First-of-its-kind,Starbucks®Diwali Blend creates a delicious moment to savour for the holiday
Ahmedabad, 2020: Starbucks India is celebrating the festival of lights with the debutofa new seasonalwhole-bean coffee, Starbucks®Diwali Blend, to customers across Indiaand select global markets. Reinforcing Starbucks long-term commitment to the market, the exclusive Starbucks®Diwali Blend honours India’s coffee-growing communitiesby highlighting new estates each year from India’s rich tradition of expert coffee producers.
Starbucks®Diwali Blend is a tribute to the region’s deep coffee heritage and expertise, made with hand-selected coffee from Valparai, Jumboorand Suntikoppa estates in the verdant hills of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The indulgent and immersive experience was developed specifically for customers in India.This unique blendfeatures a balanced acidity,warm notes of cocoa, a syrupy body with notes of chocolate and hints of spice and stone fruit.
The package design depicts themes of light and illumination, with images of lanterns and elaborate traditional patterns.The central rangoli patternreflects the symbolic triumph of good over evil and embodies the spirit of Diwali, the most auspicious day of the year in India.Starbucks®Diwali Blend is the second Starbucks whole bean coffee to be entirely sourced, roasted and packaged in India, following the launch of Starbucks® India Estates Blend in 2013.
“Diwali holds incredible significance as a source of light and hope for Indians around the world,” said Navin Gurnaney, ceo, Tata Starbucks Pvt. Ltd. “This moment gives us the perfect opportunity to bring joy and cheer into the lives of our customers, which is especially meaningful now. This new annual offering is inspired by India’s cultural dynamics and rich coffee heritage, and Tata Starbucksremains committed to providing our customers with a unique, unparalleled Starbucks experience that celebrates India’s coffee culture.”
To overcome the challenges associated with creating a new coffee during COVID-19, Starbucks collaboratedremotelywith the local coffee team to trial, develop and roast the Diwali Blend. From different coordinates across the globe, the team successfully sampleddifferent combinations together before landing on the final blend. This is Starbucks first coffee blend that’s been created remotely.
“Starbucks Diwali Blend is a true testament to coffee’s power to bring people together – from bean to cup. The exquisite blend is hand selected and sourced from Tata estates in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The unique partnership between Starbucks and Tata Beverageshighlights the craftsmanship of notable coffee planters of India and showcases the Starbucks prowess to deliver great tasting and high-quality coffee”, said Sunil D`Souza, CEO, Tata Consumer Products.
“We are pleased to be able to celebrate and honour this important festival by introducing a new whole bean coffee that is sourced, roasted and packaged in India,” said Sara Trilling, president, Starbucks Asia Pacific. “India has a deep coffee heritage and we are pleased to be able to bring this unique and special coffee to customers around the world.”
Starbucks®Diwali Blend is availablefor a limited time across all stores in India. The delightful tinis perfect to take home, gift or add a touch of joy to celebrations by sharing with family and friends.
Since entering the India market in 2012, Starbucks remains committed to ethically sourcing and roasting the finest-quality coffees in the world.Customers canenjoy the Starbucks Experienceat 196 stores across India.
