing the full depth of its aromas without ever compromising the integrity of the raw material.
Since its inception, Our roastery has chosen a slow and low-temperature approach, Far removed from faster industrial processes, this gentle method allows for greater respect of the bean's structure, preserving its natural oils and developing a balanced sweetness. The result: a more aromatic, fuller-bodied coffee, without harsh acidity or burnt bitterness. This process demands time and precision, but it is what has defined Café Castelo's signature and consistency for over three decades and two generations of roasters in our family.
Science at the service of craftsmanship
Behind every Castelo coffee lies a rigorous quality control process that blends technology and human expertise. At the heart of our factory, a quality control laboratory analyzes each batch of green coffee before, during and after roasting.
We measure grain moisture and density, monitor mass loss during cooking and record each variable such as temperature, time, airflow, in a precise monitoring protocol.
Humidity is a key factor in roasting: a bean that is too dry burns quickly and loses its natural sugars, while a bean that is too moist roasts unevenly and compromises the consistency of the flavor profile. By precisely controlling these parameters, we ensure a stable and even roast that reveals the rich aromas and characteristic smoothness of Castelo coffees.
This data allows us to maintain the consistency of our roasting profiles, regardless of origin, season, or production volume. Each roast is then validated by a professional cupping session. This sensory exercise, essential to our process, helps us confirm the smoothness, balance, and aromatic signature of each variety. At the slightest deviation, we adjust or discard the batch. This rigor guarantees our customers a consistent, faithful, and controlled coffee experience. We have a tasting room equipped with all the coffee makers on the market: espresso machines, automatic coffee makers, filter coffee makers, Italian moka pots, French presses, Keurig systems, and Nespresso machines. These tests allow us to verify that the coffee's sensory profile remains consistent, regardless of the machine used. Because exceptional coffee should remain exceptional, no matter where or how it's prepared.
Grain purity: a requirement at each stage
The pursuit of quality doesn't end with roasting; it continues in every detail of the bean processing. Before roasting, our coffees undergo two filtrations of coffee dust to ensure even air circulation during the roasting process. This essential step allows for more consistent roasting and optimal flavor development.
After roasting, the coffee undergoes mechanical filtration to remove any impurities or foreign matter (stones, volcanic rock, twigs, etc.), guaranteeing a pure and stable raw material. Then comes a key step: optical sorting. Using a high-precision electronic eye, each bean is analyzed according to its color, density, and shape. Beans deemed non-compliant—too pale, broken, or burnt—are automatically rejected. This meticulous process allows us to obtain a cup of remarkable purity, consistent and flawless, true to the Castelo signature.
100% in-house production
Our independence is an integral part of our identity. No subcontracting, No steps are delegated. Roasting, packaging, blend preparation and even the encapsulation of our coffee capsules are all done entirely in-house, in our own facilities.
We roast only the week's coffee, in small batches, according to actual demand. Nothing is industrialized, nothing is stored for long periods. This controlled pace guarantees consistently fresh coffee, with a vibrant taste and true to our standards of excellence.
Behind every cup is a team of passionate roasters, trained to combine technical precision with sensory intuition. It is this combination of science, rigor, and craftsmanship that creates this elixir of happiness.
Our expertise, passed down from generation to generation, is based on a simple idea: to offer exceptional coffee, you must master every step of the bean's journey. From selection to roasting, from laboratory testing to final sorting, everything is done " House ", with the same attention to detail, the same pride and the same commitment to quality.
To learn more about our method, processes, and coffee philosophy, Read our blog post: The art of roasting is at the heart of Café Castelo's expertise..
In the media
On your business - VAT - Café Castelo
The show Get on with your business went to the factory Café Castelo to address the rise in coffee prices and present the innovation we have developed to deal with this market reality.
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Café Castelo, quite QUEBEC-like? OH, yes. 💙
In Bouchard en parle, the entrepreneur recounts an incident where, during a phone call, a potential client questioned whether the company was local because of Ms. Okuka's name.
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Food Retailer Magazine - Café Castelo unveils a universal grind
Café Castelo in Quebec City is launching a new product line, Universal Grind. It works in almost all coffee machines and brewing methods, and requires between 20 % and 40 % less coffee per cup....
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HRI Magazine - Café Castelo unveils a universal grind
Café Castelo in Quebec City is introducing a universal grind. The company hopes this will help the industry address the shortage of skilled labor and conserve resources by reducing the amount of co...
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They fled the war, opened a business in Quebec and innovated in coffee
Café Castelo's universal grind uses 40% less coffee, a revolution in the world of coffee, without sacrificing flavor. Having arrived in Quebec in 1995, just 18 months later, Predrag and his wif...
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The future of coffee in the hands of a Quebec company
The sustainability of coffee production is compromised, and so is that of our Earth. The ecological footprint of this sweet nectar is a real burden on our environment. A major revolution by Café ...
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