“We want HEBA to be the kind of place where you’re greeted like family — whether you’re grabbing a flat white or settling in for a chat.”
Meet Helmi Dneni. He’s the Belfast man behind a tiny van with a big story that has just rolled into town.
HEBA, a family-run specialty coffee destination on wheels, is now pouring at 26 Stockmans Way, bringing South Belfast a vibrant blend of Libyan coffee heritage, Irish-language love, and home-baked goodness — all powered by one close-knit family.
Helmi, 30, is an Irish speaker, fitness coach, and proud son of a Libyan father who came to Belfast in the early 1980s. HEBA (Arabic for “gift from God”) began as a simple family ritual. Helmi has invested his life savings to launch the van and has already created two new jobs in the city.
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Helmi, his 28-year-old partner Melisse — a biomedical science graduate — and Helmi’s sisters Sumaia, 36, and Jazmen, 42, juggled babies, prams, and precious adult chat during maternity-leave meet-ups while hunting for coffee that truly hit the spot.
Unable to find the perfect cup, they decided to create the experience they’d been craving as Helmi explained: “We were meeting for coffee all the time with the kids, but the flavours and quality just didn’t hit. We wanted cups that felt like conversation — vibrant, balanced, memorable.
“That’s why HEBA exists. It’s a celebration of my Arabic roots meeting Belfast soul — careful sourcing, rich aromatics, and clean finishes. With HEBA, we’re sharing that love with Belfast, family-style.”
Authenticity runs through everything at HEBA — and it isn’t just the coffee that has its roots in Arabia says Helmi, who grew up in Poleglass with his dad (also Helmi), a youth club manager, and his mum Ann, who worked at Scoil na Fuisceoga.
He said: “Coffee and desserts are a huge part of Arabic culture — it’s about welcome, warmth, and talking for hours. From a young age, I was taught to respect the bean — its roast, aroma, and ritual. But mostly, it was the authentic desserts that I was more interested in: baklava, knafeh, katayef.
“They were so well made and rich that when I finally tasted the chocolate bars my mates raved about — Galaxy and Dairy Milk — I realised how lucky I was.”
Helmi says HEBA wouldn’t exist without his biggest supporters — his partner Melisse and two sisters, Sumaia and Jazmen: “My incredible trio helped whenever they could, even while juggling babies, families, and their own lives. And honestly, HEBA wouldn’t be what it is without their baking ideas. Their recipes bring our family’s story to life in every bite.”
From Nutella-filled baklava pastries sprinkled with pistachio to peanut-butter protein balls, the team’s fresh bakes are inspired by authentic family recipes — treats that taste like home.
“Even our name tells the story,” Helmi adds. “HEBA means ‘gift from God’ in Arabic, and that’s what we want every cup and treat to feel like — a small gift in the middle of a busy day. And yes, it all comes from a little static van with a big vibe, built for quick stops, longer chats, and plenty of smiles.
“We want HEBA to be the kind of place where you’re greeted like family — whether you’re grabbing a flat white or settling in for a chat.”
Find HEBA at 26 Stockmans Way, Belfast and on Instagram. Look for the cutest coffee van in the city — and follow the aroma.
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