With gourmet coffee chains having initiated Indians into the pleasures of high-end coffees, hotels are clearly leaving nothing to chance. BY MINI RIBEIRO
A decade ago, sweet and frothy filter coffee and, of course, the instant version was what coffee in India was synonymous with. But coffee chains serving freshly brewed, roast and ground coffee, has suddenly fuelled the love for this brew, resulting in coffee becoming the preferred choice of many.
It is not merely about the beverage, but also the hangouts, that these cafes have become for the urban youth, offering an opportunity to meet, relax and unwind, that has contributed to the growing popularity of coffee.
Silvio Zaccareo, managing director, Fresh & Honest, a Lavazza company, elaborates, “India is primarily a tea drinking nation where the coffee to tea ratio is about 1:7. Inspite of this skewed ratio, coffee consumption has seen a robust growth during the past decade and coffee is now being increasingly consumed in the organised café outlets and by urban households.”
Without intruding on the turf of these coffee chains, hotels, too, have stepped up their coffee offerings. The current menus of most five star hotels include sophisticated and gourmet coffees, as compared to a decade ago, when cappuccinos and café lattes, were the market leaders. Amit Sood, executive chef, JW Marriott Bengaluru, agrees, “The flavour, branding and the variety of coffee on offer has created an aura around this beverage.”
Sahil Sablok, executive chef, The Claridges, New Delhi adds, “Factors such as globalisation, an expanding middle class and changing lifestyle, have all contributed to the increase in coffee consumption in the country.”
With this trend becoming pronounced, hotels, too, have adapted to this growing demand for coffee. Akshay Tripathi, F&B manager, Taj Lands End, Mumbai, analyses, “Guests who frequent a hotel’s coffee shop are aware of what’s going in the other outlets. In fact, in many ways, a coffee shop is like a window into the hotels offerings and constant innovation ensures guest turnover. This is a major reason why beverage menus in hotels offer more coffee options than tea.”
Such is the popularity of coffee, that hotels have dedicated places in the hotel to serve this brew. Sood quips, “There are a lot of coffee lovers in the country and this has lead hotels to open a coffee shop in-house, providing a range of different coffees, as well as a relaxed atmosphere to hang out or catch up for a quick meeting.”
Globe-trotting, discerning guests in hotels today, demand freshly brewed and not instant coffee. The foundation of a gourmet coffee is good quality beans. Coffees are often blended for balance and complexity, and many hotels offer interesting blends. Sablok informs, “We are loyal to ILLY, an Italian roast of coffee which specialises in the production of espresso and Lavazza which is imported.”
Zaccareo informs, “Lavazza offers a wide range of blends to suit various needs; Lavazza’s range of Pienaroma, Café Espresso and Dek (Decaffeinated) are select imported blends that find usage in a la-carte and ‘Premium Breakfast’ needs. Of late, the Lavazza blends being produced in its Indian factory, called the Dolce Aroma and Puro Gusto, are used across hotels and restaurants in professional machines.”
For the discerning guest, there are single varietal origins too. Matt Chitharanjan, head roaster, Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters, adds, “We have a range of 6 to 8 single estate coffees that are sourced from some of the best farms in the country. Beyond those, we also offer custom blends for larger customers so that they can have a unique flavour profile associated with their brand.”
He adds, “The Oberoi Patisserie, The Park Hotel, Dusit Deverana and Hotel Diplomat are our clients. We also supply to Abode in Mumbai, the Raj Mahal in Jaipur and to the Blue Planet Resort in the Andaman Islands.”
If beans are critical to the taste of the brew, coffee machines, too, play a significant role. Automatic and semi-automatic machines today provide different blends and outputs. A variety of models, sizes and brew capacities are available, depending upon the hotel’s requirement. Tripathi of Taj Lands End, elaborates, “Most hotels use automatic or semi-automatic coffee machines to save time and deliver the best quality coffee. Therefore, it is very important that the machines chosen should be efficient enough ‘to serve basic and most common coffees like cappuccino, caffe latte, espresso and doppio.”
Undoubtedly, then, the functionality and volume, determine the kind of coffee machine a hotel settles for. In fact, the coffee machines differ in each area of the hotel. All-day dining restaurants and banquets generally opt for automatic machines, as speedy delivery and easy guest usage are critical. For specialty restaurants and delis, semi-automatic machines are used to make hand-crafted coffees.
At The Claridges, New Delhi, Egro automatic and semi-automatic machines are used. JW Marriott Bengaluru prefers Nuova Simonelli for their coffee shop, BBC and La Spaziale at Alba, the Italian Specialty restaurant. Other popular choices include La Cimbali, Nespresso and Jura.
Zaccareo adds, “Today, Lavazza is present pan-India and has a significant presence in most of the leading five-star hotels. We provide our partners with machines and roasts or blends, as well as the service support for them to be able to create and offer the best experience to their guests.”
Matt of Blue Tokai however laments, “The trend for hotels right now is to invest in expensive coffee machines and cheap, ungraded coffee because they think that the machines will make up for the flavour of the beans when it should be the other way around. If the coffee is high quality and freshly roasted, then the coffee will taste good on a cheaper model as well. But if the coffee is of a lower, cheaper standard, then getting a high-end machine won’t improve the flavour in your cup.”
Vikram Kashyap, national sales manager, Kaapi Machines (India) Pvt Ltd, analyses, “A perfect cup of coffee is a combination of right technology (coffee machines, coffee grinder, right calibration and maintenance of coffee equipment) and correct coffee blend for bean to cup machines and in case of semi-automatic coffee machine the specialist hand (Barista) is also equally important.”
Smaller coffee machines with less capacity, operated through Illy capsules, are placed in guest rooms by several hotels as many guests want to wake up to a good cuppa. Sood of JW Bengaluru opines, “All high-end guest rooms have coffee machines. This is primarily because some guests prefer to brew their own coffee to suit their taste preferences.”
Training staff to handle coffee machines and teaching them to brew coffee as per guests’ satisfaction, are equally important. Kashyap of Kaapi Machines elaborates, “All our machines sold come with complimentary training. For hotels, especially, we do special training programme which is a combination of theory (Bean to Cup) and practical hands-on training. A dedicated and trained team of coffee professionals, awarded and certified, able to understand consumers’ requirement and accordingly provide a solution, which we offer, is the key to success.”
Given the penchant for coffee and seeing the growth potential, hotels are proactively promoting this brew. Sabhlok declares, “We always offer coffee with our cakes and desserts at Ye Old Bakery. We make it a point to ensure that our customers are aware of the kinds of brews being served at The Claridges.”
As part of the Master Barista programme at Le Meriden, every hotel in the portfolio has an in-house Master Barista to enhance the coffee-drinking experience of the guest.
At Taj Lands End Mumbai, some exclusive coffees are listed in their lounge menu. “We keep updating the brands in our menu as per new trends in the coffee world. Our South Indian style of coffee has gained tremendous popularity. It is served in a nice glass rather than a cup, giving a classy edge to our customers,” states Tripathi.
Hotel chains have also realised the lobby’s potential as a market to sell more coffee. A full-service cafe with pastries and espresso-based drinks is a standard for many hotels now. Decaffeinated, instant, iced and flavoured coffee, apart from the usual lattes and cappuccino, are on offer.
Clearly a fresh aroma has wafted and the coffee culture in India is steadily growing. Organic, artisanal brews, single origin varietals – hotels have them all. After all, a good day starts with a great cup of coffee and that shouldn’t change for people because they’re away from home. Hotels are ensuring
