The UK’s favourite coffee shop Pret made its way to India after much anticipation, and now has a store in DLF Cyberhub, Gurugram. While fans have been raving about it ever since the Reliance group made the announcement (the list includes Kareena Kapoor Khan as well), and our Bombay friends having already tried it, it was my first time trying out this famed coffee.
My relationship with coffee has not been naturally occurring. I’m not a fan of the jitters the drink brings with it, but slowly embraced it in order to be more awake on average. While I am no expert, I know enough to tell apart bad coffee (the instant mix kind) from good coffee (without getting into specifics of roasts and grounds and such).
The Pret preview gave us access to a limited menu only. I asked the barista what their nicest iced drink was and they recommended I go with a simple latte. I followed suit, my stomach had objections (they did not have provision for vegan milk on the day of the launch, but will have options when the full kitchen is open). The drink was fine. It wasn’t as iced as I’d like, the taste of dairy was upsetting, and honestly it felt like entering the inside of a cloud—not as fun and bouncy as you’d imagine it would be.
Coffee for the Indian palate tastes a certain way. The first sip of filter coffee wakes you up like no other roast or blend from the most exotic corners of the world could. And on the other hand, there’s a certain brand of coffee that the first world likes — which has its own, very significant audience in India. But those flavours are more mellow, attuned to more sensitive palates. And while they work well for a certain section of the audience Pret would cater to in India, there is still an opportunity to customise the offerings for the people they’re serving. By introducing different blends and roasts, they would be able to cater to a people who want to taste their coffee, and really wake up. (A very valuable lesson to learn for all F&B entrants from McDonalds.)
I also had an oatmeal cookie, which I enjoyed thoroughly, and would go back for it specifically. The menu also has coffee shop food such as wraps, sandwiches, puff patties, croissants, and more.
Is Pret worth the hype? For me personally, no. But I can see myself going for it when I need a mid-day snack and not a wake-up-drink. If you enjoy milder roasts and a good cookie, give it a shot I’d say. But don’t go in expecting your world to change.
