Many would be surprised to know that Indonesia is the world’s third-largest coffee producer after Brazil and Vietnam. While Indonesia’s name has not received the same recognition as its larger coffee-growing counterparts, one person is striving to change that.
Born in London and raised in Bandung, West Java, Tuti Mochtar is undeniably a mover and shaker within the coffee industry, and whose work has reverberations not only throughout Southeast Asia but worldwide. She is not only the President Director of PT Santino (a one-stop coffee solution company based in Singapore), she is also the co-founder of the ASEAN Coffee Federation, a judge in various prestigious international barista competitions – and, most of all, a coffee enthusiast to the core.
There’s a saying that love grows the more we become involved with the object of our affection. Tuti was introduced to the exciting world of coffee-making for the first time when she worked for Caswell’s Mom’s, a company providing imported foods to the expat community in Jakarta, which also specializes in world-class coffees and teas. She grew to love what she learnt at Caswell’s, from coffee roasting to the art of making the perfect cup of coffee. The more she learnt, the more she discovered her passion for the coffee business.
Since she started at Caswell’s Mom’s as brand manager in 2002, Tuti has had an undying affair with the coffee industry for the past eleven years. She was quick to climb Caswell’s corporate ladder, appointed as the company’s General Manager in October 2004 and remaining in the position for four years. She then joined PT JavArabica in 2009, assuming the role of President Director in January 2010.
Living and breathing coffee defines Tuti Mochtar to a tee. Inside and outside her office, she’s hardly away from the beverage. When she is not working she hangs out with friends from the coffee industry and the conversation inevitably revolves around – you guessed it – coffee. She is also a familiar figure in major global coffee events. When not giving workshops on roasting coffee or the art of coffee making, she is a judge in prestigious barista competitions and frequently acts as the ambassador for Indonesian coffee in coffee festivals around the world. A prominent figure in the Indonesian coffee industry due to her respected skills and vast knowledge about the local java, she is a favorite spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, who send her to numerous coffee-related events to help promote Indonesia to a global audience as a source of quality coffee such as Toraja Coffee and Gayo Coffee. While both brands have attained global recognition, Indonesia, ironically, has not.
In the Southeast Asian coffee industry, Tuti is a strong presence. She was the head judge at the ‘Bali Barista Competition’ and a judge at the ‘Roaster Choice Award’ in Bangkok in May 2013. In March this year she was appointed as a judge during the ‘Singapore National Barista Championship’ and in June she was on the judging panel during the ‘Battle of Barista Championship’ in Malaysia. Recently, she held a coffee roasting workshop at the Indonesian Coffee Festival in Yogyakarta. With so many coffee events to attend, Tuti travels almost every month. We can’t say that the lady who graduated from Institut Bisnis Indonesia (IBI) Jakarta is a laidback persona. The words “stop” and “relax” are not in her vocabulary.
Perceiving the rapid growth of Southeast Asia’s coffee industry, Tuti co-founded the ASEAN Coffee Federation in Bangkok in 2010. The objective of the association is to build a solid business platform for ASEAN coffee players through which coffee products from within the region can be promoted within and outside ASEAN. Members of the association, all of whom are coffee professionals, work together to promote the region as a source of good coffee to a target market outside of Asia. Another aim of the federation is to function as a support group among coffee players in the region wherein members can help each other in terms of marketing and the sharing of expertise.
In Indonesia, Tuti is also known for her work with the Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia (SCAI), otherwise known as AKSI (Asosiasi Kopi Spesial Indonesia). From July 2008 to February 2009, and from June 2010 to June 2012, she was entrusted with leading the Jakarta-based organization and was appointed as its chairperson. The mission of the SCAI is to increase the quality, value and volume of Indonesia’s specialty coffee. The SCAI also provides an effective forum, bringing together industry members to promote and set standards for the growing, processing, exporting and retailing of Indonesia’s specialty coffee.
There is a mine of untapped potential in Indonesia’s coffee industry and that of its neighboring countries, and at the hands of enthusiastic professionals such as Tuti Mochtar, the country’s coffee can go nowhere but up.
Photography by: Wina Namara
