About Us

Our Story
From a discovery in the Himalayas...

“Son, have you ever heard of the Kilta Cafe? Whenever I’m up in Manali, we visit this place that serves THE MOST Amazing, Fresh Roasted Coffee, in an obscure little corner in Town! You MUST go & give it a try!”

This was said to us by an Uncle of ours, time & again, so much so that we finally decided we had No Choice, BUT to check this place out!
Little did we know, these Small yet Significant Steps, would be the start of something that went well past just our Passion & Love for Coffee.

My steps, however, began while working in the Hospitality Industry for over 12 years, where Coffee was something I learnt about at the Earliest Stages; Fortunate enough to be Trained in France & The United Kingdom, where I could Experience Coffee, Honing my Skills, & Palate, on a Global Platform. My love for these Wildly Addictive Beans only furthered, as my understanding of them grew, as Beans from Small Batch Farms in remote areas of the Globe, became more & more prominent here in India.

This brings us back to Kilta...

When we finally found The Kilta Café, we met Bob, who not only owned the Café, but Roasted the Coffee as well. Post MULTIPLE Trips, filled with Many Coffees & Much Conversation, we Truly Understood that his “Romance” with Coffee began when he was merely in his Teens, Traveling the World Over, for 5 Years to some of the most Exotic & Interesting Locales Imaginable!

The Italian Espresso, Greek, Turkish, Brazilian Coffees, & Indian Filter Coffee were all part of his Fondest Memories while Visiting those Countries. This is what actually Propelled him into his Very First Roasting Venture, way back in 1981 in the United States, Training under Renowned Masters, such as Alfred Peet, & Michael Sivetz, of whom, for the Avid Coffee Connoisseur, are some of the most Reputed Names in the Business!

After Many Years in between, & a WIDE Gamut of Experience, Bob has brought his Diverse Background, along with the Intangible Knowledge Acquired over his Curiously Interesting Journey, back to the land of Filter Coffee; India!

- to Kilta Coffee Co.

Bob & his wife Grace, named their cafe in Manali, Kilta Café, as a way to Honour & Appreciate the Hardworking Folk whom they saw working Diligently, Day in, & Day out, in the Himalayan region, using the 'Kilta' basket for their Daily Chores.

It was from that Initial Experience at the Cafe, & many other “Coffee Encounters” afterwards, that we just KNEW we had to offer this Coffee to Everyone! So, we decided to join hands with Bob, & Launch KILTA COFFEE CO., to not just cater to the Mountain Region of Manali, but to Bring it to ALL of our Beloved India, & eventually Across the Globe...
It is with keeping this in mind, that We VERY Proudly Present to You:

“A Brand that Celebrates a Global Collaboration, Made in India, YET, Curated & Roasted for the Global Coffee Lover!”

OUR ETHOS
Part of our Ethos at Kilta Coffee Co. is that we Wholeheartedly Believe in Sustainability. By this we mean that if the Coffee Industry is to Thrive here in India, it will, because ALL of the Farmers that do a great job at Growing & Processing their Coffees have an Equal Chance of Selling their products to US; The End Users. We KNOW that there are Many of these Small Farmers that don’t get the Headlines that some of the “Big Guys,” or The Single Estate Plantations do. We intend to help Sustain the Small Farmers, by purchasing THEIR Beans.

We will continue to source our Coffee from Local Farmers, who are OFF the Mainstream Grid, YET have Our Pick of the Most Brilliant of THEIR Crop!

It is BECAUSE of this that Kilta is Able to Give these Independent Farmers a Sustainable Income & Livelihood, whilst also Tapping into Resources from the REALLY Local & Unexplored Regions of India, Eventually Offering to Everyone, the Bold, Rich, & Aromatic Roasts we so Carefully Curate, Just For You!

And with this…
We Welcome You to The
Kilta Coffee Co. Family!
#staycaffeinated #sipkilta
- Kartik Talwar