There are quite a few of us who strongly believe that our first cup of coffee sets the tone of our day. I am one of them. I even have a Garfield mug that says “was there life before coffee?”. But after one conversation with Ashish Dabreo, founder of “The Flying Squirrel”, I am starting to wonder if all the pomposity I give my coffee is rightly deserved. Do I know what good coffee tastes like? If you are a coffee fanatic who knows your beans, then this squirrel might be the one you are looking for. Meet “The Flying Squirrel”.
Founded about 2 years ago to give people the taste of a good cup of coffee, the team behind this squirrel are Tej Thammiah, Ravi Dabreo, Laeeq Ali, Shriram G, and Ashish Dabreo . Why artisan coffee? “There are many ways of selling coffee, but with most of the coffee available in the market the consumers do not know where the beans come from, how they were treated etc. The coffee is roasted months before, which affects the freshness and the aroma of the coffee. Tej is a third generation coffee farmer and makes sure that we establish our expertise and our attention to every aspect of coffee making right from the estate level. Since we have the whole process- right from the estate till the point the coffee reaches the consumer, under our control we are able to provide coffee that is unique in every way”.
The Flying Squirrel began more out of a need to quench the “great coffee” thirst that these connoisseurs had. Ashish goes on to elaborate that since coffee at his home always came from Tej’s estate, in Polibetta Coorg, guests were constantly asking where they could get such good coffee. So the team knew right away that there would be takers for their coffee. The challenge, was reaching out to a nation that predominantly consists of tea drinkers, and the rest used to the instant coffee available in abundance in the market. “There was a time when coffee beans were freshly roasted at home on the tava. People slowly moved away from it and are now ruined by the instant coffee. Since we were experimenting at the farm level, it took us around two years to arrive at the market. By the time we reached the market we saw there were many more people involved in a similar module. This is actually good for the industry overall. It shows a lot of people are willing to change to a better product.”
Let’s talk about the star of this event- the coffee. The Flying Squirrel offers six different varieties namely Paramà, Sattva, Sunkissed, Aromatique, Cafè Chic, and Deep Bliss. “Tej having come from a coffee background, keeps an eye on everything like the manure and the water. We are also equipped technology wise with the right kind of gadgets. Our aim is to naturally infuse flavors into the beans. For e.g., we have a citrus patch in the middle of where the beans grow or a vanilla patch, to infuse these natural flavors. A true coffee lover will definitely be able to tell the difference.” Ashish also talks about the “Sunkissed” flavor, where the pulp is bruised, fermented and then dried. This makes the fruitiness go into the bean, making it an inherently sweeter coffee. The Flying Squirrel coffee is mostly available online. They roast and grind the coffee as per customer requirements. The coffee reaches the customers within 8/9 days of roasting. So the aroma and the freshness of the coffee is something you will not find easily.
This is too much coffee talk to continue without a mug in hand. As I sip my “relatively” good filter coffee I ask Ashish about the response that their venture has gotten. The Flying Squirrel has definitely hit its mark among people who are on the lookout for great coffee. He shares a story where they got an e-mail from an 87 year old man in Chennai who loves to try out different coffees with his wife. He wrote to them about how much they liked their coffee. The Flying Squirrel also gets mails from foreigners who have come on a visit to India and have tried out their coffee. Ashish equates the change that they are bringing about among coffee drinkers to that of developing a palate for wines. “Over period of time people realize what they have been missing out on.”
With respect to entrepreneurship Ashish says there are two schools of thought. To understand what the market wants, survey, find the blind spot and work on a solution for it. “But then one could also follow their passion and ensure that they are delivering a quality product in the process. I believe in creating brands that are more human. That is what we are trying to do with The Flying Squirrel. Instead of playing the valuation game we would like to focus on creating a product that is more grounded. The Flying Squirrel’s name comes up whenever people are talking about good options for coffee. We are humbled by such references and emails, and feel happy that we are able to reach out to the people with our products.”
What is in store for The Flying Squirrel in the future? “We would like to establish coffee outlets and micro roasteries. People should be able to choose the coffee that they are in a mood for. For e.g., a customer should be able to say I am in a mood for something sweet, or something mild, or something more aromatic. We are interested in establishing engaging coffee shops where the hero is the coffee. We have one such outlet at the cafè Desserted in Vasanth Nagar, Bangalore. Once customers select the coffee, they are given suggestions on desserts that will pair well with the coffee. Apart from that we would like to continue giving customers great coffee and grow slowly yet steadily.”
Visit The Flying Squirrel website today to order your coffee of choice. Don’t forget to stop by the Facebook page to stay updated on what the squirrel is up to. Happy coffee drinking!
Images Courtesy Of The Flying Squirrel