‘A cup of flavour and freshness’: The rapidly-growing demand for artisanal coffees in India

Hot or cold, dark or creamy — coffees are the perfect solution to all our woes. A cup of hot brew in the morning is enough to give a perfect start to the day, infusing the much-needed energy and vibrancy. While some just can’t do without their regular coffees, others prefer experimenting with different flavours and aromas.
There was a time when coffee enthusiasts were majorly dependent on instant coffee brands like Nescafe and Bru for a hot cuppa. Then came popular coffee chains such as Starbucks, Café Coffee Day and Bara that spread their reach across various cities. But, gone are the days when people were satiated with just cappuccinos, mochas and lattes. Tapping into the fact that every person has a different preference and taste profile is the latest disruptor in the segment: artisanal coffee.
What is artisanal coffee?
To put it in simple terms, artisanal coffee is high-quality brewed coffee seeds sourced directly from farms, that come in varied flavours. Treated with special care, they are different from regular coffees right from their harvesting level to their processing and storage, Rizwan Amlani, CEO and co-founder, Dope Coffee, stated.

Agreed Yahvi Mariwala, founder, Nandan Coffee. “Specialty/artisanal coffee takes a great deal of effort and care at each step. Growers, roasters and baras go the extra mile to ensure quality measures are in place to a scientific level of precision at every stage in the coffee chain.”

The idea behind Indian artisanal coffee brands
It is widely known that India is one of the biggest coffee producers and exporters globally, sixth-largest producer and fifth-largest exporter, with the country produce accounting for around  3.14 per cent (2019-2020) of coffee production worldwide, according to Indian Brand Equity Foundation. Of the total coffee produced in India, however, 70 per cent is exported and the remaining is consumed domestically. While India has been exporting its high-quality coffee varieties for decades, the rapid rise in artisanal coffee in the country is cementing its place in the home, too.
“While it’s delightful to find our coffee in different countries, if they are present in our own backyard; it’s about time they get recognition in their own country. That’s one of the biggest driving and passionate factors for us,” Amlani said, highlighting the motivation behind his artisanal coffee brand.
“People are done with coffee tasting just one way. They now want coffee in different flavours, made using different techniques. Some like their coffee bitter, some like it floral. Everybody has a different taste profile. Each coffee can’t be roasted the same way. The demand is growing and somebody needs to answer that.” He added that the coffee for the brand is sourced from the entire coffee-growing belt in India — Karnataka, North Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Orissa and the northeast.

For Arshiya Urveeja Bose, founder, Black Baza Coffee, the idea was to empower smallholder producers through bio-diversity practices.
“The idea emerged as an outcome of a research project that studied coffee value chains in India and the potential of a speciality coffee brand to bring about positive social and environmental change. On the ground, we link Fair Trade principles with the additional ecological criterion that makes farms better suited as the natural habitat for wildlife species – we call this ‘biodiversity-friendly farming’,” Bose, who did her PhD on coffee and sustainability, said.
While Dope Coffee sources its coffee from various regions, brands such Black Baza and Nandan Coffee keep it single-origin. “Our roastery is based out of Bangalore where we roast coffees in small batches and through careful profile roasting that allows us to highlight the unique flavours of different origins,” Bose added.
Mariwala said, “Nandan Coffee has been organically grown and roasted at The Nandanvan Estate in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu since 2002. The coffee is single-origin and grows in the heart of the Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary, at an elevation of 1500 meters above sea level in an amazing microclimate.”

Flavours and blends
While Nandan coffee offers seven different blends with Royale, Espresso, South Special and Gold being the most favourites, Wanderoo, Otter and Ficus are some of Black Baza Coffee’s most loved blends. On the other hand, Dope coffee serves both regular (more than eight blends) and limited-edition varieties. “We are also experimenting with new techniques and varieties,” Amlani added.
Talking about the diverse methods of growing and post-processing artisanal coffees, he further explained, “Coffee producing countries with largely traditional agrarian mindsets like India usually stick to one favoured process. This is a common practice in many countries besides India as well. For example, Rwanda and most of Central America horically used the washed process, while Brazil tended towards honey or natural. Thanks to the demand for specialty coffee and a clientele that is beginning to appreciate and pay a premium for diverse flavours, this is now slowly changing. Where the environment and climate permits, producers are slowly opening up to trying out new and diverse methods of growing and post-harvest processing.”

“The demand for extreme experimental processing methods especially is growing. For example, our Whiskey Barrel Aged Coffee came to our catalogue twice in small lots and was sold out in a matter of days. Hopefully, this means more innovation can be expected in the future,” he added, explaining the growing demand for diverse flavours and methods.
Make a switch
Apart from diverse and unique flavours as opposed to regular coffees, the amount of care into quality put into the growing and roasting of specialty coffee is evident in the final cup brewed, Mariwala said, emphasising why coffee-lovers should make a switch to artisanal coffees. “Having a cup of freshly roasted coffee, with no additives and stabilisers will always be a healthier option than one with added flavour and hidden sugars. With organic coffee, it goes one step further, it’s better for the environment and the people growing it as well.”
To ensure you get the freshest and flavourful cuppa in your hands, artisanal coffee brands get involved right from the harvesting to its processing. “Only ripe fruits are picked to reduce greeny harshness. Fruits are hand pulped to minimise any damage to beans. We roast once or twice a week and deliver within three days of a roast. Coffee available on shelves on shelves is often a generic grind. We custom-grind beans depending on how it will be eventually brewed to preserve its freshness and flavour,” Bose elucidated.

Sustainable practices
Black Baza coffee adopts various sustainable practices to ensure the packaging doesn’t outlast the coffee itself. “Our packaging is biodegradable. The outer bag comes from sugarcane waste and our inner plastic will decompose between 6-24 months in landfill conditions,” the founder shared.

Not just the packaging, the filters used are sustainable, too. “The khadi coffee filters are made from unbleached cotton woven at a 27 count. Cotton filters produce a clean, sediment-free cup of coffee with heavy aromatics and a buttery mouthfeel from natural oils and a higher perceived acidity in the brew. Once used, the cloth filter must be washed thoroughly with water only and left to air dry. We have used each cloth filter over a hundred times before repurposing. In comparison, paper filters are more tightly woven, clean out most sediments and natural oils so your cup of coffee is clean but diminished in aromatic oils. They are also not reusable and as a result, high waste (both in terms of household waste as well in the use of trees at the paper mill).”
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