But two Malaysian pilots who refused to remain grounded during the low season, decided to hit the runway and started their very own cold brew business called TakeOff Coffee.
Thirty-four-year-old Singapore Airlines pilot Dinesh Nadarajah told FMT that he had a hunch that he will be one of the unlucky employees to be laid off back when Covid-19 cases were rising in 2020.
“It was bound to happen. During the SARS outbreak, the airline retrenched by letting go of their foreign workers, so I knew retrenchment was a possibility,” said Dinesh, who had been working with Singapore Airlines for almost 11 years.
But what could a mere pilot do to stop what most airlines are doing worldwide? Plus, being a Malaysian working for Singapore Airlines meant that he would be one of the first few to go.
He had no time to wallow in self-pity, however, as he needed to prepare himself and his family – both mentally and physically – for the inevitable.
Dinesh immediately got to thinking; if there was something else he enjoyed as much as flying, it would be a good cup of joe.
Inspiration struck and he reached out to his close friend, 36-year-old AirAsia X pilot Surren Kanna, who initially did not foresee a bright future – especially one with hopeful thoughts that the pandemic will be over.
“Dinesh surprised me with the cold brew idea way back in June but I didn’t think he was serious,” he confessed.
However, the unfortunate – yet anticipated – news of Dinesh’s retrenchment eventually hit in September 2020 and this got the duo talking and planning.
The first step was to source the beans.
“We got the vendors to mix, roast, blend and grind the coffee beans for us. But that step is tricky because when you mix the coffee beans, you mix the taste,” explained Surren.
“So, in order to get the best taste, a lot of trial and error was involved.”
By a lot of trial and error, Surren meant that it took the two pilots four whole months to come up with and decide on the best-tasting mix.
Once done, the next step was to secure the right milk to incorporate into the cold brews.
While this may sound elementary, it is anything but that, as the duo had to sample over 12 dairy and non-dairy options.
It takes about 16 to 20 hours for TakeOff Coffee to brew, which meant that each milk option had to be mixed with a batch of cold brew at different brewing times, explained Dinesh.
“We probably had over 60 cups of cold brew before we finalised our choice of dairy and non-dairy,” chuckled Surren, recalling all those hours spent ingesting coffee and caffeine.
For those unfamiliar with the difference between cold brew and general machine-brewed coffee, a simpler way of putting it is that machine-brewed coffee has higher levels of acidity.
Meanwhile, with cold brew, the beans are soaked overnight for 16 to 20 hours to extract coffee, thus reducing its acidity.
TakeOff Coffee is brewed and packaged in their homes in Bangsar and Shah Alam.
Curious as to what the public would think of their coffee, Dinesh finally took some samples out to Publika for the public to try in December 2020.
“I wasn’t even sure if anyone would even buy our product, but Dinesh calls me an hour later. I prepared for the worst but he tells me the samples have sold out,” laughed Surren.
Despite their success, they were still not satisfied and sent more samples out to friends and strangers before finally and officially launching TakeOff Coffee on Jan 28.
Along with the launch, came the introduction of the brand’s specialty brews.
“We have two types of bases; bold and ultimate. Bold is slightly bitter while ultimate is more of an all-rounder, catering to those who prefer a smooth taste,” explained Surren.
“Those who are lactose intolerant, vegans or choose not to incorporate dairy into their diets can opt for oat milk or almond milk.”
The two pilots have even thought about customers who are concerned about the sugar level, as they use a special type of organic sugar obtained all the way from Sarawak.
Known as Gula Apong, this type of sugar is made from the Nipah plant and is loaded with health benefits.
Customers can even customise the level of sweetness in their cold brews, from absolutely no sugar to extra helpings for those with a sweet tooth.
If that basic cup of coffee is no longer doing it for you in the morning, you can have the guys from TakeOff Coffee brew you an extra special batch, which takes 20 whole hours.
Want a refreshing cup of cold brew at 8am right before work? Fret not, the duo are on it.
“We make it a point to ask our customers what time they want their coffee. If you place an order at 8am, we’ll wake up at 5am to make sure you have a fresh cup,” chirped Dinesh.
Surren added that ever since they brought in the option to customise, they’ve seen an increase in repeat orders, which puts a smile on their tired faces.
Brewing coffee may seem like an unusual path for someone, especially a pilot, to take. But the duo admitted that it is similar to flying.
Surren offered an analogy by saying, “When we safely land our passengers and see the happy smiles on their faces, it makes us feel good. Now as a barista, it brings us the same personal satisfaction when a customer enjoys our coffee.”
As of Feb 11, they have sold 550 bottles of cold brew. That’s one smooth landing for these new baristas.
However, the duo has no intention of grounding their cold brew business when the pandemic clears and the travel ban is lifted.
“This is not a quick fix and I’m planning on making TakeOff Coffee a long-term project,” said Surren.
“I want customers to be able to grab our coffee at any store in the future. We are currently working with a few of our friends in Sabah and Johor Bahru to bring our coffee there.”
Craving for a cup of coffee or just need your daily caffeine fix? Head over to TakeOff Coffee’s Instagram page or Facebook page or more information or you can even WhatsApp them at 017 7762945.