Starbucks Will Now Serve A Premium Coffee From Karnataka In The US

India has become a country best known for its exceptional teas — one of the few things we can perhaps thank our former British overlords for — and while this a well-deserved title it often means that our other assets our overlooked.

This year, Starbucks intends to change all that by introducing to its US menu a single-origin premium coffee from Karnataka. This unassuming bean from Tata’s Nullore Estates in Coorg will be made available for a limited amount of time at the Starbuck Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room, a prime destination for Seattle’s coffee connoisseurs.

The purpose of this move is to boost coffee production in the country, as Starbucks’ Asia head John Culver told Reuters, “(This is the) first step in what we hope will be many reserve coffees coming out of India.”

India is currently the sixth largest producer of Robusta and Arabica coffee in the world, and according to the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) its output has increased 16 percent over the last five years.

In the US, Starbucks has made itself synonymous with coffee but it’s still a fairly recent addition to the Indian marketplace. Since in inception in 2012, Starbucks India has been a joint venture with Tata Global Beverages Limited, and has witnessed tremendous growth with currently 84 stores across six Indian cities.

With their success in the Indian market, Starbucks feels it’s time to take Indian coffee to the rest of the world. “We are humbled by the way in which customers in India have embraced Starbucks’ elevated coffeehouse experience, which now spans to more than 80 stores across six cities,” said Howard Schultz, chairman and CEO of Starbucks Coffee Company.

“As we continue on our journey with Tata, we are delighted to introduce the finest coffee from India to a new audience,” he added. In India, Karnataka takes the lead in coffee production, accounting for 70 percent of the country’s output and now it will be served to customers across the world.

Tata has signed several other agreements with the US-based company, including one that introduces the beverage on board Vistara flights (a joint venture between Tata and Singapore Airlines). In addition to this, the Starbucks tea brand, Teavana, will be sold on Indian shores and the Tata mineral water, Himalaya will be introduced to Starbucks outlets in Singapore.

This venture marks a whole new vista for these two powerhouse brands and will hopefully allow India to gain a better foothold in the International market. For many years we have known about the joys of South Indian coffee, and now is the time to take that to the world.

Featured Image Courtesy independent.co.uk