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At the far end of the lawn in the Agri Horticultural Society of India’s (AHSI) premise in Alipore, Kolkata, the crowd seems to thicken. The inauguration of the organisation’s bicentenary celebration has just concluded and a young girl accompanying her mother to the event is heard pleading, “Mom, let’s go the Tea Tree Café. They serve the best organic juices.”

The Tea Tree Café by Arterra has been an innovation. It is the second year that this café is collaborating with AHSI during the organisation’s annual flower show and it has been an instant hit.

The AHSI premise and the garden is situated in one of the most upmarket localities in Kolkata and the 21-acre property attracts a large number of influential guests – from business leaders to top bureaucrats. However, the appeal of this magnificent garden seems to elude the younger generations. But with the Tea Tree Café, that seems to be a thing of the past. The crowd that has gathered around the café is mostly young. The rustic décor of the café also merges well with the natural surrounding.

Avani Shree Kanoria, Founder, Tea Tree Café, informed BE, “The primary idea behind this pop-up venture here was to attract more youth. We seem to have been successful in that. The response that we received last year was encouraging and this year we have tied up with Starbucks. Additionally, we focus on a farm to table experience. The food available is healthy and organic. We also try to keep our project environment friendly and the products used to serve are bio-degradable and sustainable. We hope that our effort will make AHSI a popular destination for the city’s youth.”