Fresh & Honest

What Fresh & Honest does

Fresh & Honest is an India-based coffee company founded in 1996 and headquartered in Chennai, operating as South Asia's largest coffee roaster. The company runs four interconnected business segments: HoReCa (complete coffee solutions for hotels, restaurants, cafés, airports, and multiplexes), Office Coffee Solutions (equipment and consumables for corporate workplaces), Vending Solutions (automated beverage and snack machines for healthcare, education, entertainment, and food court venues), and BEID (Beverage Experience & Innovation Division providing barista training, café consulting, and signature blend development). Its revenue model combines hardware sales of professional espresso equipment — distributed under partnership arrangements with Italian brands such as Victoria Arduino, Nuovasimonelli, Faema, Gaggia, Carimali, and BFC, alongside its own FH Xpreso and FH Xtract capsule machines — with consumables revenue from roasted coffee beans, roast & ground coffee, capsules, grinders, and Dilmah-distributed teas, sold through B2B enterprise field sales, franchisee and distributor networks, and online marketplaces.

The company's technical backbone centers on a 40,000 sq. meter fully automated manufacturing facility at Sri City (established 2012), supplemented by the original Porur plant (1999). Production capabilities include precision German-engineered roasting, dual-roast methodology, advanced three-stage grinding with cooling, one-way de-gassing valve packaging, nitrogen-flush packaging systems, and zero-emission roasting equipment, all operating under BIS, FSSC 22000, and RFA certifications. IoT-enabled monitoring systems track energy, water, and raw material consumption across manufacturing. Corporate history includes a 2007 acquisition by Lavazza (operated as a subsidiary through 2022), followed by a 2023 transition to a joint venture between Culinary Brands India Limited (CBIL) and Lavazza Group, combining Italian heritage with Indian operational expertise. The company maintains 11 regional branch offices across major Indian cities and a stated ESG roadmap targeting 100% recyclable packaging and carbon-neutral operations by 2030.

Name

Fresh & Honest

Legal name

Fresh and Honest Café Private Limited

Website

https://freshandhonest.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Fresh & Honest is South Asia's largest coffee roaster, founded in 1996 and headquartered in Chennai, India. It supplies roasted coffee, capsules, equipment, and vending solutions to HoReCa, corporate offices, and home consumers across India via 11 regional branches.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Coffee Manufacturing & Equipment

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee (Roasted, Ground, Whole Bean) (CRADAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Single-Serve Coffee (Pods, Capsules) (CRADAHAH)

Keywords

• Roasted coffee beans
• Coffee machines equipment
• HoReCa coffee solutions
• Office coffee services
• Coffee capsules pods

Headquarters

HQ city

Chennai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Coffee Products Sales: Sale of roasted coffee beans, roast & ground coffee, and coffee capsules to B2B and B2C customers through direct sales, distributors, and online marketplaces.
2. Coffee Machines & Equipment: Sale and supply of professional espresso machines (Victoria Arduino, Nuovasimonelli, Faema, Gaggia, etc.) and coffee grinders for HoReCa, offices, and vending environments.
3. Vending Solutions: Supply of vending machines dispensing coffee, tea, hot beverages, and short eats to healthcare facilities, educational institutions, entertainment venues, and food courts.
4. Office Coffee Solutions: Complete coffee solutions for workplaces including equipment provision, premium coffee supply, and after-sales service for small, medium, and large offices.
5. BEID Services (Barista Training & Consulting): Beverage Experience & Innovation Division providing certified barista training, café consulting, signature blend development, and coffee machine demonstrations to hotels, cafés, and premium workspaces.
6. Tea & Other Beverages: Sale of tea products (DilMah brand and own-label) including Assam, Darjeeling, Earl Grey, Masala Chai, Green Tea, and other hot beverage mixes.
7. After-Sales Service & Spare Parts: Comprehensive after-sales care including machine maintenance, descaling support, troubleshooting, and spare parts delivery for installed coffee equipment.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Fresh & Honest is South Asia's largest coffee roaster, established in 1996, operating as a joint venture between Culinary Brands India Limited (CBIL) and Lavazza Group. The company manufactures and distributes roasted coffee beans, ground coffee, capsules, tea, grinders, and coffee machines, while delivering integrated coffee solutions through four business divisions: HoReCa (Hotel/Restaurant/Café), Office Coffee Solutions, Vending, and BEID (Beverage Experience & Innovation Division).

Product overview

Fresh & Honest is India’s premier coffee company and South Asia’s largest coffee roaster, offering a comprehensive portfolio of coffee products and services. The company operates as a platform of four interconnected business segments: (1) HoReCa providing complete coffee solutions for food service businesses, (2) Office Coffee Solutions for workplaces, (3) Vending Solutions for high-traffic environments, and (4) BEID (Beverage Experience & Innovation Division) offering café consulting, barista training, and beverage development services. Product portfolio spans Coffee Machines (professional espresso equipment from Victoria Arduino, Nuovasimonelli, Faema, Gaggia, Carimali, BFC, and own-brand Fresh & Honest machines), Roasted Coffee Beans (Lavazza blends and signature F&H blends), Roast & Ground Coffee (Awake brand and Grand Hotel), Coffee Capsules (Lavazza BLUE and Nespresso-compatible), Coffee Grinders (Otto, Mignon, Mythos series), and Tea & Other Beverages (Dilmah teas, envelope teas, dust teas, and OHB drink mixes). The company operates manufacturing facilities in Sri City and maintains partnerships with Dilmah for tea products. Previously a Lavazza subsidiary (2007-2022), it became a joint venture in 2023 between Culinary Brands India Limited and Lavazza Group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Roasted Coffee Beans

Quantifiable outcome

• South Asia's largest coffee roasting facility — 40,000 sq. meters at Sri City
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Culinary Brands India Limited (CBIL) & Lavazza Group (Joint Venture)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023In 2023, Fresh & Honest became a joint venture between Culinary Brands India Limited (CBIL) and Lavazza Group, merging Indian expertise with Italian heritage. Previously, Fresh & Honest was a subsidiary of Lavazza from 2007 to 2022. The JV combines local market knowledge with global coffee expertise.
• DilshukcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDilMah tea is ethically grown, handpicked from the best Ceylon estates and packed at source to preserve natural flavour, aroma, and goodness. Fresh & Honest distributes DilMah products as part of its tea and other beverages portfolio, offering Assam, Darjeeling, Earl Grey, Masala Chai, Green Tea, and flavoured teas.
• Victoria ArduinocoreTechnology or IntegrationVictoria Arduino espresso machines (Eagle One, Black Eagle, White Eagle, Prima) are sold and supported through Fresh & Honest's distribution and service network, providing high-end professional espresso equipment for cafés and hotels in India.
• NuovasimonellicoreTechnology or IntegrationNuovasimonelli espresso machines (Appia Life, Aurelia Wave, Prontobar, Microbar) are distributed through Fresh & Honest's network, offering professional equipment for cafés, restaurants, and office environments.
• FaemacoreTechnology or IntegrationFaema espresso machines (E71, President GTI, E61 Legend, E98, X15, X20, X30) are distributed through Fresh & Honest's network, serving high-demand coffee environments with Italian engineering.
• GaggiacoreTechnology or IntegrationGaggia espresso and bean-to-cup machines (La Nera, La Verto, La Vetro Pro, La Solare, La Brillante) are distributed through Fresh & Honest, offering professional and semi-professional coffee equipment.
• CarimalicoreTechnology or IntegrationCarimali espresso machines (Cento, Bellezza, Ultra) are distributed through Fresh & Honest, providing professional coffee equipment for demanding café environments.
• BFCcoreTechnology or IntegrationBFC espresso machines (Aviator, Opera) are distributed through Fresh & Honest, serving professional café and hospitality environments.
• DittingcoreTechnology or IntegrationDitting grinders are distributed through Fresh & Honest's network, complementing the espresso machine portfolio with precision grinding solutions.
• EurekacoreTechnology or IntegrationEureka grinders are distributed through Fresh & Honest's network, providing precision grinding solutions for professional and commercial coffee environments.
• SaecocoreTechnology or IntegrationSaeco automatic coffee machines (SE-120, etc.) are distributed through Fresh & Honest, offering bean-to-cup solutions for offices and light commercial use.
• ThermoplancoreTechnology or IntegrationThermoplan Black & White bean-to-cup machines are distributed through Fresh & Honest, offering fully automatic coffee solutions for offices and high-traffic environments.
• EvocacoreTechnology or IntegrationEvoca super-automatic machines (SGL Miny) are distributed through Fresh & Honest, providing compact, one-touch coffee solutions for small offices and kiosks.
• LavazzacoreTechnology or IntegrationLavazza capsule machines (LB300, LB900, LB1200) and Lavazza BLUE-compatible capsules are distributed through Fresh & Honest. Additionally, Fresh & Honest's FH Xpreso and FH Xtract machines use Lavazza BLUE and Nespresso compatibility, respectively. Lavazza is also the JV partner alongside CBIL.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Café Coffee Day (Coffee Day Enterprises): India's largest café chain with captive coffee roasting and vending operations. Overlaps with Fresh & Honest in roast & ground coffee, vending, and HoReCa bean supply, though Café Coffee Day's primary focus is its own retail network.
• Barista Coffee (Lavazza India): Indian café chain and coffee retailer historically linked to Lavazza. Comparable to Fresh & Honest as a Lavazza-affiliated coffee platform serving Indian consumers and HoReCa customers.
• Tata Coffee: Vertically integrated Indian coffee producer and part of the Tata Group, with plantation, roasting, and retail coffee operations. Comparable to Fresh & Honest as a large-scale Indian coffee manufacturer with B2B and branded consumer presence.
• Nestlé India (Nescafé): Operates India's leading instant and roast-and-ground coffee brand (Nescafé) and has nationwide distribution into retail and HoReCa. A broad incumbent competing with Fresh & Honest across consumer and out-of-home coffee categories.
• Bru (Unilever India / Hindustan Unilever): Bru is one of India's largest packaged coffee brands, operated by Hindustan Unilever. Competes with Fresh & Honest's roast & ground and instant coffee offerings in mass-market retail channels across India.
• Lavazza: Italian global coffee roaster and Fresh & Honest's JV partner. Shares product portfolio (beans, capsules, machines) and is the brand behind much of Fresh & Honest's premium coffee line; serves as both partner and broader market incumbent.

Emerging players

• Vahdam Teas: India-based premium tea and beverage brand with D2C and retail distribution. Comparable to Fresh & Honest's tea business and emerging D2C motion, though focused on tea rather than coffee.

Direct peers

• Continental Coffee: Indian coffee roaster and supplier to HoReCa, offices, and retail channels across India. Directly comparable to Fresh & Honest as a domestic B2B coffee roasting and distribution platform with similar customer segments.
• Third Wave Coffee Roasters: India-based specialty coffee roaster and café chain selling roasted beans, equipment, and ready-to-drink coffee. Competes directly with Fresh & Honest in the premium roast-and-ground segment and increasingly in HoReCa bean supply.
• Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters: Indian specialty coffee roaster serving HoReCa and D2C customers with freshly roasted beans, capsules, and equipment. Directly competes with Fresh & Honest in the premium Indian roasted-coffee segment and shares similar B2B/B2C channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/freshandhonest

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fresh & Honest