Deeply exotic, tantalisingly mysterious and intense, SICAL has the power to intrigue and enchant. Sourced from the best coffee-producing countries in the world, each SICAL blend has a character evocative of its origin.

Vicente Peres, a dynamic and enterprising man, had abandoned his functions as manager of the firm Telles & Co. to pursue his great vision. Vincente had an in-depth understanding of the coffee importing and roasting field and he was particularly fond of the ritual of enjoying a good coffee accompanied by a quiet chat with a group of friends. Because of his astuteness, he stood up as a beacon within the coffee society. Realising there was a void in the raw coffee import market, he acted with determination to fill this gap and in turn satisfy the market's needs. On the 25th of April 1947, the Sociedade Importadora de Cafés Lda (Coffee Importing Company Ltd) was established.

SICAL started its activity as a roasted pure coffee importer in the city of Porto, with less than ten employees and without their own manufacturing plant. However, the company’s growth and expansion finally forced the construction of their own roasting plant. SICAL was now an autonomous operation.

In September 1956, SICAL started operating, roasting and packing coffee beans in small cellophane packets - a packaging process until then unseen in Portugal. This was the beginning of SICAL's pioneering image within the coffee market. Staying vigorously at the forefront of the multitude of coffee producers, Vicente Peres invested in the modernisation and strengthening of the SICAL image, and embraced the future when it was the first Portuguese make of coffee to advertise.

In 1985, a new factory was built with the most recent technology and unequalled hygiene conditions. It was the start of a new era for coffee. The campaign to launch new packaging with an aroma control valve introduced a new communication concept: “coffee’s origins” emphasising the product’s genuine character in relation to the SICAL consumer.

In 1987 SICAL, was acquired by Nestlé, whose worldwide experience in this market greatly benefited the SICAL brand.

Further to the high quality standards that SICAL got its consumers used to, its factory in Porto has held the Quality Certification within the scope of the ISO 9002 standard since 1998.