Devan's is looking for a little bit of history inside a modern coffee bar

A third-generation coffee and tea store now sports a sophisticated coffee bar

There’s almost nothing as decadent as the aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafting out of a café. In a fairly unlikely location, amid government quarters and an unglamorous little market in New Delhi, this decadence has been a hallmark at Devan’s, a store that has been selling ground coffee since 1962. Surrounded by small tailoring shops and grocery stores, Devan’s stands like a white oasis in messy New Khanna Market. Previously called South Indian Coffee & Tea and now renamed Devan’s at Lodhi, the unassuming shop has recently branched out from selling coffee powder (and coffee beans and teas) to serving a variety of different flavours at its “coffee bar”.
 
Located inside the slightly expanded store, the coffee bar is exactly that — a tiny but swish space to sample coffee before you buy it. This is the brainchild of the third generation of the family that owns Devan’s. Established by D Vasudevan after he left the Coffee Board of India, the legacy was taken forward, till recently, by his son, Keshav Dev. It is Vasudevan’s grandson, Siddhant Keshav, who is giving Devan’s a modern twist while keeping its legacy intact. “For several years now, I have been travelling to Europe almost every year for short courses about coffee and cafés,” says Keshav, who is also a member of the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe. “I’ve worked at a café in Vienna as a barista and it taught me the nuances of coffee making and serving.”
 
The coffee bar, Keshav explains, has been designed as an experiential space rather than just a café. “I want people to see how coffees are brewed and learn about the coffee before buying ‘the usual’.” While Devan’s loyalists have been the South Indians living in the area — Vasudevan set Devan’s up keeping this clientele in mind — Keshav believes there is renewed interest in coffee from people from various walks of life and different parts of Delhi. “I believe what we are seeing in India is the ‘third wave’ of coffee. Coffee drinkers are slowly beginning to understand the rich range of flavours that a single kind of coffee can offer. This palate can sometimes even be fuller than what wine offers,” says Keshav.

As a child, Keshav knew little about this “palate” because he was not allowed to drink coffee. “I was responsible for packaging in the back room,” he laughs. Today, of course, the scenario is different. At home, each aficionado has his or her own favourite brew — his mother likes the Viennese while Keshav and Dev keep switching up their preferred coffee. Keshav recommends the Plantation AAA, a malty blend with a smooth texture. For something bolder, he suggests the Lodhi Blend, made with three different coffees to offer a dark colour and creamy texture over an earthy base.
 
But while interest in coffee may have peaked, single-origin coffees or even good quality coffee can be a challenge to find. “It is extremely hard to find single-origin coffees in India because of the inconsistencies in the way coffee farms are managed or, for that matter, the unpredictable climate conditions,” he explains. Devan’s, thus, sources its beans from different farms to keep its brand consistent and to approximate the same taste every year. Where coffee beans from a lower altitude could offer excellent taste and value, coffee growers now need to move higher in order to produce quality beans.
 
But to keep the conversation around coffee alive, Keshav is hoping that coffee bars in other parts of town will make it more accessible. “The biggest deterrent to coffee is that people think brewing it is an elaborate, expensive process. We’re launching our coffee bags soon to counter this myth,” he says. A new generation of the family might even mean a new generation of customers walking in to Devan’s, looking for a little bit of history inside a modern coffee bar. Devan’s coffees are available at their store in New Khanna Market, New Delhi, and at Modern Bazaar, Food Hall and Le Marche outlets. These are also available at www.devans.in