Coffee—homegrown and home brewed

Through this column we continue to support entrepreneurial initiatives be it in the field of F&B, tourism, entertainment, agriculture, even sports, etc.

We have no intention of veering away from that customary practice this week as we put the spotlight on a local venture that I’m certain will catch the interest of all coffee lovers among our readers. It is not your typical coffee brand. Seth’s Brew is inspired by something special and made from a city that is known for its natural coffee products—Batangas.

B&L’s spotlight today is on a business that is like Batangas in a pack. Jam Apao, owner of Seth’s Brew, was born and raised in Lipa, Batangas, so she thought that bringing a piece of her hometown to different parts of the metro would be a good idea.

Why the name Seth’s Brew?

Seth’s Brew is a family business that was inspired by the parents’ love for their son. Jam is a hands-on mom to two little boys. The second son is Seth, a special child who has Hydrocephalus and Cerebral Palsy, the reason why Jam and her husband decided to put up the business.

Before, Jam used to work in the corporate world, but when they had Seth, she decided to give-up her job in order to spend more time on him. After her resignation, Jam tried to venture into different kinds of businesses. By the year 2017, their coffee business was built.

Seth’s Brew, as the name suggests, is all about one of the most popular local products of Batangas, which is coffee.

Since Jam was from Lipa, she decided to promote their local coffee product, Kapeng Barako. On the other hand, their inspiration for Tablea was her great grandmother who is one of its known makers in their place ever since. They source their Muscovado from Abra.

Less than P10,000 was invested by the enterprising couple for the initial capital of the business. At first, their target market was just retail and online. Getting a good feedback from the market, they decided to expand Seth’s Brew. Later on, her sister-in-law got interested to venture into their business and became their business partner.

Jam said “Having a special child is already challenging, but adding a small business to that, that is more challenging pa. But having a good family support, lahat kami ay family effort talaga sa business na ito.”

They stock their coffee products for just a week and roast the beans every week to maintain its quality and freshness. Their coffee is a mixture of different beans. As the owner suggests, when their customers taste it, it was “masarap at mabango.” Jam says good coffee should not be expensive. She adds that they have a competitive pricing for their coffee products, starting at P120.

Since their products are not the typical instant coffee, it needs a coffee maker, making it quite challenging to market. However, they came up with an idea of introducing their drip coffee.

Seth’s Brew offers nothing less than what Batangas can offer. From Kapeng Barako to Tablea, Seth’s Brew has it covered.

Just like some homegrown businesses today, Seth’s Brew’s humble beginnings started with online selling, joining bazaars, and having family and friends give their feedbacks.

After months and months of proving to the market that they offer quality and authentic coffee beans from Batangas, Seth’s Brew has become a staple coffee brand not just in household, but also in other business hubs.

What makes Seth’s Brew unique from other brands is that their coffee is a mixture of three different products.

Bringing the taste of Batangas to other parts of the world would be a dream come true for the owners of Seth’s Brew.

Seth’s Brew—bringing the best of Batangas to your cup.

Mabuhay!!! Be proud to be a Filipino.

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