HFB develops methodology to make ready-to-use filter coffee decoctions
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Nandita Vijay, Bengaluru
October 29 , 2014
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Hindustan Food and Beverages (HFB), which has positioned itself to
develop a process methodology to manufacture ready-to-use filter coffee
decoctions, would embark on tapping the retail sector across major
metropolitan cities in India.
It hopes to garner its revenues
and instant recognition from the retail shelves, as Indian households
are looking for a quick and simple process to prepare and consume their
daily cuppa.
For over the last five years, the company has
driving a large part of its sales of ready-to-use filter coffee
decoctions, offering them to such institutions as industry canteens and
the hotel, restaurant and catering (HORECA) segment.
The booming
Indian middle-class comprises a set of people who have no time on their
hands. With double-income families on the rise, consumers are today
looking for qualitative products which are convenient to use.
“Coffee
consumption in India is also set to grow, and we aim to tap its
tremendous potential,” Harold Pereira, partner, HFB, said, adding that
tapping the retail segment was the company’s immediate goal.
“Once
we have successfully tapped the urban crowd, we will look to penetrate
the Tier-II and III city markets. We are confident that the decoction,
with its convenience and quality, would succeed in every market we
launch it in,” he added.
The decoction is currently our only
product. After innumerable blends that we tested with our customer focus
groups and professional coffee-tasters, we have finalised two blends,”
Pereira said.
“One is a traditional South Indian filter coffee
blend, 80 per cent of which is coffee and the remainder is chicory. The
other is a pure coffee blend (i.e. 100 per cent coffee),” he added.
The
initial developmental work on the decoction was done with the Central
Food Technology Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysore. However, the process
for its commercial manufacturing was developed at HFB’s developmental
facility in Mysore.
The company has a big advantage - it is armed
with decades of experience as coffee planters. All the green coffee
processed at the plant comes from company-owned plantations.
This
backward integration has benefited HFB because it garners the assurance
of pricing, quality and availability of supplies, and the efficiencies
gained from coordinating the production of supplies with their
consumption.
“The Indian coffee market currently comprises
instant powder, fresh beans and freshly-ground powder. No player
currently offers a decoction. You could say that we are creating a new
segment in the coffee industry with this product,” said Pereira.
While
the product is yet to be exported, the company is confident on the
promising opportunities, and is looking at rapid expansion plans in the
future into the international arena.
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