Coffee, an age-old product, bean, and beverage has travelled the world in many forms and is widely consumed. Coffee is different things for different people. A source of income, a beverage, a need, a creation of passion and art, or in some cases a possible carcinogen.
Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted coffee beans that are originally berries harvested from tropical evergreen “Coffeea plants” ("coffee | Origin, Types, Uses, History, & Facts", 2022). Coffee has been closely monitored over the years and has been a subject of a long-lasting debate. Now, research has suggested that coffee in addition to being a source of caffeine, can also be a healthy beverage if consumed adequately and in the right manner. ("Coffee", 2022)
The coffee industry is constantly evolving and more so with the establishment of local and international research institutes and other organisations that are constantly working to set standards in the industry as well as educate all those who wish to learn more about any aspect pertaining to it. Every major city around the world has numerous cafés, coffee roasters and educated consumers. The industry can now be classified into two distinct areas: commodity and speciality. Commodity coffee is a generic product more widely known as an efficient and bitter beverage that gets caffeine into our systems. Speciality coffee is consumed for pleasure, to delight in its complexity of flavour and to get that caffeine kick. (Hoffmann, 2018)
The SCA or the Speciality Coffee Association is one of the most prominent coffee institutions. It is a non-profit organisation centred around openness, inclusivity, knowledge sharing and building the coffee community. It defines speciality coffee as not just the work of one person in the lifecycle of the coffee bean but an occurrence where all individuals in the coffee value chain work in harmony and maintain a keen focus on the standards from start to finish. ("What is Specialty Coffee? — Specialty Coffee Association", 2022).
This goes on to say, a cup of coffee can only be termed “Speciality” when regardless of its varietal, the farmer pours his/heart into growing and harvesting it, the roaster makes sure to buy it at a fair price and carefully roast and profile it and then finally the barista at the café brews it to perfection serve it with a smile and beautiful art and presentation.
My specialty coffee journey began in the city of Nottingham, United Kingdom. Over countless social encounters, study hours and exam prep, good coffee was always there for me and my friends at the friendly coffee shops in the city. The city not only boasted of its own local coffee roasters but also had freshly roasted coffee from other roasters. All of the coffee was sourced directly from the origin and the multitude of flavour notes, the complexity of the cup and the strength of the aroma left me in awe.
Thereafter, I took it upon myself to become a valued member of the specialty coffee community and participate in bringing the same experience home to my loved ones and more. I started 93 Degrees Coffee Roasters with the aim to spread the love of specialty coffee across India. I realise that it’s very difficult to be successful in the hospitality industry, there’s a lot of competition and then doing it without any experience doesn’t make it any easier. However, there’s something about coffee captures you and like a magnet keeps you to it. Coffee is a good way to make a living, it has a good social aspect, and a good cup of coffee can make your day.
The coffee business is incredibly engaging. It is full of vibrant and progressive people. An inclusive community that is constantly trying to innovate and deliver quality. Every specialty coffee grower, harvester, processer, seller, buyer, packer, promoter roaster, brewer and barista is working towards a common goal: Hospitality.