Thirteen Years of Coffee, Craft, and Growing Roots in Siliguri
In 2026, Cornerstone Coffee marks thirteen years in Siliguri, West Bengal. The story began not with a roaster, a farm or a café, but with a bag of coffee beans and a question: what would it take to make good coffee from our own region? The answer has unfolded through experimentation, new skills and relationships built over time.
A modest beginning in Siliguri
When the business opened in 2013, Cornerstone bought roasted Araku coffee and repacked it under its own name. It was a simple way to begin, but it offered something valuable: direct lessons from customers. Their questions, preferences and complaints helped the team understand how people in the region approached coffee.
In 2014, the business began buying coffee directly. The following year, it started a pilot farm to learn what growing coffee locally involved. By 2017, Cornerstone had moved to contract farming, agreeing on terms with farmers ahead of time rather than simply buying whatever was available.
Today, its Darjeeling and Kalimpong coffees are sourced from the region. Cornerstone works with a contract farm in the Kalimpong area, at approximately 1,250 metres above sea level. The business sets the purchase price rather than relying on a market price. This ongoing relationship is central to its regional coffee work.
Learning to roast and adapt
Sourcing beans was one part of the journey; learning to roast them consistently was another. In 2016, Cornerstone built a 7 kg roasting machine from stainless steel. Its earliest setup had been a 900 g drum roaster. Today, it uses a 15 kg Dream Roaster, designed to provide steadier heat and more even roasts.
The coffee serves cafés, hotels and restaurants across North Bengal, as well as customers who order online. In 2019, Cornerstone began selling online. When COVID-19 paused much of its work in 2020, the team used the difficult period to develop its own coffee accessories instead of simply waiting for business to resume.
Sharing skills with the next generation
In 2022, Cornerstone opened the Cornerstone Barista Academy in Siliguri. Training has since become a significant part of the business. Students learn practical skills such as pulling espresso, steaming milk and tasting coffee, alongside the basics of running a coffee business.
In 2023, Cornerstone also began importing and selling used espresso equipment from Korea. The aim was to give people who complete training another route to setting up, without requiring them to purchase new machines.
What Cornerstone offers today
The range includes a South Indian commercial line for everyday use, as well as Darjeeling and Kalimpong coffees made from locally grown beans. Cornerstone also supplies wholesale coffee to cafés, hotels and restaurants, offers barista training, and provides espresso machine servicing.
Thirteen years have shown the value of starting small. Repacking coffee helped the team understand customers; bringing more steps in-house created greater control over quality. And working directly with farmers has made regional sourcing a long-term commitment, not just a product description.
Cornerstone’s story is still being written, one harvest, roast and cup at a time. Its journey from a bag of beans in Siliguri to regional coffee, training and equipment reflects a steady effort to build a stronger coffee culture close to home.
Address
2nd floor, taps and tiles building, opp kali mandir, champasari main road, siliguri, west bengal 734003
Contact
+91 9933560276
himalayacornerstonecoffee@gmail.com