Have you noticed that your morning cup of coffee has become a little bit more expensive recently?
World coffee prices have been hitting new highs recently as surging demand from new, growing markets such as China and India meet weather-inflicted low yields in major producer regions such as Brazil. In fact, Arabica and Robusta futures have rocketed up 30-60% in 2 years.
Singapore-based startup, Prefer Coffee, aims to support the coffee industry with stable, natural coffee alternatives that taste as good as the real deal. Co-founder, Jake Berber, discusses future-proofing the coffee industry across Asia with Prefer.
When asked about how he found himself innovating on bean-less coffee, Jake tells of his approach as an investor. “I saw a big trend in coffee Macros and potential opportunity to create an alternative” says Jake. The US-born entrepreneur immediately set his mind to assessing the feasibility of creating a coffee-like product without the use of coffee beans, leading to extensive research & development with Prefer Coffee Co-founder and food scientist, Tan Ding Jie.
Created by fermenting soy, barley, and bread, the R&D process involved extensive iterations on various combinations of bacteria and funghi. “The process is entirely natural” says Jake.
One can’t help but wonder if the flavour can match true coffee. Jake explains that the feedback from people who try prefer comment on the “chocolately, nutty flavour” that is “comparable to Arabica coffee”, a result of careful and precise natural engineering.
Now closing in on 100 businesses supplying Prefer Coffee’s delicious coffee products and an imminent expansion into the Philippines, Jake reflects on their journey introducing a alternative beverage product. “We messed up in the beginning. We were so focused on disrupting an industry, that we missed the real value of Prefer’s innovation”, Jake admits, “We can make sure that coffee is always affordable and accessible”.
To try Prefer Coffee’s bean-less coffee for yourself, visit their website to find your nearest serving location.
