Binny Varghese is a coffee warrior whose coffee journey began much by accident. After studying hospitality, he worked in hotels in different countries for nine years where he developed an interest in spirits, particularly whiskies. In 2015, he moved back to his home state in Baroda where alcohol was banned. That’s when he discovered coffee and was drawn towards it. “It’s a different brew altogether and has a wider reach. In some ways, I feel that whisky and coffee have similar stories when it comes to people’s habits. They like to explore, try new stuff and are fascinated with it — particularly the new-age speciality coffees,” emphasises Binny, who joined Brewberrys, the coffee chain originating in Gujarat.
Barista on bike
In 2017, Binny undertook Barista on Bike — a 100-day a solo expedition on a motorcycle covering 21,000 km around India and Nepal. What inspired him for this adventure? “I love to ride motorcycles and started my first big trip going around and talking to people and different coffee shops about coffee. The name ‘Barista on bike’ was apt as a lot of people in India do not know that barista is a profession — a bartender who makes coffee. So during the trip, when they’d hear the name, they’d ask me about it. It was interesting to tell people that ‘Hey, barista is a profession’! It was also an ice-breaking situation and I loved it. Probably, there were a few 100 people I must have told. Also, it was a great experience to travel around India and Nepal. I still love coffee and telling people about coffee and motorcycles,” he recounts.
|Binny worked with a company as a consultant and a trainer for a while. Later, he went solo as a consultant and helped people set up business in terms of cafes and coffee establishments. “I like to believe that I help build stories. We often romanticise the idea of coffee shops but one needs to focus on the profit and loss statement, and that’s the reality check I give them. I guide them to eliminate mistakes, make informed decisions and deal with the challenges.” Working with cafes got him closer to coffee plantations and he started consulting coffee farmers to help them grow. “The idea is to increase their value of coffee and help them earn money which would help them make a better living.”
Spreading the coffee word
Working with coffee producers, Binny wanted to explore the intricacies of coffee but couldn’t find any place that shared knowledge about coffee. “Hospitality has always been a bigger umbrella but coffee as a subject matter did not have a lot of course material around it. I saw the gap in the information and that led me to the opportunity of starting a Barista Training Academy in Delhi,” he affirms. As a certified Assistant CQI Processing instructor, Binny conducts courses in coffee roasting, brewing, and processing and helps conduct CQI classes. “India is one of the biggest producers of coffee but we didn’t have a Q processing class till two years ago. I am happy that we got that in India I will be playing a role in it. Roasting is one of the most mysterious subjects in coffee but not many people share details. With our roasting classes, we teach logic and tell people to use logic to plan how to roast.”
Binny’s interest in coffee made him a TEDx speaker and coffee podcaster with “Protocol coffee podcast”. He explains, “I got approached by people who asked me to do TEDx and I am really humbled that I got that experience. After that, I did podcasts. I used to listen to a lot of podcasts but nobody in India did them in the coffee scene. Wanting to be the first one to do it, I launched it and did some seasons before taking a break. Now I want to come back with more interesting topics and things around coffee in India.
Interestingly, Binny has produced and directed India’s first documentary on specialty coffee. “While doing this documentary, I had no idea how to make or record it or do a recce or do the shooting. It taught me a lot and was a beautiful experience.”
Fulfilling journey
Binny’s coffee journey has been full of passion and dedication. “It has been a gratifying journey. Being in the coffee industry and working in a coffee kit mantle machinist company and eventually going solo as a consultant and now opening an academy, my experience has been crazy. I have always been going closer to the source—initially working with customers who buy a coffee machine, then working with people using those machines, and then with those who are producing coffee, and then the entrepreneurs starting cafes, and now helping students who want to learn about the industry—it is incredible just to see how our perspective changes as we change the kind of people we interact with in terms of our work,” he reflects.
What comes next? “Currently, I am looking to expand the academy with path-breaking courses subjected to niche studies and train and consult people to become entrepreneurs. But the focus is not just training, we want to conduct research and white papers as that helps the industry as a whole,” he adds.
What is the best coffee available in India, you ask and he retorts, “The one that can put a smile on your face, and that is very much dependent on the set up where you’re consuming coffees. All the coffees are good, it just needs to do its job—whether you are consuming it to get a caffeine kick or to enjoy a peaceful brew!”