The first fully equipped Coffee Roasters in Cyprus

The G.Charalambous Coffee Roasters was established in 1943 as a company under the name George Charalambous Ltd and is the first fully operational coffee roaster in Cyprus with national distribution. This is a family business specialising in the production and distribution of the Charalambous coffee both in the local market and abroad, having a long, significant history in the production of authentic Cyprus coffee. The story starts in 1940 at a small Ledras street shop in Nicosia.

Cyprus coffee is identified with the traditional life of Cyprus, as well as professional and social daily life. For decades it’s been the focal point of contact and the hospitality of our people, still representing, to this day, the centre of social gatherings for all ages.

G.Charalambous coffee has been around for 78 years and fully identifies with the tradition, daily communication and hospitality of our people. For the greatest part of Cypriot consumers, it has become an integral part of daily life, good company and enjoyment, and it’s been with us for four generations.

Α complete set of coffee suggestions

George Charalambous Ltd aims at providing its customers with complete coffee solutions. Beyond the traditional coffee, the company has also introduced other blends of Cyprus coffee, such as ‘Silver’, a traditional option from Brazilian coffee brands, a blend that’s light in intensity, ‘Mocha’, a strong coffee with rich aroma and intense taste with Brazilian and Ethiopian coffee blends, not traditionally used in Cyprus blended coffee, as well as Charalambous Decaffeinated, the first traditional Cyprus Coffee without caffeine. This is a traditional blend of Brazilian coffee, with caffeine removed following specialised processing with water and no chemical substances.

Cheese puffs since 1980

Always focused on goods of the highest quality, the G.Charalambous Coffee Roasters has been producing since the early 1980s, the well known and popular ‘Charalambous cheese puffs’, remaining the favourites of all ages-children and adults-for decades now.
The cheese puffs are produced today in the same traditional way they always were, made of natural raw materials that are not fried but oven baked, providing perfection for the taste buds.

The 3rd generation and landmarks

One such landmark for the company was 1997 when the 3rd generation of the family took over its management, greatly contributing to modernisation, such as technological upgrades which allow for all the companies’ activities to be certified with ISO22000: 2018 (HACCP). They also made investments in machinery, automation and software and significant changes to the organisation and operational approach of the company, which substantially boosted its growth, without relinquishing traditional values.

The first major step was taken in 2000 when the company acquired the Leivadiotis dry nuts and dry fruit industry. By multiplying market supply during that time, it’s also become a leader in this sector too.

Implementing a strategic target, the company imported Ahmad Tea of London in 2000.

In 2004, the company succeeds in reaching agreement for the exclusive representation of Italian firm Lavazza, producing the espresso and filter coffee of the same name. Lavazza is the top selling coffee in Italy and one of the top espresso sellers globally. The series of products includes ground coffee and beans as well as espresso capsule machine systems.

The specialised range of G.Charalambous Coffee Roasters products became complete with the 2006 market distribution of Celest instant coffee, with its strong points being flavour, aroma and the ideal price-value correlation.

Timeless vision, values and principles

The company aims at providing complete coffee solutions and authentic quality products at affordable prices for all consumers, maintaining the traditional taste of Cyprus coffee over time, while also fullfilling consumers’ modern needs with new products and coffee blends, as well as other goods in its categories of operation.

Cyprus coffee belongs to our culture and will remain an integral part of our daily lives, it is identified with hospitality and good company. Coffee is with us in many and different moments throughout the day; right after waking up, a noon pick me up at work, afternoon coffee with friends and great digestion after food.
As the company puts it:
‘Charalambous Cyprus coffee is a pure enjoyment, ideal for every time of day, a memorable rich aroma identified with family gatherings, always bringing us together’.

Traditional with a ‘facelift’

In 2020 the well known Charalambous traditional Cyprus coffee got a ‘facelift’, with new packaging, merging traditional values with modern life. Charalambous coffee comes in three different blends; the Classic in the green package, an intensely aromatic flavour from selected rich aroma Brazilian blends, the Silver in the silver package, traditional from Brazilian coffee blends, light in intensity, and the Mocha, packaged in gold, a strong coffee with rich aroma of Brazilian and Ethiopian varieties.

As noted, «the company changed the design of the packaging in order to bring tradition closer to the modern way of life and youths. The G.Charalambous Cyprus coffee is a traditional classic, timeless, with steadfast values; a product that is part of daily life and the younger generation’.

It is further stressed that ‘the leader in the new packaging is the traditional coffee cup, directly connected to the taste and aroma of the Charalambous Cyprus coffee. It is a cup immediately recognisable to everyone, awakening memories and a multitude of emotions. Focusing on tradition and folk art we were inspired by Cypriot handicraft for the design of the packaging. It brings tradition closer both to our established clients but also younger consumers who appreciate and respect Cyprus culture and tradition’.

Exclusive representations

George Charalambous Ltd is the exclusive distributor of Lavazza and Ahmad Tea, importing and distributing their products.

Today’s leadership

When the founder of the company George Charalambous passed away in April 1997, he was succeeded by the Yiannakis Matsis family, who participated in the company through the founder’s daughter, Roulla Charalambous Matsi. Now leading the company is the 3rd generation of the family, the grandchildren of George Charalambous, Kyriakos Matsis and Melina Matsi Apostolidou, with her husband, Angelos Apostolides.

Georgios Charalambous

The company’s founder G.Charalambous was born in 1910 in Larnaca. In 1929 he graduated from the American Academy in Larnaca, where he distinguished himself for his conscientiousness, studiousness and performance in Physics and Mathematics.

Following his graduation from the Academy he worked as a teacher at Samuel School for two years, while also studying Electrical Engineering by correspondence. A few years later in 1933, his old school, the American Academy Larnaca hired him to teach English, Mathematics, Physics and Accounting. During the same time, he received his diploma from the Chicago Electrical Engineering College and concluded his studies at the Royal Technical College of Glasgow.

On his return to Cyprus, he worked at the Electrical Authority and in parallel, around the late 1930s, his love of engines and his electrical engineering aptitude, led him to the launching of an electrical goods importing business. During the early period of WW2, the recession in Cyprus created really unfavourable circumstances for trading in electrical goods.

There were also shortages in food imports at the time, which inevitably also affected coffee imports to Cyprus. Grasping an opportunity he modified the mills at his engineering workshop for the grinding of coffee and after buying his first roaster in 1940, he started producing and selling Cyprus coffee. Starting at his shop on Ledras Street 118, he delved into coffee distribution in Nicosia. Initially coffee distribution took place on a bicycle and in later years a coach was used. These were the company’s initial steps in the coffee business.

Danae Charalambous

Always by the side of G.Charalambous, was his wife Danae. She was born in 1911 in Strovolos and was one of the first women that graduated from the Pancyprian Teaching School and begun a career as a teacher. She was quite active in the anti-colonial fight during the EOKA 1955-1959 Liberation Struggle.

She was well known for her charity work and served as president of the Strovolos Charity Society from 1950 through to 1996. Her charity work continued in parallel with the active participation support in the creation and establishment of the family business.

The story with Makarios

The decades-long course of G.Charalambous Group is connected, in much the same way as many other historical companies, with the history of the country. In this case, the Coffee Roasters is connected with the escape of Archbishop Makarios from the Presidential Palace on the morning of July 15th 1974, following the coup and the attempt on his life.

G.Charalambous described what happened that day in a 1996 interview:

“Someone I was really close to was the late Archbishop Makarios and I remember an incident connected to the Coffee Roasters that almost proved fatal for the Archbishop’s life. As I recall on the morning of July 15th 1974 when the coup broke out in Nicosia, I arrived at the Roasters’ and found the employees visibly upset.

As soon as they told me what happened, we closed down to avoid any problems. That was when the Archbishop passed by the Roasters, following his escape, so he could safely make some calls and be on his way to Deftera. But he found the doors closed and was forced to leave. That actually saved his life, as before long, people connected to the coup arrived and if the Archbishop had come in, they would have arrested him, if not even killed him.”