On October 1, International Coffee Day, The Coorg Coffee Club, a specialty coffee venture based in Coorg, Karnataka, and Coffee Island, a Greek specialty coffee retailer, launched The Origin Box in Athens. This collection includes five specially processed Indian coffees, one from each of five Coorg estates, each named for its estate and grower. The Indian Ambassador to Greece, Shri Ravi Shankar, formally launched the collection, marking a significant milestone in the promotion of Indian specialty coffee in Europe.
The Origin Box presents Indian coffee to Europe as a curated, traceable specialty origin, with the same rigor and story as origins such as Ethiopia or Colombia. The box features three coffee species: Arabica, Canephora (Robusta), and Excelsa. Every lot is documented from harvest through processing, drying, and roasting, allowing consumers to follow the coffee back to the grower. This initiative is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Coffee Island and The Coorg Coffee Club to promote specialty coffee from India.
The launch event in Athens was attended by Coffee Island and The Coorg Coffee Club's leadership, media, and coffee enthusiasts from across Greece. A press conference on September 30 gave media an early look at the collection and a chance to learn more from the team about sourcing, processing, and the road to European shelves. Shri Ravi Shankar expressed his excitement about the initiative, stating that it is a great way for coffee lovers in Greece to taste Indian coffee.
The Coorg Coffee Club has worked with 10 estates to produce 10 specially processed coffees, with the first edition featuring five of them. The quality of a coffee is largely decided during processing, and the growers and The Coorg Coffee Club have focused their work together on this aspect. Each coffee was processed as its own lot, and every lot is documented from harvest through fermentation, drying, and roasting.
Coorg's estates are located in the forests of the Western Ghats, where coffee grows beneath tall native trees. This shade-growing method is not a recent choice or a certification label but rather a traditional practice that has been used in India for generations. According to Ms. Sunalini Menon, Founder of Coffee Lab, India, this method results in a distinct flavor profile, with notes of citrus fruits, spices, chocolate, and caramel on a bed of smooth, full-bodied mouthfeel.
The partnership between Coffee Island and The Coorg Coffee Club is built on shared values of sustainability, fair sourcing, and traceability. Coffee Island brings market access and retail reach across Greece, Cyprus, and the wider European market, while The Coorg Coffee Club brings the origin story behind every pack. Panagiotis Konstantinopoulos, Managing Director of Coffee Island, highlighted the significance of this partnership, stating that it showcases the hard work, passion, and tradition of Indian farmers.
The Origin Box offers coffee drinkers in Greece and Cyprus a rare chance to taste five distinct coffees from India side by side, each one carrying the name of the estate and grower who made it possible. For many attendees at the launch event, it was their first encounter with Indian coffee, and the reaction was one of genuine surprise at just how distinctive and well-crafted each cup was. The coffees are now available in over 400 Coffee Island stores across Greece and Cyprus.
Key points
- The Origin Box features five specialty Indian coffees from Coorg estates, each named for its estate and grower.
- The initiative is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Coffee Island and The Coorg Coffee Club to promote specialty coffee from India.
- The coffees are now available in over 400 Coffee Island stores across Greece and Cyprus.
