Joshua Trujillo Starbucks
Tata chair Cyrus Mistry with Starbucks’ Howard Schultz
Specialty coffee from Tata Sons Nullore Estates was chosen to be the first single-origin coffee from India available to Starbucks Reserve customers in the US.
The announcement was one of several that extends the reach of the Tata-Starbucks joint-venture roasting and distribution capabilities.
Cyrus Mistry, chairman of Tata Sons Ltd. and Starbucks c.e.o. met in Seattle in June to announce several new joint initiatives that expand the existing Tata and Starbucks relationship “and strengthen the companies’ commitment to developing the Tata-Starbucks brand and building a different kind of company in India,” according to a Starbucks spokesperson.
Nullore Estates is located in the Coorg, a coffee growing highlands of India known for its arabica. The single-origin coffee will be roasted and sold only at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room in Seattle beginning later this year.
“These announcements build upon the incredible success and shared values between Starbucks and Tata in our partnership in India,” said Schultz. “We are humbled by the way in which customers in India have embraced Starbucks” at more than 80 stores in six Indian cities, he said.
Starbucks will increase its coffee roasting capacity for supplying its stores in India. Since Tata Coffee Ltd. opened its doors to a roasting and packaging plant in Kushalnagar in Coorg, Karnataka, in 2013, this facility has steadily increased its roasting capabilities. Today, it roasts Starbucks India estates blend and espresso roast coffees and will soon expand to include both Kenyan and Sumatran coffees for Starbucks stores throughout India.
This builds upon Tata and Starbucks commitment to cultivate a future supply of high-quality, sustainable green coffee from existing and potential new sources in India through world-class agronomy practices.
“We are proud to work with Starbucks, a company which shares our commitment to both the coffee growing regions and the coffee farmers to ensure we meet the global demand for high-quality coffee over the long-term,” said Mistry.
“Our journey with Starbucks since 2012 has been gratifying and we are pleased to build on the strong relationship between Starbucks and the Tata group as we continue to further advance Indian coffee around the globe. We are honored to be sourcing the finest Indian coffee and introducing Starbucks customers outside India to its quality for the first time.”