Inspired by Filipino coffee farmers: Nescafe Classic introduces first harvest coffee variant

Nestle Philippines Inc (NPI) is perking up the Philippine coffee industry with the introduction of its newest coffee product, the Nescafe Classic First Pick, a limited edition soluble coffee made special by its unique taste and intense aroma.

The Nescafe Classic First Pick is made from coffee cherries handpicked by Filipino farmers during the beginning of the harvest season.

"The Nescafe Classic First Pick takes inspiration from the 100,000 Filipino coffee farmers and the 300,000 people in the country that are in some way involved in the planting, harvesting or processing and trading of coffee whom Nestle works with throughout the years," explained Nestle Philippines, Inc. chairman and CEO Nandu Nandkishore.

This access to coffee farms helped Nestle realize that the first ripe and red coffee cherries picked in the beginning of the harvest season with loving care, when carefully selected and roasted bring you a unique, fresh and flavorful cup of coffee.

The special media launch was held at the inner courtyard of the San Agustin Church, which was made to look like a coffee farm complete with trees brought from Nescafe’s coffee farm in Cavite.

It was attended by NP’s top officials like NPI business executive manager Bruno Olierhock; vice president for marketing, promotions, and events Joey Quimbo; assistant vice president product specialist Ernand Clemente; Senior Vice president and factory manager Rudy Trillanes; and Nescafe consumer marketing managers Richard Penalosa and Sherilla Bayona.

Special guests included the National Coffee Development Board’s co-chairman Nicholas Matti and Guillermo Luz and representatives of trade establishments.

As guests feasted on the sumptuous lunch that included Filipino fiesta staples like lechon, pansit, kakanin, and the like, they were regaled with an entertaining modernized zarzuela, aptly titled, "Unang Pag-ani."

It saw actors wearing traditional Filipiniana while at the same time belting out songs inspired by pop tunes that were rearranged and given new lyrics. These include Ligaya by the Eraserheads, Ewan by the Apo Hiking Society, and the OPM love songs, Sana Ay Ikaw Na Nga and Ikaw Ang Tunay Na Ligaya, among others.

Singer Calvin Millado served as the narrator and over-all host of the event, while theater thespians Joel Trinidad and Ivy Maniquiz played star-crossed lovers Pablo and Ligaya who, at the beginning of the story, had difficulty expressing their feelings for each other. That was until Pablo came up with a unique coffee concoction using first pick coffee cherries that finally won Ligaya’s heart.

The zarzuela was inspired by both the first pick coffee cherries that are to be found in the new Nescafe Classic First Pick as well as the romance that usually commences during the harvest season.

Meanwhile, apart from its rich taste and aroma, the Nescafe Classic First Pick is also packed with anti-oxidants – tiny molecules that help neutralize the body’s free radicals that attack the cell’s membranes and cause oxidative stress that may lead to cancer and other age-related diseases.

The Nescafe Classic First Pick is now available in leading supermarkets nationwide. It is available in two packages – the 50g box and the 200g jar.