What if the secret to a great cup of coffee isn’t just the beans, but the person behind it? After all, no two cups are ever truly the same, and that’s what makes them special.

This idea came alive during a hands-on workshop with Bili Hu Coffee, led by its founder Bharat Singhal, with students of the Global Luxury Goods & Services Management (MGLuxM) Batch 17 & Hospitality Business Leadership (HBL) Batch 5. What began as a simple session quickly turned into something far more personal.

Bharat didn’t start with brewing techniques. Instead, he took students to the very beginning, a coffee plant in bloom with delicate white flowers, and showed how it slowly transforms into the beans we use every day. It was a small but striking reminder of how much goes into something we often take for granted.

Then came the most anticipated part - BREWING COFFEE!

With a French press, students got to work. Some followed the process carefully, others experimented. As the room filled with the aroma of fresh coffee, so did curiosity. When Bharat tasted each cup, his insight was simple: every cup was different. Not better or worse, just different.

The session also introduced students to tasting notes, moving beyond ‘strong’ or ‘bitter’ to noticing subtle flavours and aromas.

Along the way, Bharat shared his own journey, starting small, reaching out to customers himself, and even selling coffee without a brand in the early days. His story was honest and relatable, showing that building something meaningful takes time, effort, and the courage to begin before everything feels ready.

While MGLuxM students saw how craft and storytelling shape a premium experience, HBL students gained insight into building a business from scratch. By the end, coffee felt different, no longer just a quick caffeine fix.