The first Indian coffee to appear on the Seven Seeds menu has won us over - primarily for its quality and innovative processing, but also with a coincidence that felt close to home. Ratnagiri Estate sits at the base of Baba Budangiri, a historic coffee-growing region believed to have been founded by the Sufi saint Baba Budan, who first brought coffee to India from Yemen. His story inspired both the name Seven Seeds and our very first venue, Brother Baba Budan.
Ratnagiri Estate delivers a bold, decadent espresso with flavours of liqueur chocolates and stonefruit; every bit as captivating as the innovative and dedicated processing method behind it.
For nearly a hundred years, the Patre family has cared for Ratnagiri Estate, growing specialty coffee and fine pepper. Today, Ashok Patre, alongside his wife, Divya, is the third generation to work this land, and he’s shaping the farm’s future with one of the most impressive coffee operations we’ve come across, not just in India, but anywhere in the world. Mr. Patre’s approach to processing is thoughtful and refined. He knows that India’s terroir and coffee varieties offer a distinct character, and he’s developed methods that bring out something truly special.
This particular coffee is naturally processed and underwent anaerobic fermentation in custom-built bioreactors for 36 hours, using lab-isolated microbes. After that, it was dried slowly on raised beds for 25 days. While this kind of process can sometimes lead to coffees that taste “over-processed” or unclean, many of Mr. Patre’s lots are clean, complex, and full of character.
Thanks to ongoing research and a strong scientific foundation, Mr. Patre is able to guide each fermentation with impressive precision. Over the past year, he’s worked with a leading food scientist to create a custom line of processing equipment. In his facility, nearly every part of the fermentation process is carefully managed. He’s built a small team of experts—including two microbiologists—who track each batch closely, from microbial plating to acidity measurements that help determine the perfect moment to finish fermentation.
Through this work, Mr. Patre is helping move specialty coffee into the world of true food science, drawing fascinating parallels to the way beer and wine are made.