A short, scenic drive from Madikeri, past a rivulet or two, leads you to the charming Venkids Valley Estate, where you are welcomed by Pavan and his wife Shilpa. The estate spreads across 200 acres, and is run like clockwork by Pavan and his team. It is home to over 40 varieties of jungle trees that include wild fig, oranges, mangoes, avocados, soapnut, and also hosts a plethora of resident and migratory birds! The coffee is grown at an elevation of 3600 ft., under the shade of these trees and is processed using state of the art machinery on the farm with the help of the long-standing, loyal and much taken care of the workforce that lives on the estate. They are provided with free housing, electricity, healthcare, and education.

Sustainability is key at the estate, as the houses of the workers are equipped with solar power and rain water harvesting units, and the much dreaded water run off (effluent) is treated in ecologically lined treatment pits before it is used in the farm for irrigation.

A third generation planter, Pavan is truly passionate about his coffee- not just about making it really really delicious but also making it as traceable as possible!

The estate is organised into small divisions called “patte”, and each patch of land is named in the local language (names given by the workers) and marked with small boards stating the elevation, varietal, and the jungle trees/fruits growing on that patch! Imagine being able to spot the exact patch of land your coffee was grown on. Yes, that’s the level of traceability Pavan is able to achieve! Pavan’s coffee is much coveted by roasters from around the world, and we tasted his coffee first in Birmingham, UK at one of our favourite British roasters- Quarter Horse Coffee Roasters. And when we started our roastery, Pavan was one of the first planters we spoke to and visited. His coffee, the care and love that he puts to make his coffee so great and yet so traceable, and the warmth with which his family and him hosted us, meant that we had to make sure that we got some of his fantastic coffee here! We’re super thankful to him and for being part of our journey!