ARTISANAL ROASTING THE RISE of - Bringing Specialty Coffee into the Mainstream
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THE RISE of
ARTISANAL
ROASTING
in INDIA
Bringing
Specialty Coffee
into the
Mainstream
By Reshil Charles
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THE RISE of ARTISANAL ROASTING in INDIA
A B OV E WHIPPED, A BAKERY IN DELHI, shops that have come up in the last few years and
Jugmug Thela Café in India, is not known for its coffee. Over the years, are serving a range of freshly brewed coffee, along
Delhi. Photo courtesy of the establishment earned a household name for its with croissants and cookies. Our customers had also
Jugmug Thela. cheesecakes, baked goods and gelato. Residents and started asking questions about coffee that surprised
offices around the area order cakes on a whim, while us. While we are primarily a dessert boutique, we
P R E C E D I N G PA G E others stroll in to order an assortment of goods or could not ignore this.” For a bakery to incorporate
Baristas at K C Roasters. indulge on the spot. When Whipped moved up the coffee into its remodel indicates the evolution taking
Photo courtesy of K C road to a new location, a coffee section was added in place in the Indian coffee scene. More so, the fact
Roasters collaboration with a Delhi-based coffee roaster who that an aspiring coffee connoisseur like me noticed
brought in beans from plantations in the south. The the bakery was pricing its Americano at double that
staff was trained to pull espresso shots and steam of an espresso shot (and promptly pointed it out) is a
milk, along with their existing skills of slicing cakes testament to how consumers are also evolving in our
and scooping gelato. Whipped is now a place where basic knowledge of the coffee industry.
people stay longer mingling over in-house blends that In recent years, artisanal coffee shops, roasteries
change periodically, adding an element to the bakery and homegrown brands selling beans to retail outlets
that owner Alcie Arora never imagined creating when and consumers have emerged in large numbers
he began in 2009. across Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Goa,
“Until last year, we had a push-button coffee Chandigarh, Pune and other parts of India where
machine in a corner and it was simply an add-on for coffee has always been second to tea. Restaurants and
anyone who wanted a cup, or to add in hot chocolate,” cafes not previously focused on coffee now source
says Arora. “We are surrounded by artisanal coffee from various brands to ensure a freshly brewed cup is
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LEFT always available. Even some convenience stores and coffee industry as well. The social enterprise Araku
Maverick and Farmer’s salons brew a pleasant surprise while the customer Originals started in 2008 in Andhra Pradesh, bringing
coffee estate in Coorg. shops or gets a pedicure. farmers and experts together to take coffee from the
Photo courtesy of Maverick Parallel opportunities are being created for region of Araku Valley to the global coffee market.
and Farmer’s manufacturers and importers of manual-brewing There was a vacuum waiting to be filled though,
equipment, espresso machines, roasters, grinders and Keshav Devan explains it well. His father started
RIGHT and take-away cups. Design and packaging are Devan’s in 1962 in Delhi, selling spices and tea,
Devan’s at Lodhi in taken seriously, putting an emphasis on artwork along with coffee beans from plantations in South
Delhi, a coffee shop and and identity. Brands rely heavily on social media to India (initially through the Coffee Board and later
roastery in Delhi. Photo market, communicate and grow communities around through direct relationships with plantations in the
courtesy of Devan’s Coffee their products, cafes and experiences. Tasting events, Chikmagalur region). They roasted the beans in one
coffee-cocktail evenings and innovative promotions uniform manner for the small but loyal segment of
are becoming more common. Barista training facilities non-instant coffee drinkers in the city. Today he
were established in a few cities, pushing the scope roasts beans light, medium and dark and grinds them
even further. While a lot of this is new, coffee is not. coarse and fine, while his son—who completed his
Indian coffee plantations, mainly in South India, barista training in Italy—runs a coffee bar next door
need no introduction. Filter-coffee—a traditional with a variety of blends and brewing styles to choose
method where the coffee is brewed in a two-section from. “These new brands are simply doing what other
filter—is a morning ritual across homes, streets and coffee roasters and brands have already done the world
establishments in the region. Coffee from plantations over. They are buying from the plantations, roasting
has also been available over the years in many non- in their own ways and doing a great marketing job.
traditional coffee cities, though initially was only We sometimes sell the same plantation’s coffee at half
available through The Coffee Board of India. In 1990, the price, minus the fuss,” says Devan, a seasoned
a rule was passed allowing roasters and wholesalers to roaster. Although he does not have a heavy social
approach plantations directly. In the early 2000s, the media presence, he boasts a long-time, loyal clientele
homegrown multi-city coffee shop chain Café Coffee across individuals, stores, cafes and restaurants that
Day popularized the cappuccino as a trendy alternative stock his coffee in the North Indian belt.
to Nescafé. Starbucks also made a grand entry in 2012 While Devan bursts the bubble with a prick, it
and now has over 200 stores across India. Costa Coffee is exactly what he is not doing that the new wave of
and Lavazza have a significant presence in the Indian young Indians in the coffee business are doing. They
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have bet their business plans on the fact that there is
a large number of people in cities and towns across the
country who have an appetite to try the next new trend.
There is also an abundant artsy and corporate crowd
that seeks to visit out-of-the-ordinary cafes. The
mix of the two characteristics leads to conversations
around products and places that make those who
have not experienced them feel left out. Specialty and
single origin coffee (from within India and imported
from other countries) may have been around for the
loyalists, but this growing segment of people had not
tasted it. Plus, they also have the money.
Together, the combination of characteristics was
enough for Matt Chitharanjan to start Blue Tokai
Coffee Roasters, Rizwan Amlani to bring in some funk
with Dope Coffee, Ashish D’abreo and Tej Thammaiah
to join with a tennis player’s plantation and create
Maverick and Farmer, Ashwajeet Singh, Arman Sood
and Ajai Thandi to take a chance on cold-brew with
Sleepy Owl and Manvi Gupta to set up El Bueno.
The list only gets more innovative with names like
K C Roasters, Bili Hu, Third Wave Coffee Roasters,
Ainmane, Black Baza, Woke Cold Brew, Corridor Seven
Coffee and others who do a mix of brews—hot and
cold—and work with business-to-business (B2B) and
business-to-consumer (B2C) models.
"The majority of plantations were growing
commodity coffee, which gets sold as arabica or
robusta blends or mixed later with chicory for South
Indian filter coffee," Chitharanjan says. "We felt there
would be other consumers like us who were not looking
for this traditional filter-coffee flavour but wanted the
variety and flavour that you find in specialty coffee.
So we went down south and visited farms that were
producing high-quality coffee that was specialty grade
in contrast to the normal commodity coffee. Hence, it
also became important to us that we roast the beans
ourselves, highlight the farms that we were sourcing
from in our packaging, and also have some education
TO P Arshiya Bose, Founder, Black Baza Coffee. Photo courtesy of Black Baza Coffee to explain to customers what the difference between
A B OV E Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters founders Matt Chitharanjan and Namrata Asthana. this and the traditional filter coffee or instant coffee
Photo courtesy of Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters that they had been drinking." When they started Blue
Tokai nine years ago, it was just Chitharanjan and his
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wife Namrata delivering coffee to people from their “We look at Dope Coffee Roasters as a platform
home-roastery in the National Capital Region (NCR). where Indian street artists can showcase their work
They opened their brick-and-mortar shop to an on our packaging and branding,” says Rizwan Amlani,
enthusiastic welcome into the market, as Blue Tokai founder of Dope Coffee Roasters. “Creative people
was the first cafe with a roastery to open in Delhi. can splash themselves across our social media and
Currently, Blue Tokai is potentially the fastest web, and ‘Its Dope’ is our initiative to recognize and
growing venture in the industry with cafes in Delhi, acknowledge people and initiatives across the country
Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata, along that are making it a better place every day. We’re loud
with a huge online clientele for its beans and a host and proud about our coffee plantations and want that
of hotels and restaurants serving its blends. The to show in ways that go beyond [the coffee’s] gorgeous
expansion is the result of major funding that came from taste!”
serious investors along the way. It is now common for Other brands are also showcasing a mix of artwork
start-ups to get a seat at the table and pitch for funding, on their packaging, with themes ranging from wildlife
provided they have the right blend of marketing, social to regional landscapes, languages and fonts. Telling
media and product. Sleepy Owl is another enterprise a ‘story’ is integral in selling a brand. “You can
that raised two rounds of funding to support its now have coffee without sugar, because it tastes so
Blue Tokai Coffee in Oshiwara. Photo courtesy of Blue Tokai expansion. However, it cannot only be about the coffee. good,” is just one of the many interesting ways in Dope Coffee Roasters founder Rizwan Amlani. Photo courtesy of Dope Coffee
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which Shannon D’Souza—who owns the Another common strategy across impact the flavor of the final beverage. people at the cafes equates the variety of own just an acre or less of land get no brands go directly to the well-known and
quaint roastery and brand K C Roasters brands is to help customers understand Videos, posts, events and information on blends offered. Some come for a quick take- benefits from this mainstream boom,” says bigger plantations, as it naturally makes
in Mumbai—convinces first-timers that the basics of different styles of brewing the packaging communicate the methods away, while others spend the day on their Arshiya Bose, owner of Black Baza Coffee. more business sense.” Bose refers to her
the coffee from his family estate is worth and roasting, and how a coffee’s origin, used. No question from a customer can laptops and phones. A solo sipper perches “They are not well-known and many company as ‘a social enterprise’ that works
trying. processing techniques or variety can be considered too basic, as the ego in by the window and in another section, a don’t produce specialty coffee. So a lot of with the small-scale and tribal farmers.
this segment is large. Being perceived as group of hearty laughers gathers at a table
a snobbish brand will be detrimental to for four. A muffin alongside a flat-white
business. “We always say ‘this is how we for some, while a pour-over pairs with
suggest you have it, but please feel free a full post-run breakfast for a morning
to play around and reach out to us if you crowd. Ages span the spectrum from
need any advice whatsoever,’” says Bharat college students and young professionals
Singhal of Bili Hu Coffee. to middle-aged men and women and a few
With the amount of manual-brewing retired oldies who demonstrate the best
equipment available for sale across cafes example of slowing down. The world is a
and online portals, the number of people small place, considering this can happen
‘playing around’ with coffee continues to simultaneously in other parts of the globe.
rise. A French press and Moka pot have In fact, people from other parts of the
become quite common in many homes world are tapping into it.
where they previously were not. Every In Mussoorie, a Dutch baker and her
now and then a guest or friend will come brother-in-law run a cafe named Lotte’s
over who hasn’t had this coffee experience with a small roastery attached. The cafe
and a moment of pride follows—I know it at the Korean Culture Centre in Delhi,
well. Over the past 11 years, I went from serves coffee roasted by a Korean roaster
sipping my first Sidamo in a French Press, who visited, saw the potential and started
to keeping a mix of blends at home and sourcing from Indian plantations. An
brewing in different styles. For me and American couple opened a similar venture
many others who previously only knew with the I-heart Café in the small hill-town
instant coffee, the cafes are where a lot of of Bhowali, adding pancakes of course.
people get introduced to the experience of One story that brands sell is how the
specialty coffee. Indian coffee farmers are benefiting from
Location is key for artisanal brands: their endeavors; this is a rather gray
a modest lane in the art district of a area. In my conversations with farmers
city, an open-air space in a mill turned and brands, only the farmers who deal
theatre and shopping zone, high up in directly with the roasters see an increase in
the mountains gazing over the plains, a revenue. However, the many farmers who
sea-facing promenade, malls and vendors sell the green bean to an intermediary and
in the upmarket areas, and the shop- play no role in where it goes afterwards,
in-shop model where many brands set have not seen an improvement. Yet, images
up coffee stations and bars in stores, of smiling farmers plucking cherries are
bakeries, organic markets, or wherever portrayed by brands in a way that leaves
a sync is available. According to Amlani, the reality of the farmers in the dark.
Dope Coffee is profitable because it follows “To put the ‘Indian coffee farmer’
this model. under one large umbrella is not fair
Whatever the location, the blend of because a lot of small-scale farmers that
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While the dynamic presents ethical challenges not
uncommon to this region of the world, the growth
of specialty coffee culture in India has opened up
opportunities for many baristas to step into a career
path that did not exist before. Some baristas moved
on from roles at chains such as Café Coffee Day and
Starbucks, while fresh recruits join with no prior
experience and, in some cases, never having tasted
anything beyond instant coffee, as many come from
traditional tea-drinking homes.
“Initially, when I worked at a cafe, my parents
were embarrassed to tell people that their daughter
serves coffee for a living,” says Ranju Singh, manager
at the Health Bar at Greenr, a plant-based cafe in Delhi
and Gurgaon. “This was also because of the general
expectation of our society, where certain careers
are looked at as less rewarding, but I stuck with it
and went on to get a silver in the National Barista
Championships. Today I design coffee and food menus
and also train people. My family is fully supportive
of it.” Singh’s 2-year-old daughter surely seems to
be at ease with it, as she sits on the coffee bar sifting
through videos on her mother’s smartphone. The
chance to rise through the ranks creates hope for
Singh and her family.
“In our company, even a janitor can become a
barista if he or she is interested. In some other coffee
chains here, this is unheard of. In fact, working
conditions are quite rigorous and there is no payment
for overtime,” confirms Krishna Joshi, who went
from being a barista at Blue Tokai to training aspiring
ones in the course of a few years. Joshi’s story is one
of many in the company, seemingly a happy bunch,
apart from some who were laid-off last year when the
company downsized due to covid-19.
A few privately-run training facilities have opened
with various courses available, conducted by Indian
trainers who are certified by the Specialty Coffee
TO P Barista Ranju Singh at Greenr Cafe, Delhi. Photo courtesy of Greenr Cafe Association (SCA). The Coffee Board of India also
L E F T Dope Coffee’s Polaris Cold Brew Blend. Photo courtesy of Dope Coffee offers training programs for new cafe owners and
R I G H T Sleepy Owl Cold Brew packs. Photo courtesy of Sleepy Owl baristas to learn about best practices and preparation
techniques, but many baristas are trained by specialty
brands through in-house trainers on how to prepare
every style of coffee on the menu. The fact that the
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menu offers a wide variety of options circles back to brands are surfing it well. While some brands have
the very reason these cafes and brands exist. received criticism that they are growing too fast, too
“It was time to go beyond notes of chocolate and soon and not paying enough attention to detail, India’s
caramel and start giving the Indian coffee drinker expanding specialty coffee industry means that good
an experience that taps into the finer nuances of our coffee and roasteries are accessible in places where
coffee. That is what we are trying to do with Maverick one would least expect it.
and Farmer,” says Ashish D’abreo, the ‘Maverick’
of the Bangalore-based brand. Baristas, who are the Due to current restrictions related to covid-19, the
face of the cafe’s brand, must be able to go beyond functionality of the cafes and businesses mentioned in this
their technical training and learn how to answer many article could be temporarily affected.
questions coming their way daily from new customers.
It could be one person who wants to know the
difference between roasts or another who is curious
about a particular estate’s blend. Tedious brushing up R E S H I L C H A R L E S lives in New Delhi and has been
is required as progress is being made. tracking emerging Indian trends and culture for 18 years,
There is no doubt that the third wave of artisanal across television, web and print.
Manvi Gupta, Founder, El Bueno Coffee. Photo courtesy of El Bueno Coffee. roasting is rising in India and the new roasters and Maverick and Farmer’s coffee estate in Coorg. Photo courtesy of Maverick and Farmer’s
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