Café Collective 1854, a booming cafe first to introduce civet coffee in India, the most expensive beverage in the world

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Not many Indians know about the existence of the most expensive and delicious beverage in the world, Civet Coffee. For the first time ever, a coffee expert called Narendra Hebbar from Coorg in the state of Karnataka introduced Civet Coffee to the nation with his café called Coffee Collective 1854(Rebranded in 2022) in the year 2014.

The process of making this magical coffee is intriguing. An animal called the Civet Cat is very common in coffee estates that feed on ripe coffee cherries in the areas of coffee plantations. During the digestion of these cherries, a miraculous fermentation process is triggered, which powers up the flavor of the beans producing a unique and rich taste. Once the beans are disposed of from civet cats as faeces, it is extracted and processed for consumption, which becomes the most expensive beverage and coffee in the world. The cost of Civet Coffee beans is priced at an estimated of INR 9000 per Kg.

During the processing of the Civet Poo, 60% of the substance is lost during the excretion and only the remaining 40% is processed while only the beans that are above 5.5 mm are roasted, making it one of the most expensive coffees in the world.  The world-famous, Wild Civet Coffee (Kopi Luwak), Organic Arabica, Monsoon Malabar, Expresso blend, handcrafted Italian brews, south Indian premium filter coffee in flavors of Expresso, Cappuccino, Cold Coffee, French Press, Pour Over, Cold Brew, and more are some of the variety offered by Coffee Collective 1854.

Karnataka is regarded to be the largest coffee-producing state in India recording an estimated 71% of the total production in the country. 1854 is known as the year when the coffee plantation was first started in Coorg. Coffee Collective 1854 based in Coorg, known as the Scotland of India, is one of the leading Café in the country known for its unique civet coffee and sophisticated processing of a broad variety of coffee. Starting its venture in the year 2014, the company rebranded as Coffee Collective 1854 in October 2022. Coffee Collective 1854 is widely regarded as the first to introduce Civet Coffee in India. The phenomenal business growth is largely fueled by its zero chicory business model, the flagship product civet coffee, and its world-class business operations. Chicory is a root that produces a taste similar to coffee and is widely used to enhance the flavor of coffee and also as a substitute for coffee. 

The company owned by his beloved wife Sharada who has a great passion for Coffee, Narendra Hebbar has been instrumental in the success of the business owing to his vast experience of more than 30 years in coffee plantation. Mr. Hebbar has been in the business most of his life, his unmatched intelligence and advanced technical skills in various processes involving coffee have been a major driving force of Coffee Collective 1854.

A grower, brewer, and passionate researcher,  Narendra Hebbar is a man who knows the best about coffee. His huge network of growers, curers, and roasters across India has been hugely significant to his superior understanding of coffee today. As per the research of Icons of Indian Business Magazine, Mr. Hebbar is known for his ability to source the best coffee and deliver the same in a cup for a super delicious coffee experience, a skill that takes immense passion and years of dedication to master.  

Currently, the café is located in Coorg and is expected to open in many places in India such as Mysore, Bangalore, Mangalore, and more. The café is known for its unique brewing methods and is reportedly the ideal destination for coffee lovers and tourists for a world-class coffee experience that rejuvenates the senses while boosting energy instantly.     

Narendra Hebbar led Café collective 1854 has been featured on Television programs in history TV, Living Foodz while also making its place on various social media pages on several platforms. A renowned blogger called Shivyanath wrote an Interesting blog on the famous café.

Narendra Hebbar was born in Coorg, he studied Bachelor of Arts – Bachelor of Legislative Law (BA - LLB) at SDM Law College and then started his life as a coffee supplier to exporters in the year 1993 until 2010. He later started an organic farm in a place close to Kushal Nagar, during which he started his own experiments in coffee blends. He later took up roasting seriously from the blends he had designed and then decided to start his own café. Over the years the café led by Narendra Hebbar was widely covered in the media for its pure coffee (Zero Chicory) and the famous Civet coffee.

Future Prospects

Expanding its footprint, coffee collective 1854 is expected to open in Bangalore, Mysore, and many other places in the coming years.

Narendra Hebbar is currently working on a documentary on Civet Coffee and the conservation of Civet Cats. Narendra Hebbar is also a consultant for various coffee growers, he is an expert in the entire process of coffee, from seed to cup, and has developed many roasting profiles over the years.

Narendra Hebbar is looking forward to starting an Academy for those who aspire to grow coffee plants and start a café, sharing his broad knowledge of the subject he gained over the years, while also conducting workshops for coffee enthusiasts.

During an interview with Narendra Hebbar, he emphasized the importance of animal conservation and strongly believes that offering good rates of civet coffee will greatly aid in the conservation of Civet Cats.

Connect with Coffee Collective 1854

+91 9880800333