Westwood, MA -- April 28, 2003 -- Filterfresh Coffee Service Inc. announced today that its parent company, Van Houtte Inc. (Toronto: VH.TO,) has signed an agreement with R.C. Bigelow to be the exclusive packager and distributor of Bigelow specialty teas in K-Cups® for use in the Keurig Premium Coffee SystemsTM. The K-Cup is a single-serve cartridge that is used to brew one cup of coffee or tea in 30 seconds. The single-serve Bigelow teas will be available for the foodservice industry through Van Houtte in Canada and Filterfresh in the U.S.

"By offering distinctive Bigelow teas to our customers, we provide exciting new beverage choices with the added convenience of single-serve Keurig Brewing Systems," said Roger Cohen, president of Filterfresh Coffee Service Inc. "Tea has become increasingly popular and, as a leading coffee service provider in the U.S., it was a natural evolution that we add this beverage offering to our catalog of products and services."

Filterfresh will offer its customers a variety of Bigelow specialty tea blends, including Earl Grey, Green Tea, Mint Medley Herbal, I Love Lemon Herbal, English Breakfast and Orange & Spice Herbal. The specialty tea category is the fastest growing segment in the hot beverage industry, according to a recent survey by the National Restaurant Association. In addition, 71% of all tea drinkers surveyed said they would prefer to drink a specialty tea. The strong interest is partly due to the reported health benefits attributed to tea.

"As Filterfresh did with single-cup coffee makers, R.C. Bigelow pioneered the specialty tea category and today owns a 70% share of the specialty tea foodservice market," said Arnie D'Angelo, president of International Marketing Systems, Inc., the exclusive sales and marketing agent for Bigelow. "This venture will allow a greater number of consumers to enjoy a selection of the finest specialty teas available through the Keurig K-Cup system, which preserves product integrity and flavor during the brewing process.

Lori Bigelow, SVP, Tea Division, R.C. Bigelow Inc. added, "We carefully evaluated many of our tea blends in the K-Cup application to ensure it delivered a cup of tea which would meet our quality standards and were very pleased with the results. We therefore eagerly entered into an agreement with Van Houtte to offer our products for use in the Keurig systems."

About Filterfresh Coffee Service, Inc. Filterfresh Coffee Service, Inc., based in Westwood, Mass., is a subsidiary of Van Houtte Inc. The company, a pioneer in single-cup coffee makers, provides state-of-the-art equipment, beverages, programs and services to offices, manufacturing facilities, supermarkets, hotels, retailers and other places of employment. For further information on Filterfresh, its growth plans or franchise opportunities, visit the Web site at www.filterfresh.com.

About R.C. Bigelow Since the introduction of specialty tea into foodservice into 1974, R.C. Bigelow has developed the most comprehensive and innovative tea programs in the industry. The creation of the tableside tea chest, now a universal component of every program, is an example of the company's ingenuity. With over a 70% share of the specialty tea foodservice market, Bigelow's quality, service and knowledge of its customer's needs has proven to the a formula for success. For more information, visit www.bigelowtea.com.