World's leading espresso roaster seeks Indian coffee beans

19 Oct, 2008, 0000 hrs IST,Raghu Krishnan, ET Bureau

BANGALORE: The global economic crisis may have reduced out-of-home consumption of bevereages by 20% in the developed world but the world’s leading roaster of espresso coffee illycafe (spelt with a small i) says this will have little impact on sales and its sourcing of beans from producing countries like India. Every day, some six million cups of illy espresso are consumed in 50,000 upmarket restaurants and coffee bars in 140 countries.

The Italy-based illycafe is the single largest buyer of gourmet Plantation A (Arabica) beans from India. illycafe director Anna Illy says that the current economic crisis will not have much of an impact on a premium product like illy espresso. “At the most, there could be a dip in the growth-rate,” she says.

More >>