Why this new coffee shop in Bengaluru represents 500 small farmers

By supporting small and medium sized coffee farms, FAST Coffee has sustainability and community at its mission’s core

The ‘fast’ in Fast Coffee stands for Fair and Sustainable Trade. As the name suggests, the organisation’s mission is to promote sustainability and support local communities. It is started by couple Puja Soomanna and her husband Soomanna MM, who are from the B2B coffee industry. They also own the luxury coffee shop, HumbleBean Coffee in Indiranagar. And the new coffee shop, Fast Coffee is the latest to open in the heart of Koramangala.  

The cafe has an industrial and modern vibe. The grey concrete is dotted with accents of blue, like the logo of the company. I take a peek at the bakery counter and sit down for a chat with the founders. 

Why not single estate?

The idea behind the coffee shop is to throw a spotlight on small and medium sized coffee farmers. Whereas many cafes focus on the beans from a single estate, Fast Coffee believes that the smaller farmers lose out in this model. “We source coffees from farmers growing coffee from all regions of India. Specialty coffee is only two percent of our produce. Where we wanted to add value was for the 98% of the traders,” Puja tells me. “India grows very good coffee because of our topography, but post-harvest treatment of coffee is where we lose out in international standards.” The company educates farmers about improving their produce post-harvest. 

All the coffee used in the cafe is naturally dried; there are no processes such as barrel washing used here, which according to the duo, is not sustainable. “These processes are also expensive, so a small and medium farmer cannot afford it. It is restricted to a small well-to-do segment.” They have on board more than 500 farmers, from regions such as Palani, Coorg and Nagaland. They work with the farmers directly and control the entire supply chain. 

So, what is on the menu?

Whereas HumbleBean is all about coffee pairings and French pastries, Fast Coffee is a more of a quick and casual affair. I try two coffees - an Americano, to get the taste of the coffee, and a hot mocha, for something more indulgent. The Americano is bold, and fruity. The mocha is comfortingly warm, creamy and sweet; what I needed on the crisp morning. Fast Coffee has kombuchas, cold brew lemonade and Hojicha green tea latte, if you want to try something different.