How WFH has made cafés out of living rooms

Seeing colleagues walk into the office, portable coffee cups in one hand, or a quick catch-up session with friends at the neighbourhood cafe, is a thing of, well, 2019. Now, it’s a wake up and smell the coffee kind of situation for many of us, as we’re becoming our own baristas at home.Several coffee beans and equipment brands have reported an uptick in sales due to the lockdowns in place, and that has even prompted the launch of several new brands, who are keen to get on to the coffee bandwagon.Abhinav Mathur, CEO of Something’s Brewing, says they are processing more than 300 orders a month, from beans to equipment. “Home brewing has become a passion.This is a time when consumers are willing to experiment and learn new skills at home,” says Mathur.On The MenuEven tea drinkers are getting on board. “My husband and I invested in a French press to upgrade our coffee experience,” says Tanvi Johri, founder, Carmesi, who is also trying out different flavours of coffee. “Right now, I am experimenting with hazelnut flavourings. I enjoy coffee meetings on Zoom with my peers and colleagues. With the rains, resisting coffee has become even more difficult,” Johri says. 83887668Given how easy it is to make coffee at home, the trend is here to stay, feel brands. “The work from home culture has introduced a larger section of the population to preparing a fresh cup of coffee at home. This convenience makes it a part of many professionals’ lives,” says Rahul Aggarwal of Coffeeza.Caffeinated MeetingsFor Sudeep Singh, founder of MPowered, being “seriously deprived of a good cup of coffee” during the lockdown prompted him to pick up an espresso machine. “[At home] I tend to take my brew one or two times more than what I used to while at the office,” he says.“Our Monday morning Zoom meetings with the team are now termed ‘The Coffee Catch-up’, where we discuss strategy and plan work for the whole week ahead. Sometimes, we also indulge in virtual games and team bonding activities to break the monotony.”For Akshay Daftary, director, SIRO Clinpharm, it’s not just the coffee itself, but also the entire process of making a cuppa which has become a ritual to look forward to. “The process helps me ideate. Usually, I prefer the pod and bean machines because it lets me experiment,” he says.And it’s Insta-friendly too. “Customers are experimenting and creating their own versions. Vietnamese Cold Brew is one of the most popular recipes on social media,” Ajai Thandi, co-founder, Sleepy Owl Coffee, says.

from Economic Times https://ift.tt/35U3Ym7