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OUR STORY
Our story begins at Sunrise Estate, where fine Robusta has thrived since 1952. Nestled in the misty slopes of the Western Ghats, the estate grows coffee under wild-born trees and along mountain streams. In 2018, the estate found its new parents in Vasu and Vani Polavarapu, a couple whose profound love for farming led them to transform Sunrise Estate into a home to grow and process finest Robusta.
True to its name, Robusta is a bold and resilient coffee species that stands as the sustainable future of coffee cultivation. As climate change challenges traditional methods, Robusta emerges as the industry's vital alternative.
SUNRISE ESTATE
Established in 1952, Sunrise Estate is a 400 acre property which materialised as a coffee plantation nestled in the heart of Kadumane, a quaint village in the Bean belt of the Western Ghats in Sakleshpur, Karnataka.
In 2018, the estate found new parents - Vasu and Vani Polavarapu, a couple from Andhra Pradesh with a profound love for farming. This marked the beginning of the family’s exploration into Indian Coffees, specifically the Robusta species. The vision was, and remains, to transform Sunrise Estate into a home to grow and process the finest Robusta – a haven for experimentation, discovery, and reflection.
Nurtured in the jungles of the Western Ghats, our coffee thrives amidst a shade system, benefiting from the untouched topography and biodiversity. Our harmonious coexistence with nature extends to growing crops like pepper, cardamom and other spices, cacao, and a wide range of fruits.
We also recognize that our workforce forms the foundation of our communities, which is why we constantly ensure that we foster a happy work environment. At Sunrise Estate, we provide safe housing for our workers and sponsor their children’s education; forging a familial bond as we grow together. As a dedication towards our workforce, we also name all of our coffees after them.
Established in 2022, LastHouse is a crop to cup operation founded by Naina Polavarapu, daughter of Vasu and Vani Polavarapu, to further the family’s ethos.
Through this, a chunk of Sunrise estate's yields is processed to be a single-origin “Fine / Speciality coffee” made with full transparency.
LASTHOUSE
Coffee traces its origin to a genus of plants known as Coffeea. There are an estimated 25-100 species of coffee plants. Currently in circulation are Arabica, Robusta, and the less common Liberica and Execlsa. Arabica accounts for nearly 65% of coffee made and Robusta the other 35%.
Historically, Arabica has always been favored due to its complexity (both species are different at a chemical level); and Robusta has been widely neglected. The quality of coffee comes not just from the chemistry of the beans, but also from a series of human choices that we make during the entire cycle of production that each further affects the sensory qualities of a coffee.
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Robusta is already grown by millions of farmers around the world and an improvement in the quality of these coffees is likely to result in higher prices and better incomes for producers, and this ought to be a priority for an ethically oriented industry.
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Robusta is also a resilient crop. As we battle climate change, we need to understand the importance of growing the right crop for the conditions that are more likely to metamorphose. For example, Arabica now requires the usage of more pesticides to evolve into a healthy crop, which has a negative impact on our soil. As demand for coffee grows and more land becomes less suitable for growing Arabica, Robusta is the alternative that the industry needs to put efforts into.
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If Robusta is given a good investment of time and resources throughout the supply chain, it will have a big effect on the final cup. It will open up coffee consumption to a wider range of people as new flavors are discovered.
WHY ROBUSTA?
LastHouse aims to encourage this by existing in all stages of the coffee supply chain.
Experimenting, Processing & curing.
LASTHOUSE: AT THE ESTATE
In Sunrise estate, is our very own processing plant combined with a micro-curing plant. We are also building a lab, as we believe that encouraging rigorous testing of Robusta to present its best will create a paradigm shift and make it a household word.
Roasting, brewing & consumption
LASTHOUSE: BY THE LAKE
In Hyderabad, our home turf, we proudly showcase the fruits of our labor at our coffee house. Set by the lake, our 150-seater coffee house serves as both a community hub and a tribute to Robusta coffee. Here, we roast and serve coffees we process at LastHouse: At the estate and also a carefully curated selection of India’s finest Robustas, with guidance from Binny Varghese. Our food menu crafted by Chef Utkarsh Dubey, complements the coffee experience with thoughtful pairings.
We are proud to be India’s first and only space dedicated entirely to serving every brew with Robusta. We are also Hyderabad’s first and only space with a full crop-to-cup production line. All proceeds are reinvested into the farm to support ethical and sustainable experiments for Robusta production.
Community & culture
LASTHOUSE: OF THE PEOPLE
Located in Hyderabad, this extension of LastHouse: By the Lake brings together our storefront – The Pantry, workshop area – The Kitchen, and our community hub. It’s a space where we host hands-on sessions around coffee, showcase and sell our own brews alongside products from across India, and create space for dialogue, learning, and collaboration.