– Investors from Keiretsu Forum Chennai will also be participating
– Rage Coffee plans to expand its product line with the funding
– The company sells on ecommerce and 400 offline stores
New Delhi-based food & beverages brand Rage Coffee has raised funding in a round led by early-stage investment firm Refex Capital. Angel network Keiretsu Forum Chennai and some other “prominent” investors will also be participating in this round.
The list of participants include T.D Mohan, former joint MD of CavinKare; Dr Rajan Srikanth, co president of Keiretsu Forum Chennai and Singapore; Prakash Katama, former CEO of TVS Electronics; Uday Sodhi, former business head at SonyLIV, private equity investor Ajay Sarupria, actor Rannvijay Singh Singha; A. Kumar, Founder of Gemini Paints, and Sawan Gupta, MD at Spero Group.
Founder and MD of Wazir Advisors, Harminder Sahni, joined Rage Coffee’s board of advisors for the fundraise. Moreover, Sridhar Parthasarathi, who is the managing partner at Refex Capital, has also joined the Board.
With this funding, Rage Coffee will expand its product offering and omnichannel distribution, scale up production and strengthen its team. The company aims to “capture market share of the category devoid of any innovation – be it the ingredients, formulations, manufacturing techniques, packaging, distribution or use of data to be agile.”
Founded in 2018 by Bharat Sethi, Rage Coffee is a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brand that deals in different varieties of coffee, without using any chemicals and is full of vitamins. The company claims to blend its coffee from plant extracts and natural compounds — Tea extract L-Theanine, fossil Ginkgo Biloba, L-Glutamine, and Panax Ginseng, among others.
Rage Coffee’s founder and CEO, Bharat Sethi, in a press statement, said, “Our approach to supply chain, sourcing, consumer segmentation, product R&D [Research and Development], D2C [Direct To Consumer] data-driven DNA combined with a hybrid distribution model and, most importantly, our close relationship with our customers places us in a great spot to build a brand that is truly poised to capitalise on the immense market opportunity.”
Rage Coffee retails its products through its website, other ecommerce platforms like Amazon and over 400 offline stores/touchpoints. The FMCG company plans to quadruple its sales and reach over 2000 outlets by the end of 2020. Rage Coffee will be banking on institutional and the foodservice industry — hotels, restaurants, cafe (HoReCa) business — to clock a significant chunk of sales.
To achieve its goals, Rage Coffee also appointed Arijit Mitra, former National Sales Head at Coke Beverages, as Director of Sales to grow the offline business in June 2019.
According to a Frost & Sullivan report, functional food & beverages in India is currently still in its initial stages growing at rate of 17.1% CAGR, expected to be valued at $4Bn in 2020. Some other players in this segment include Siliguri-based Udyan Tea, Mumbai-based Open Secrets and Bengaluru-based Hector Beverages with its brand Paper Boat.
In December 2019, Open Secrets raised funding in a round led by Matrix Partners India. Angel investors such as Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Snapdeal cofounders Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal and CEO of Godrej Consumer Products, Vivek Gambhir also participated in the round.
source: http://www.inc42.com / Inc42.com / Home> News / by Kritti Bhalla, Inc42 Staff / January 08th, 2020
Three-day event at Bangalore Palace to be organised by London-based International Coffee Organisation
Madikeri:
Bengaluru will host the fifth edition of the World Coffee Conference (WCC), a high-profile international event, between Sept. 7 and 9 in 2020. Earlier editions were held in the UK, Brazil, Guatemala and Ethiopia.
The three-day event that will be held at the sprawling Bangalore Palace will be put together by London-based International Coffee Organization (ICO), Ministry of Commerce and Industries, Coffee Board of India and India Coffee Trust (ICT), which is a forum for coffee growers and exporters.
The event is themed ‘Sustainability Through Consumption’ and will celebrate all things of coffee in an immersive experience with the conference addressed by international speakers, coffee exhibition, buyer-seller meets, competitions and awards, skill building workshops, amongst many others.
ICT President Anil Kumar Bhandari told reporters in Madikeri yesterday that the prestigious WCC coming to India for the first time means huge international recognition for Indian coffee. The Who’s Who from the world of coffee will be descending on Bengaluru for this event. This will give a fillip to the Indian cuppa in the global market. Over Rs. 15 crore is being spent to organise the conference, he added.
The participants will include the world’s leading coffee brands and café chains, retailers, roasters, equipment manufacturers, coffee organisations from round the globe, policy makers, industry captains, exporters, manufacturers and a whole host of players associated with the commodity.
Conference attendees
Around 3,000 international delegates from 80 countries, 2,000 Indian delegates, over 1,00,000 coffee growers and exporters, representatives of HORECA (Hotel/Restaurant/Café sector) and hundreds of coffee connoisseurs are expected. There will be more than 100 speakers, 150 exhibitors and over 300 business-to-business and business-to-consumer meeting.
Coffee being the world’s most favourite beverage with 2.5 billion cups consumed every single day is produced in about 70 countries most of them belonging to the developing countries like Africa, Latin America and Asia. India is the sixth largest producer of coffee in the world, accounting for about 5 percent of world coffee production.
Innovation to conference
At the conference, the Coffee Board of India and the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) will bring in innovation to the conference and expo by crowd-sourcing ideas from citizens. They will look at ways that will make Indian coffee a brand that is recognised worldwide and formulate ways to make India a sustainable destination for coffee.
Methods will be explored to make coffee farmers stakeholders in the value chain as this will have a positive impact on the 25 million families who depend on coffee cultivation the world over. “This is a great opportunity that India has got and the organisers will welcome to India participants from more than 80 countries for the expo and conference,” Bhandari said.
Connecting with growers
India is also emerging as the major coffee consuming country. The Government of India has also a strong focus on increasing coffee plantation and the global community also desires to connect with coffee growers in India and Asia and WCC-2020 offers an opportunity to explore India and Asia to the global coffee community.
Bengaluru is the coffee capital of India and produces nearly 70 percent of India’s coffee that is produced in Kodagu, Malnad, Hassan and Chikkamagalur. As the theme of WCC-2020 is sustainably through consumption because the world coffee production is increasing and having a negative impact on coffee prices, this can be offset by increasing consumption, therefore consumption is the key to sustainability. The focus will be on economic, agriculture, commercial, environmental, social and cultural impact.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / December 31st, 2019
The book constantly reminds you why we need coffee in our lives
Harish Bhat’s new book takes readers on an adventurous journey from the coffee plantations of Coorg to graveyards in Japan—to remind them of the joy a hot cuppa brings.
An Extreme Love Of Coffee is an adventure story running on a caffeine kick. It’s simple, fast paced and constantly reminds you why we need coffee in our lives, every day, maybe even every hour.
It’s also a tribute to Indian coffee blends.
After writing two books on business, marketing and consumer behaviour—The Curious Marketer: Expeditions In Branding And Consumer Behaviour and Tatalog: Eight Modern Stories From A Timeless Institution—Harish Bhat, the brand custodian of Tata Sons Pvt. Ltd and a Mint columnist, has published his first novel that blends coffee and magic, with enough servings of adventure and travel.
It follows a young couple, Rahul and Neha, who, after drinking a cup of “magic” coffee, are entrusted with a quest that promises to end in treasure. As they race from the lush green coffee plantations of Coorg to strange graveyards in coffee-loving Japan in search of the prize, they find Japanese assailants trailing them with swords, a friendly ghost and their passion for warm frothy concoctions and each other. A part of a poem by Neha sums up the spirit of the book: “Coffee love, do you rise like steam. Warm aromas that make my dream? With delicious magic by your side. On what carpet am I astride?”
The book reminds coffee-drinkers why they love the drink and gives non-drinkers enough reason to give it a try.
Write to us at businessoflife@livemint.compooja singh
source: http://www.livemint.com / LiveMint / Home> Explore / by Pooja Singh / December 17th, 2019
Coffee cherries and flowers. Photos by Author and Adithya K A
Coffee pervades the lives of people in Hassan, Chikkamagaluru and Kodagu districts. From the decades-old jaggery coffee to the current flavoured ones, coffee as a product has seen a huge transformation. What has remained unchanged is its association with almost anything momentous in our lives.
The journey of coffee to India is well- documented and etched in our memories through the story of Arab traveller Bababudan bringing seven coffee beans to Chikkamagaluru in 1670 AD. He sowed these seven seeds in Chikkamagaluru’s Bababudangiri hills (Chandradrona Parvatha). Today, India is world’s third-largest producer of coffee.
The earliest and most prominent coffee planters of the yesteryears in the country were the British. They introduced the system of check-rolls which is an attendance register of the labour. They maintained a diary which explained the daily activities in the estate to which the owner signed every day. These rather important systems are intact and in place even today, and any estate that you visit here will show you daily records from as back as 50 years ago!
These documents serve as important pieces of information for future generations. The British were particular about closing the accounts by the end of March wherein the savings and loans availed by the labourers were tallied. This tradition continues to this day.
Other customs that we have inherited are the practices of maintaining lush green and colourful gardens at our homes, rearing about half a dozen hunting dogs and possessing rifles and pistols for safety from wildlife.
Blossom shower
Coffee plantations receive blossom shower (rains) around March every year. Coffee estates that blossom with white flowers are a sight to behold. While this is a visual treat for us, this also guarantees a good crop for the coming year.The joyous mood is also seen before coffee picking when the entire family thanks god and prays before picking the berries.
Cherries being dried
The book Bettadindha Battaligey by H N Nagegowda beautifully traces the history of coffee in India and also the culture associated with it.
Coffee estates coexist with thick and lush green forests in these Western Ghats districts. These estates are also home to a rich variety of endangered flora and fauna. Each year, hundreds of varieties of birds migrate to coffee estates. These plantations nurture forest species which act as nesting grounds for these birds.
Estate owners take an active interest in increasing the number of trees that they have on their lands. Artificial lakes and tanks in the estates quench the thirst of animals including elephants and tigers.
The vibrant culture of coffee land in the state could also be traced to the presence of major rivers such as Cauvery, Tunga, Bhadra, Nethravathi and Hemavathi.
A majority of the labour force in Karnataka’s coffee estates hails from Dakshina Kannada. Of late, a healthy influx of migrant labourers from Assam can be seen in the estates. The estate owners provide accommodation and healthcare facilities to the labourers.
The monsoons of 2018 and 2019 played unimaginable havoc in the lives of growers in the core coffee zones of Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru.
They lost all their lands overnight to mudslides and torrential rainfalls. Despite this, they are trying hard and not giving up in their quest to rebuild everything that they lost.
However, their spirit to endure and rebuild is shattered due to the failure of markets. Coffee growers are going through their worst crisis ever where they are not able to make ends meet because coffee prices have crashed to record lows.
Prices have collapsed to as low as what it was 26 years ago while the cost of inputs like fertilisers and machinery has skyrocketed.
Also, the price of spices like pepper which are grown as intercrops has fallen to 60% lower than the price received half a decade ago. As a result, the growers are saddled with neck-deep debts.
Key driver
There is a misconception that the consumption of coffee leads to health problems such as gastritis. This problem arises when one consumes coffee that is blended with a high quantity of chicory.
As per the Coffee Board of India statistics, coffee is grown in 4,00,000 hectares of land in the country. Karnataka grows 70% of the country’s total coffee production, with its annual production of up to 2.75 lakh metric tonnes. About 65% is robusta variety while 35% is of the arabica variety. The country exports 75% of the yield. India is home to 2,20,825 coffee growers of which 98.5% are small-scale growers. The economy of Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru and Malnad regions of Hassan district is heavily influenced and dependent on the coffee industry. It is the key driver of the economic activities of these regions.
Karnataka Growers’ Federation (KGF)which was formed in 1985 brings the coffee growers in one platform and works towards their welfare while also representing them in international platforms. This apex organisation is well networked with 21 regional organisations. KGF is headquartered at Sakaleshapura, Hassan district with a membership of 50,000 women and men.
U M Thirthamallesh, president of Karnataka Growers’ Federation said that the coffee price crash is mainly due to the surplus supply of coffee into India from international markets. Southeast Asia, he claims, has unfair market practices, low labour standards and excessive state subsidy which are all in violation to World Trade Organization norms while Indian Coffee growers follow all international norms by the book.
Coupled with this is excessive addition of the additive chicory into coffee which results in the substandard taste of the coffee. Labour shortage and disease are other problems that have affected the coffee industry.
Value addition
In an effort to overcome challenges, the coffee community is also paying attention towards the value addition of coffee. In the process, some brands have become popular. They’re involved in the preparation, marketing and sales of coffee powder; garlands made using coffee beans; coffee chocolates and coffee-based wine. In some areas, specialised coffees, like organic coffee and tribal coffee are also being tried.
Copsy Coffee Powder which is produced at Arehalli Co-operative Society and 7 to 7 Coffee which is produced by a group of women at Women’s Coffee Promotion Council, Sakaleshpura are some well-known local brands.
Another brand which has caught the attention of coffee connoisseurs is Talacauvery Eco-Coffee Works which is based out of Kodagu. This coffee is produced by an all-women self-help group called Sri Rajarajeshwari Self Help Group in Kargunda.
A vibrant culture has evolved around coffee in the last three centuries in the coffee land of the state rooted in self-reliance and innovation.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Spectrum> Spectrum Top Stories / by Poornima Kanahalli / December 14th, 2019
From setting up his own business to embracing different cultures and understanding spirituality — Marc Tormo tells CE that India has helped him…
Marc is a travel and nature enthusiast
How far can one go in search of coffee? Apparently, from Spain to India. Marc Tormo did exactly that in 1997 when he moved to Auroville in Puducherry. CE talks to Tormo, the founder of Marc’s Coffee in Auroville, about his love for coffee, opening up to spirituality and raising kids in India
What brought you to India?
I come from a place called Catalonia in Spain. I was into the business of coffee there where I had a speciality coffee shop. I came to India a few times when I was 19 years old to understand about coffee and I found out about coffee plantations in the southern part of India. People were not aware of the entire process of coffee-making. I understood this method and helped people trace the journey of the coffee they were drinking. Finally, in 2008, we launched Marc’s coffee here in Auroville. Before setting up the coffee place, I had to put in a lot of research on not just coffee but the farmers, their psyche among other things. After setting it up, it took us five years to pick up speed. But it was a pleasant cultural change. Europe is more materialistic. People here are spiritual. Auroville allows me to explore that part as well. My children were born and raised here. India is now second home. Plus, we have a cosmopolitan environment here at Auroville. There are Koreans and Spaniards and many others here.
How do you keep in touch with your roots?
My children can speak Catalan very well which is the dialect from the region I come from. They have learned Tamil, French, Catalan, Spanish and English. We make it a point to visit Spain every year. I like to keep all the goodness of the Spanish culture. People from my region are adventurous and entrepreneurial. I would like to retain all that. But spirituality is something I understood after living in India.
How do you and your family spend time together?
I love to cook, especially for my family. We all spend time cooking. I like making paneer butter masala, khichdis and chapatis. We make a mix of Spanish and Indian cuisines at home. We travel a lot. I take them on my trips to coffee plantations. But this is not just so that they understand coffee but also they understand people and cultural diversity wherever they go. I like to spend time gardening with my children.
What are your interests apart from coffee?
I love to sing, I love to listen to music and be with nature. Life in Auroville lets me enjoy all of this. I can work and be in the midst of nature and pursue my interests.
Auroville is considered to have deep spiritual roots. What is your experience of spirituality?
Auroville has taught me the concept of unity with diversity. We have people from different cultures living here. It has helped me understand the inner meanings. One of the things living in Auroville has helped me with is understand myself and have a holistic view of anything.
One half of India is populated with tea lovers. Have you ever thought of shifting your beverage loyalties?
I have nothing against tea. But I feel coffee has not been studied enough. I chose to focus on coffee. Coffee needs a lot of support to reach everybody so that everyone understands coffee. That is why I chose coffee.
What are your favourite destinations in India?
I love the Western Ghats. Wayanad, Coorg, Mysuru and Chikmaglur are some of my favourite destinations. I am a coffee lover and a nature lover. I like to see wildlife.
Marc will be conducting a Coffee workshop till December 9 at Old Kents Estate, Coorg
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Veena Mani / Express News Service / December 07th, 2019
Coffee lovers are discovering new coffee destinations from within the cities all the way to the countryside, including the heartland of coffee in India – Coorg. This workshop provides an excellent opportunity to learn from a certified Q-Grader & connoisseur Marc Tormo, Roastmaster from Barcelona, who has more than 20 years of experience in the international coffee movement.
Harvest with the locals, learn about how coffee is sustainably cultivated in India while gaining a deeper appreciation of roasting techniques and experience the subtle notes hidden in the beans. Learn exciting brewing techniques and impress your friends with your barista skills creating art from the rich froth of your latte.
So, don’t miss the change to grab this opportunity with both hands! Because, this is a unique platform for all coffee lovers, coffee enthusiasts, those trying to make an entry into the coffee world, or simply those trying to impress their guests!
Date: 06th-09th December 2019
Venue: Old Kents Estate, Coorg
Price: Rs 30,000 ++ (all-inclusive stay in a spacious English cottage with a private garden)
For Reservations: Call 9789896454
source: http://www.hungryforever.com / Hungry Forever / Home> Events / by Christina George / November 29th, 2019
Tata is known for his generosity, grace, wisdom and remarkable, insightful talks. In fact, Tata’s grace and wisdom once moved former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz to tears.
File Photo | Photo Credit: Instagram
_______________________________________
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
– Starbucks was brought to India Tata Global Beverages Ltd. In 2012, these two companies announced a joint venture of 50% each and TGBL now owns and operates Starbucks stores in India
– Starbucks had actually tried to enter India earlier in 2007 but withdrew the business in some time
– Currently, Starbucks has a foothold in eight cities and has over 157 outlets in India
________________________________
New Delhi:
Tata Trusts chairman Ratan Tata is one of the most respected industrialists not just in India but internationally. The notable industrialist is the recipient of two of the highest civilian awards – Padma Vibhushan (2008) and Padma Bhushan (2000). Tata is known for his contribution in transforming the Tata group under his chairmanship and for his philanthropic work.
It may be noted that to the delight of his fans, Tata joined Instagram last month and within a couple of hours, garnered over 85,000 followers. The first post from the 81-year-old industrialist who has not been very active on social media gained nearly 50,000 likes within no time. He joined the social media platform with a picture that had the caption, “I don’t know about breaking the internet, but I am so excited to join all of you on Instagram!”
Tata is known for his generosity and remarkable, insightful talks. In fact, Tata’s grace and wisdom once moved former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz to tears.
For those who are not aware, in January 2011, Starbucks Corporation and Tata Coffee announced plans to begin opening Starbucks locations in India. In January 2012, Starbucks finally announced a 50:50 joint venture with Tata Global Beverages, called Tata Starbucks Ltd., which currently operates outlets branded “Starbucks, A Tata Alliance” in India.
In a book titled ‘Reimagining India: Unlocking The Potential of Asia’s Next Superpower’, Schultz wrote an essay in which he mentioned how Ratan Tata once moved him to tears. “At the celebratory dinner the night of the Mumbai (store’s) opening, Ratan Tata offered a toast that really moved me,” he wrote.
In the essay, he recalled Starbucks’ India launch and how Tata’s remarks at the celebrations after the launch to a gathering of his company officials in the US, he even began to cry and was overpowered by emotion.
He had said, “A few weeks after returning from the opening of our Mumbai store, we held one of our big open forum meetings where we get the entire company together. And as I tried to describe that moment for everyone, something came over me. I started to cry. It just hit me emotionally. In India, we’d had a chance to do something extraordinary, something truly world-class. And I am excited that we have a chance to grow and give back in a land where so much opportunity lies ahead and to contribute to making it a little better place than the one we found.”
His admiration for Tata did not stop there. He further went on to describe how Tata’s remarks on the night of the Mumbai opening were “perfect and so heartfelt. He went on to add that he considers Tata to be a “man with so much grace.” “I could sit and listen to Ratan Tata for days on end. He has so much wisdom and insight not only about India but about the world,” he said.
source: http://www.timesnownews.com / ETNowNews.com / Home> Business> Companies / by ET Now Digital / November 24th, 2019
After a tepid launch earlier this year, the Coffee Board of India‘s (CBoI) blockchain coffee marketplace is seeing rising demand. The platform now has about 30,000 farmers registered compared to just 23 when the platform was launched, reported Down To Earth.
CBoI is one of the first government agencies in the country to have an in a production blockchain platform. The Coffee Board has developed a mobile app and a web portal with support from Eka Software Solutions.
The coffee supply chain is highly fragmented, with intermediaries such as farmers, traders, roasters, curers and other processors. In the past few years, global coffee prices have also stumbled. To remedy the situation, the Coffee Board has turned to blockchain and its ability to immutably track and trace products in supply chains.
“Blockchain offers unmatched traceability and increases the transparency, accountability and efficiency of the coffee supply chain,” Shuchi Nijhawan, vice-president, New Business and Global Human Relations, Eka Software Solutions told Down to Earth.
The platform aims to enable farmers to get better prices for their produce by eliminating agents and other intermediaries.
Based on Ethereum distributed ledger technology, the marketplace employs smart contracts to capture information regarding the product and ensure settlement. The Coffee Board is also training its staff to provide certificates to guarantee the quality of coffee, which can be uploaded to the marketplace.
Food traceability is in high demand due to conscious consumers who want to know what they are buying. Blockchain for coffee traceability is being trialed elsewhere in the world as well. Two months ago, blockchain firm GrainChain signed agreements with the Honduras coffee industry participants to unite them on its platform.
Another project is being led by blockchain startup Farmer Connect which has onboard coffee companies such as The J.M. Smucker Company and Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE) for coffee traceability. Farmer Connect’s platform is planned to go live in 2020.
Meanwhile, the coffee brand Starbucks is working with Microsoft Azure Blockchain for coffee traceability.
source: http://www.legderinsights.com / Ledger Insights / Home> News> Supply Chain / by Ledger Insights / November 21st, 2019
Rahul Kamath, a man from the world of advertising and a newly converted lover of coffee, sat back in his chair.
Bengaluru :
When Rahul first developed an extreme love of coffee, he had not imagined even remotely where this affair would lead him. It had only been a year but this obsession had marked a sudden, clean and dramatic shift from his long-standing penchant for elaichi chai.
When his colleague Srinivasan, the accountant who sat in the cubicle next to his, commented on this change, Rahul was quick to respond, ‘It is elaichi chai that I’ve been having since my college days. How long can one keep drinking the same thick, inky stuff? Coffee, on the other hand, is so seductive and cool, man. Good coffee is like delicious, lingering sex, you know?’
Srinivasan, a nearly celibate Tamil Brahmin from Trichy [also called Tiruchi or Tiruchirappalli], did not like these casual mentions of sex in the office. However, well aware that Rahul was in an expansive mood, one where he would go on and on about assorted and inane things, Srinivasan persevered with the conversation, probably for the sake of friendship. It was only when it became quite likely that more graphic descriptions would follow to further illustrate what was already an inappropriate comparison that he thought it best to walk back to his cubicle. Shaking his head, he buried himself in the safety of his accounting ledgers where coffee and lingering sex thankfully made no appearances.
Rahul Kamath, a man from the world of advertising and a newly converted lover of coffee, sat back in his chair. He brushed back his thick black hair, stared into space and then closed his eyes. This almost always helped him think. Why did Srini go away so quickly? Rahul could never understand people who first initiated a conversation and then withdrew inexplicably. Unfortunately, there are plenty of such people in our offices these days—shallow guys with thick spectacles and a bucketload of grand degrees, most of them unable to hold a conversation for more than a few minutes. Let it go, let it go, Rahul, it is not worth the thought. Only a nice hot cup of freshly brewed black coffee was worth his time now; some lovely Americano would allow him to think and rise above the usual rut that was office civility.
Rahul took off for Red Horse Café, his favourite coffee place. It was small, cozy and warm, and just ten minutes away if one walked briskly. Just the thought of a steaming cup of Americano had geared him up for some thinking. He had read somewhere that Americano literally meant American coffee though it had actually originated in Italy. This nugget of information had intrigued him until he found an unconfirmed story suggesting that the name owed itself to American soldiers fighting in Italy during World War II. They used hot water to dilute the strong Italian espresso to produce the sort of coffee they drank at home. The Italians must have been aghast. But he doubted if anyone cared; after all Americano helped the Americans win the war.
Excerpted from An Extreme Love Of Coffee by Harish Bhat, with permission from Penguin Random House India.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / October 30th, 2019
Rwanda’s Ngamba Coffee Washing Station, represented by Ms. Celine Niwemugeni, awarded “Coffee Lover’s Choice” for second consecutive year
The Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award celebrates excellence in growing coffee beans of the highest quality through sustainable means to offer the best coffee to the world
New York :
illycaffè, the global leader in high-quality, sustainably grown coffee, announced ‘Spirit of Peace Ex-Combatants’ – Asacafè (represented by Carlos Arturo López Guarnizo and Oscar Rodrigo Campo Hurtado) is the “Best of the Best” at the fourth annual Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award, held yesterday night in New York City. An independent jury of 9 top culinary and coffee connoisseurs from around the world gathered on October 15 for a series of blind coffee tastings, brewed individually from the harvests of nine different countries, to thoughtfully determine the best bean of the 2018-2019 season.
(PRNewsfoto/illycaffè)
Twenty-seven top grower representatives from the nine countries, including this year Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Nicaragua and Rwanda, were recognized and celebrated in New York City for their sustainable quality. Each lot, before being examined by the independent jury in New York, was selected through intensive analysis at illy’s Quality Lab and then judged on aromatic richness/complexity, balance/elegance and aroma intensity/strength. Carlos Arturo Lopez, Oscar Campo, Gerardo Montenegro, Andrea Illy, Anna Illy
“It is an honor and a pleasure to recognize Colombia, ‘Spirit of Peace’ and Asacafè for their achievement, as well as applaud all of our finalists who are focused on producing the highest-quality coffee through sustainable methods,” said Andrea Illy, Chairman of illycaffè. “This award celebrates and honors the Spirit of Peace project, that we supported since the very beginning, with the aim to give a chance to the rural Colombian community of coffee to become the engine of a bigger transformation through the economic reintegration of the ex-combatants and their victims in the Cauca region.”
A separate “Coffee Lover’s Choice” honor was awarded to Rwanda’s Ngamba Coffee Washing Station, represented by Ms. Celine Niwemugeni, for the second consecutive year.
The Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award, named after illycaffè’s visionary, second-generation leader, celebrates the company’s hand-in-hand work with farmers for nearly 30 years to offer the best sustainably grown coffee to the world, as well as its commitment to improving the wellbeing of the world’s coffee growers. The top growers in attendance also participated in a coffee-specific seminar hosted at the United Nations in New York by Chairman Andrea Illy and representatives from the ICO – International Coffee Organization, covering topics including best agronomical practices, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and long-term sustainability of the coffee sector.
The jury – a panel of tasting, culinary and coffee experts from around the world who took on the task of choosing this year’s “Best of the Best” bean – was comprised of:
Matthew Accarrino: Accarrino is the nationally recognized chef known for his unique culinary style drawn from his Italian heritage, personal experience and classical training. He was named a Star Chefs “2010 Rising Star,” a James Beard Foundation semi-finalist for “Best Chef: West” for four consecutive years, and Food & Wine’s “People’s Best Chef California” in 2013 and “Best New Chef” in 2014.
Jaquelin Adriana Mednilla de Águila: Aguila is QGrader and Barista from Anacafe Coffee School.
Victor Cadenas: Cadenas is a QGrader and professional coffee roaster in Costa Rica, roasting for Cup of Excellence for five years. He evaluates genetic materials and varieties for ICafe, Catie, World Coffee Research and others.
Berhanu Gezahegn: Gezahegn is Director of the Coffee Quality Inspection and Certification Center (CQICC) at the Ministry of Agriculture (MoANR) in Ethiopia. Previously, he served as its director for training and advisory service.
Anthony Giglio: Giglio is a writer, educator and storyteller focused on wine, spirits and other beverages. He writes a weekly “Wine Wise Guy” column for Food & Wine, is the wine reporter for CBS News Radio, and is a contributor for Departures, Esquire and other major media outlets. Additionally, he serves as Wine Director for The Centurion Lounge at LaGuardia airport.
Maria Loi: Loi is a Greek food ambassador, author and healthy lifestyle expert. She is a popular TV chef in Greece, and the author of more than 36 cookbooks and 150 magazine editions. She has been recognized as the Global Ambassador of Greek Gastronomy by The Chef’s Club of Greece and has since earned a reputation as the U.S. leader in authentic Greek cuisine.
Sunalini Menon: Menon is Asia’s first female professional in the field of coffee tasting, also known as coffee cupping. She has been called “Asia’s first lady of coffee.” Formerly, Menon was director of quality control for the Coffee Board of India, and founder of her own company, Coffee Labs, in Bangalore.
Spencer Turer: Turer is the Director of Coffee Operations at Coffee Enterprises. He has dedicated his career to creating coffee quality and has become a pioneer for roaster certification. He is also a writer and technical editor for ROAST Magazine and Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
Francesco Apreda: Apreda is a renowned Italian chef and recipient of a Michelin star, securing his status as a world-class chef. His talent lies in the ability to recreate a modern Italian cuisine full of flavors and turn them into incredible dishes for a sensory eating experience like no other.
The “Coffee Lover’s Choice” award, presented by illycaffè CEO Massimiliano Pogliani, was determined by a demanding jury of its own: more than 1,000 discerning visitors to flagship illy cafès locations in London, Milan, Paris, Shanghai and San Francisco.
“The Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award starts with the unique illy blend, developed consistently year after year, which gives us a deep knowledge of the coffee origins. We then combine this expertise with our direct sourcing model, working hand-in-hand with coffee growers to produce the highest quality Arabica beans sustainably,” said Massimiliano Pogliani, illycaffè CEO. “Coffee lovers and connoisseurs around the world are becoming more and more interested in learning and understanding not only about aromatic and taste profile typical of a specific terroir – very similarly to what happens int the wine world – but also how their coffee is produced and who produces it. This is the deep meaning of this Award, which wants to shorten the distance and bring together growers & consumers.”
Direct Sourcing Pioneering
The Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award is rooted in a program that illy established 28 years ago in Brazil, called Premio de Qualidade do Cafè para Espresso, that drove illy’s transformation to a company that today purchases nearly 100 percent of its coffee beans directly from producers able to meet its exacting quality standards, at a guaranteed premium over market prices averaging 30 percent. Today, illy stands as one of the world’s major purchasers of top-quality Arabica coffee directly from producers, whereby many coffees continue to be purchased on commodity markets, which can guarantee neither consistent quality nor a living wage to the coffee chain’s most important stakeholders: its 25 million families of growers.
source: illycaffè
source: http://www.prnewswire.com / CISTON PR Newswire / by illycaffe / October 17th, 2019
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