Indians have a long way to go before they can catch-up with their counterparts in the West when it comes to drinking coffee but coffee cafes are increasing and becoming swankier. SHALINI SAKSENA tells you why and how this trend is slowly making us reach for the roasted bean brew
Many will disagree that we are slowly becoming a coffee drinking nation. But why not? Given that we are the sixth largest producer of coffee. In 2015, nearly 700 million tons of beans were harvested here.
Even though we have a long way to go, coffee is definitely making its way as a go for beverage for that morning wake-up brew. This is not surprising since the hot beverage was introduced by the East India company for its officers in Kolkata and Chennai and found its way into the local homes. The drink had such a great impact on the intellectual class that songs were written about them and sung by Late Manna Dey.
Therefore, the coffee and the coffee houses helped to develop our culture where the intellectuals got together for reading a book, discussing a topic of importance and creative brainstorming.
Taking the cue from this, Barista has made a strategic move to develop coffee houses into cultural hubs, where people just don’t come to have a great cup of coffee but for stimulating the their senses in various ways. With this initiative, the brand is going to launch a young book author Neel Mullick.
“We have brought young budding writers to use the brand and our cafes to come and do book reviews and readings. We want to create a place where young writers can showcase their work — fiction or non-fiction. Mullick is a New York based writer whose debut book Dark Blossom has been endorsed by Ruskin Bond and Rajdeep Sardesai. The best part is the books and coffee are a natural fit. A warm cup of coffee, a book in the hand and to be a in nice place that is unplugged from the rest of the world is such a classic pairing. We are providing a platform to new and existing writers,” Puneet Gulati, CEO, Barista, says.
However, he doesn’t agree that a shift is taking place towards coffee just because it doesn’t involve a traditional setting.
He tells you that today, there are so many blends of tea and the drink has also come of age. “Earlier, there were classical blends. Today, we have over 60 blends of tea in the market. We have green tea, ginger tea and jasmine tea. Since it has evolved to an extent that it is no longer a non-intellectual product,” Gulati tells you and hence the fusion dishes that are finding their way into our foods like a coffee cocktail or a coffee cookie or even a cake.
He tells you that Indians have a long to go before the country can be called a coffee drinking nation. “We have still a few years to go. We are primarily a tea drinkers. But yes, coffee culture is in its second stage and it will take eight to 10 years before a change when there will be demand in the drink. One can gauge how many miles we have to go when we look at the figures. At present, the per capita consumption in India is around 85-100 gm as per 2016-17 data. If we look at the consumption for the same period in the West it is 6-9 kg. This is a huge gap in the consumption,” Gulati, says. But he does agree that we have come a long way the steady increase in the demand.
There are several reasons for this. First, the millennials have been introduced and exposed to coffee at a much earlier stage. They have contributed to the rise and widespread cafes. Second, cafe culture 15-20 years had an oomph value — a place to be — which has now transitioned into a necessity. Over the years, the experience of coffee has become a habit today. This is courtesy the hard work of the various players in the industry who have made coffee habitual for us.
Three, is the exposure that the youth has. “They are travelling. There is 2X and 3X exposure to the West. When millennial travel — for studies or otherwise — they see that the culture is of going to cafes and socialising there. Four, since the opening of the economy in the 90s, we saw an influx of brands coming into India. With that international coffee brands that came in. We have more choice and more reason to experience newer things. Five, as a household, over the years, we are moving our more. This was not so 10-15 years back; we were going out only maybe once a month. There was no mall culture. This has changed. Today, we are moving out three to four times in a week and exposed to international brands. Hence, coffee brands have also had a share of the pie,” Gulati explains, citing another reason — that of wallet sharing.
More and more people are spending money (due to disposable income) on lifestyle products. Coffee sits there which are becoming swankier which is a double edged sword.
“If the cafes are not inviting enough and have a warm, friendly atmosphere people are not likely to revisit them. If these are present, it becomes a compulsion for people to visit. Therefore the brands are trying to create a warm and exciting place to be. Since these cafes are at a place near us, the compulsion increases and utilise it for various reasons,” Gulati says whose go to brew is a Cappuccino.
However, drinking coffee is still an urban culture which is finding its way into tier II and III cities. “Take the Dubai market, for example. “Of all the F&B outlets (10,000-11,000) around 55 per cent are coffee shops which gives you the flavour of the market. Given our population and our cities, the number of cafes is still not reached the masses,” Gulati tells you and shares that their brands have a presence in 47 cities with 2,700 urbanised cafes altogether which is only a tip of the iceberg. And one has to thank brands like Nestle and Bru which have penetrated the homes and made the market more mature.
“Some 15-20 years back a 100 gm coffee was expensive since the eco-system didn’t allow it to be cheaper. Today, the cost is around Rs 230. This has been an ice-breaker for the brew,” Gulati says who tells you that over the years the client profile has changed.
“From the upwardly mobile clientele back when we started our journey in 2000, now see young achievers, business community, the youth and the elderly as well who come with their families to celebrate an occasion. There is a piece for every segment since these cafes have something to offer to everybody,” Gulati says.
It’s hot & happening
Last year, it was coffee being served in specially made waffle cones that didn’t disintegrate when the hot liquid was poured into them. This year, let’s look at some of the trends that will take the coffee world by storm.
Cold brewing: This involves brewing the bean for long hours in a special machine — up to 24 hours! It relies on time and not temperature and therefore the taste is different from regular hot coffee. It is less acidic and sweeter.
Nitrogen infused coffee: It was only time that nitrogen infused coffee became popular. The nitrogen is released into cold brewed coffee through pressurised valves to create a cup of creamy black coffee with a layer of foam on top. This coffee is becoming popular among gym enthusiasts as it is a healthier option.
Buttered coffee: If one can add butter to eat, why not coffee? It gives the customers an energy boost without the caffeine rush because the fat in the butter slows down the release of caffeine.
Chemex: This is the name of a glass coffee maker. It has a paper filter at the top on which coffee is placed and then hot water is poured. The paper filter will stop all sediments and oil from entering in coffee. This method gives a coffee that feels like a tea. It is diluted and has close to no bitterness.
