More than just Filter Kaapi
Elated by the launch of their second outlet in Nungambakkam, Divya Jayashankar, the driving force behind Beachville Coffee Roasters, talks to DT Next about Chennai’s evolving coffee culture. She emphasises the importance of creating awareness about quality and experimental coffee among enthusiasts
CHENNAI: Just as Mumbai’s essence is captured in vada pav, Chennai’s soul resides in its classic filter coffee. Chennaiites kickstart their day with a sip of this beloved brew, preparing them for the day ahead. Coffee enthusiast Divya Jayashankar is on a mission to introduce unique coffee varieties and spread coffee knowledge in the city.
Her journey into the world of identifying unique varieties of coffee started when she was in New York. She began with Mad Rush Coffee – a speciality coffee roasting company that distributed Indian coffees there. Discovering her true calling, Divya delved deep into the subject and brought a meticulous and scientific approach, coupled with her knowledge and passion for the brew back to Chennai.
In a one-on-one session, Divya explains to us about three different varieties of coffee, their origin and also about the coffee scene in Chennai. She started Beachville Coffee Roasters in 2019 to experiment with coffee. She initiates meaningful barista interactions to understand the intricacies of grind, roast, and blend for crafting the perfect decoction. Recently, Divya opened the second branch of the outlet in Nungambakkam, with more unique varieties.
“We have introduced three new types. One is Nachammai, which is sourced from Yercaud. It has the typical dark chocolate and a bit of jasmine flavour. This is the best choice for people who are in the initial stages of getting into black coffee,” says Divya. Attikan has an acidic taste to it with more bitterness. Sourced from Chikmagalur, Hippla has a pulpy sweetness in the end. “I also want to try my hand in robusta,” she adds. Though people here are used to arabica, she further mentions that the robusta market is expanding in the city.
Divya gets to meet a lot of first-time coffee drinkers, who try their flavourful options, which have less on coffee, like their orange and watermelon coffee pops. Their dark and white, which is a mix of coconut milk and a good amount of their new blend, Dark Horse, with a pinch of cardamom is creamy and reminds of payasam. The jelly latte is also a novel creation and a must-try.
In Chennai, coffee culture is evolving along with the growing cafe culture. We can find filter coffee to artisanal coffee here. “People are conscious about the amount of caffeine they consume. So, they want to find new and flavourful options. It should be noted that artisanal coffee is on the rise in the city because people want to experiment with new things and are looking for something to put on their social media platforms. With work-from-home culture emerging, many are looking for outdoor spaces to sit peacefully and work. Exposure to different types of cultures and coffee across the world, makes people look for the same flavours here in the city. They want to try Vietnamese coffee or an Indonesian coffee sitting in Chennai,” shares the founder.
The company also focuses on the B2C market with at-home brewing encompassing single-origin speciality coffee, speciality coffee blends as well as a small selection of Ready-to-drink (RTD) products.
Beachville Coffee Roasters is recently launched on Khader Nawaz Khan Road in Nungambakkam.
