Who knew Nagaland would be such a hotbed for high-quality coffee? With the neighboring places having captivated the world with their Assam and Darjeeling teas, maybe it’s about time Nagaland finds a place in the heart of coffee lovers in the country and beyond. 

Today we chat with the two founders of  “Nagaland Coffee” – a day before the official launch of their first coffee shop in Dimapur, which promises to enchant coffee lovers in the state with their top-class coffee. They have also managed to excite many with the prospect of creating a sustainable coffee ecosystem – comprising of cultivation, roasting, processing, brewery and more.

We chat with coffee expert and co-founder Dr.Pieter Vermeulen to know more about their story, their line of products and services, launch day and their future plans. 

• Meet the Founders

‘Nagaland Coffee Private Limited’ is a business venture started by two friends -Vivito Yeptho from Nagaland, and Dr. Pieter Vermeulen from Cape Town, South Africa. Dr. Pieter is a coffee expert, with a passion for, and knowledge of cultivation, roasting, processing, brewery and more. Having signed an MoU with the Govt. of Nagaland to be the sole exporters of Nagaland Coffee, they are also opening up a coffee shop in Dimapur, to give a taste of the best quality coffee to the folks in Nagaland.

Pieter Vermeulen, Coffee expert & Co-owner of “Nagaland Coffee”

• So tell us how you guys met.

Pieter: We met at NCF Delhi (Nagaland Christian Fellowship) 20 years ago and have been friends ever since.  I have traveled across India to attend NCFs all over (my late father was a reverend and a missionary).

• Tell us more about the idea behind “Nagaland Coffee” and your plans regarding this venture.

Pieter: Just to give a background about the groundworks so far, I have traveled all over Nagaland giving short-term courses to local farmers on coffee plantation. Nagaland coffee is exported to South Africa and the Middle East. Currently, four districts in Nagaland are producing coffee – Mokokchung, Mon, Wokha, and Zunheboto; new farms will be coming up soon in Jalukie and other places.

“We ensure that the cultivation is environment-friendly, and that there is absolute transparency in financial transactions (relative to global coffee rate). We also pay attention to taking good care of the farmers, and most importantly create opportunities for Nagas in terms of employment and putting out these high-quality products into the global market. Another focus is of course, to share high quality coffee with the people in Nagaland, with absolutely no compromise on quality.”

Coffee Harvested in Nagaland | Photo: “Nagaland Coffee”

• Tell us more about the “Nagaland Coffee Shop” launching tomorrow (Sept 1st, 2018)

Pieter: Ah yes, we are finally launching a coffee shop in Dimapur as scheduled, on the 1st of September 2018. The doors will officially open to everyone at 10:00 am and will go on till 7:00 pm. We want this cafe to be a space for all the coffee lovers in Nagaland to come and enjoy high-quality coffee produced in the state.

“I have been training baristas with my expertise and local knowledge, and I would also love to extend these lessons (including latte art) – to even customers who are interested, starting Monday. We will be rotating our global menu every six months; we are starting with French (European) breakfast and South African lunch. Everything available in the cafe would be of local produce except for patisserie, which will be variations from around the world. Breakfast and lunch to be available every day, and dinner on weekends.For opening day, however, only coffee would be available, and we are serving free coffee for our first 500 customers!”

A post shared by RootsandLeisure (@rootsandleisure) on Aug 31, 2018 at 6:57pm PDT

• What’s the address and Opening hours?

The coffee shop will be closed on Mondays but will remain open on Sundays in the afternoon around 3 pm. However, for the coming week after launch day, Monday will be open.

• Address: Circular Road, next to Dominos Pizza
• Launch Date: 1st Sept 2018
• Launch Timing : 10: 00 am to 7:00 pm

Sounds pretty interesting! So folks in Nagaland, head over to Nagaland Coffee Shop (Circular Road Dimapur) for their launch on 1st Sept – starts 10:00 am. Free Coffee for first 500 customers! Also, do not forget to share your feedback 🙂

Here’s a look at the Menu offered at Nagaland Coffee Shop