Discover the journey of our beans
At Phil Roast, our journey is deeply rooted in the stories of the land and the passionate individuals who nurture it. Today, we're featuring our remarkable plantations that contribute to our beloved coffee beans: Craigmore Kattimattu Plantation, Srirangalli Plantation, Venkids Valley India, and Ontosoroh Indonesia.
Craigmore Kattimatti Plantation
Discover Craigmore Kattimatti Plantation, known for its remarkable transformation under the leadership of Farokh Anklesaria. Transitioning from a career at sea to managing coffee cultivation, Farokh has used his unique skills to dramatically increase production and enhance sustainability on the plantation.
The journey of transformation
Five years ago, Farokh Anklesaria transitioned from the high seas of the merchant navy to the verdant expanses of the Craigmore Kattimattu coffee estate.
With no prior experience in coffee cultivation, Farokh applied the principles of trust, collaboration, logic, and technology that he had mastered as a ship's captain to his new role. His goal was clear: to rejuvenate the soil, ensuring its health and fertility for future generations.
Innovative cultivation for outstanding quality
Through keen observation and relentless experimentation, Farokh introduced grafting among other innovative techniques, propelling production from 900 to an impressive 12,000 bags. His leadership fostered a team spirit and mutual respect among the 23 permanent workers, emphasizing organic practices and the pursuit of quality.
Natural Robusta
Handpicking
Each coffee cherry is handpicked, ensuring only the ripest and finest cherries are selected. This initial step sets the foundation for the exceptional quality of our Natural Robusta.
Rigorous sorting
Post-harvest, cherries undergo a thorough sorting process. Meticulous re-garbling on patios ensures any defects are removed, maintaining the integrity and high standard of the coffee beans.
Anaerobic fermentation
A crucial step that enhances the beans' unique flavors and aroma. This process contributes significantly to the distinct taste profile of our coffee.
Raised bed drying
After fermentation, the coffee cherries are carefully spread on raised beds for drying. This method ensures even drying and contributes to the development of the coffee's nuanced flavors.
The Final Bean
The result is the Craigmore Kattimuttu Natural Robusta, an exceptional green bean characterized by its unique taste notes of milk chocolate, apricot, and dried dates, ready to be roasted and enjoyed.
Srirangalli Plantation
Explore Srirangalli Plantation, where founders Komal and Akshay have cultivated not only premium coffee but also a thriving community.
A vision for community impact
Komal and Akshay, founders of Srirangalli Plantation, were driven by the desire to make a meaningful impact in their region.
In Srirangalli, where the challenges of transportation and education loom large, they saw potential for change. Despite monsoon damages and other hardships, the community's resilience, cohesiveness, and supportiveness stood out.
Elevating community well-being
Engaging the community in discussions about quality, processes, and fair compensation, Komal and Akshay looked beyond coffee, envisioning projects to uplift the entire community.
Sriangalli Washed Robusta
Selective picking
The coffee cherries are selectively picked at the peak of ripeness. This ensures that only the best cherries are chosen for the next steps, setting the stage for a premium coffee experience.
Depulping
The outer skin of the coffee cherry is carefully removed using a depulping machine. This step is essential for accessing the high-quality beans inside and is done with precision to preserve the bean's integrity.
Fermentation & washing
The beans are fermented in water to remove the mucilage. This is crucial for flavor development. Next, the beans are thoroughly washed to ensure a clean and high-quality final product.
Sun-drying
The washed beans are then laid out in thin layers under the sun to dry. This natural process allows for a gentle drying that retains the beans' inherent flavors, resulting in a coffee with a rich and complex taste profile.
Srirangalli's pride
The culmination of this detailed process is the Srirangalli Washed Robusta, distinguished by its taste notes of bittersweet chocolate, red currant, and caramel. A true testament to the dedication and care invested at every step.
Venkids Valley India
Pavan and Shilpa are third-generation coffee growers from Coorg, India. Pavan
learned traditional farming from his father, while Shilpa—born and raised in
Bangalore—studied business and English literature and is an award-winning
Bharatanatyam dancer. At their Venkids Valley Estate, she oversees management
and marketing for their brand, Papakuchi Coffee.
Kandankolli village
The estate spans 170 acres in Kandankolli village, growing both arabica and robusta in varietal-based blocks for better traceability. Coffee is intercropped with fruits like avocado, sapota, mangosteen, bitter lime, garcinia, oranges, and mangoes. Pavan’s dedicated team helps bring his vision to life, with innovation at the core—using reduced water, organic manure, mechanical drying, and other sustainable practices.
In 2023, Papakuchi Coffee reduced its water use from 5 liters to just 800 ml per kg by recycling efficiently. Effluent water and coffee husks are treated with bio enzymes and reused as manure and irrigation. Their coffee is shade-grown—two tiers for Arabica and one for Robusta—with shade management every 2–3 years. The estate is also home to over 60 species of jungle trees, migratory birds, and year-round wildlife.
A careful process
Handpicked cherries are pulped the same day, then fermented and carefully washed. The coffee is spread on patios to sun-dry, with regular raking to achieve the ideal moisture level. Once dried, the beans are ready for bagging.
Ripe cherries are handpicked and sorted in a siphon tank to separate ripe fruit from floaters. The whole cherries are then evenly spread on drying patios and left to sun-dry for 2–4 weeks, allowing natural fermentation. When they reach 11–12% moisture, they’re ready for bagging.
Ontosoroh Indonesia
Studying abroad made Adri think more deeply about Indonesia. While learning marketing in France, he saw how wine symbolized the country and wondered how an Indonesian product could gain similar global relevance. Indonesia has long been known for coffee, yet low prices and unfair trade have held the industry back. Adri wanted to show the world how much Indonesia has to offer.
From Corporate Life to Coffee Roots
After several years in Jakarta’s corporate world, he realized it wasn’t for him. During a vacation, he visited a struggling coffee farm with excellent beans but little marketing knowledge. Adri began helping the farmers pro bono, supporting negotiations and connecting them with buyers. After two years—once results became visible—they invited him to join them fully as a marketing partner. Adri agreed, and Ontosoroh was born. Ontosoroh is named after a character in an Indonesian novel known for professional, ethical business practices—a reputation Adri has honoured.
Onotosoroh started working with 1 organisations and 5 farmers. Today, it’s a consolidated company formed by 7 employees. They work with around 10 organisations and 434 farmers from three different islands.
A careful process
Only the ripest red cherries are selected and fermented in tanks with the Intenso yeast strain for six days. They are then dried in the open air on raised beds for three days, followed by 14 days of enclosed drying inside a dome, with a seven-day resting period afterward. The cherries are dried once more in the dome for an additional seven days until the ideal moisture level is reached. After drying, the cherries rest for one month before being hulled and hand-sorted.
The ripest red cherries are harvested, submerged, and then pulped. The cherries undergo dry fermentation in an anaerobic tank for five days, while using submerged anaerobic fermentation for the same duration to enhance body and retain sweetness. The coffee is then dried in the open air on raised beds for 15 days, rested for one month, hulled, and finally sorted to export grade.
Experience the journey
You've read about the journeys of Craigmore Kattimattu and Srirangalli Plantations—now it's time to bring their stories to life. Explore our diverse collection and let your taste buds travel the world.