Growers brace for gourmet coffee meet

Specialty coffee or gourmet coffee demand is on an upswing and the forthcoming 17th annual conference on specialty coffee in Seattle, Washington to be held during April 15-18, is set to witness a strong Indian presence.

Specialty coffee is distinguished by its clear origin, careful cultivation and plucking routine, special processing and of course, branding and handling.

Tata Coffee will lead the Indian brigade to the event, which is expected to draw 10,000 specialty coffee professionals from 40 countries.

The event this time will not just be to create a better brew, but also to explore sustainable solutions for coffee producers and the environment.

A Specialty Coffee Association of India spokesperson said: "Planters are now developing finer strains of coffee to satisfy gourmet coffee drinkers."

He added that Indian coffee planters are increasingly looking at specialty coffee as a means to move up the value chain with their coffee produce.