HT Coffee Presents the Sensation of Sipping Coffee in the Middle of a Garden, Offering a Unique Experience from the Slopes of Kerinci

Kerinci, Jambi - The SINERGI Research Downstreaming Team from Politeknik Pertanian Negeri Payakumbuh (PPNP), Universitas Andalas (Unand), and Universitas Negeri Padang (UNP) assessed HT Coffee as an example of a coffee industry player capable of providing an authentic experience for coffee lovers through a café concept located directly in the middle of a coffee plantation. This visit was conducted as part of a series of research on the development of low-acrylamide and high-antioxidant Arabica coffee on the island of Sumatra under the coordination of the Coffee Education & Research Institute (CERI) and supported by PT Pesona Global Multikarya (PGM).

During field observations, the research team found that HT Coffee utilizes the coffee plantation as the main space of the café, without building permanent structures that would damage the vegetation. Tables and seating areas are placed among naturally growing Arabica coffee trees, allowing visitors to enjoy their drinks right in the environment where the coffee is sourced. There are no entrance fees or additional costs. HT Coffee operates like a typical café, but with the coffee plantation atmosphere as its main characteristic.

The team noted that this concept offers a different experience than conventional coffee shops. The cool garden atmosphere, the aroma of coffee leaves, and the Kerinci mountain landscape create a natural, unconventional feel. Visitors can enjoy a cup of coffee while observing the coffee trees, the fruit ripening process, and the activities of farmers around the farm. From the researchers' perspective, this environment provides important context for how coffee is produced and how upstream conditions influence the final product's quality.

In interactions with the management, the team discovered that HT Coffee collaborates with local farmers to manage the plantation and ensure that the coffee cherries are harvested using the red picking method, meeting Kerinci Arabica quality standards. Pre-processing is selective to maintain consistent raw material quality. This practice is relevant to the research team, as the quality of the beans at the initial stage influences the bioactive compounds tested in healthy coffee research.

The manager of HT Coffee explained that the concept of this coffee farm café stems from the desire to provide a coffee shop that is "true to its origins". He noted that many people enjoy coffee without ever seeing how the coffee plants grow and are managed. "We want people to experience coffee where it grows. There are no extra charges, no tour packages. This is just a café, but a café where the garden lives around the customers," said the owner of HT Coffee.

For the research team, HT Coffee offers exciting potential as a supporting location for research observations. Direct access to the plantation allows researchers to observe cultivation, fruit development, and the environmental dynamics that influence the chemical characteristics of coffee beans. This provides a valuable perspective for research on low-acrylamide, high-antioxidant coffee, particularly on agronomic factors that influence raw material quality.

The team concluded that the presence of a farm-based café like HT Coffee not only enriches the coffee experience for coffee lovers but also positively impacts local farmers through increased sales and direct interaction with consumers. Furthermore, this concept reinforces Kerinci's identity as a region producing quality Arabica coffee that can offer added value without over-commercializing the land.

Through collaboration between researchers, farmers, and local businesses, the team believes that the coffee farm café concept, as implemented by HT Coffee, can be a supporting element in building a more inclusive, sustainable Kerinci coffee ecosystem based on an understanding of the upstream and downstream processes. The team hopes that HT Coffee will continue to grow as a meeting place for coffee, nature, and the community, while also strengthening Kerinci Coffee's position at the national level.