Our Story

Grown in a reserve forest at 1700 MASL in the Biligiris. Roasted with purpose. This is Veer Attikan

More than a brand

A legacy, decades of hard work, leadership and shared learning of what this land has to offer - the people, the animals, the environment, the coffee. Veer Attikan is our way of sharing that with you directly, from soil to sip. We take deep care at every step - from how each roast is profiled to how each bag is packed, to bring out the best of what we have to offer. A vertically integrated specialty coffee brand, with the aim of showing the world what Indian coffee is truly capable of.

The Estate

Randolph Hayton Morris — a Scotsman believed to have ridden on horseback from Coonoor in the Nilgiris — fell in love with the Biligiris ('The while hills'). He rode brave on his beloved horse Ackbar through dense forest, cultivating coffee and opening The Attikan in 1882. The name Attikan has its origin from the vast range of wild fig trees which exist and influence the coffees with their unique flavours. K S Vaidyanathan, a businessman from Madras sharing the same vigour as Morris, took over Attikan in 1958 from Eric, Morris' eldest son.

Attikan, the highest altitude coffee estate in South India, is now managed by third generation planters, S Appadurai and Hamsini Appadurai. Being flanked by a reserve forest — home to leopards, elephants, gaurs, sloth bears, spotted deer and wild fauna — along with natural wind belts, the estate maintains its pristine nature: food cooked on firewood and no access to regular power. It has also been the lair of deceased bandit, Veerapan, adding to its mystery.

The legacy of the estate is not just about the coffee, but about a passion to be guardians of the land, an adventurous spirit, and a commitment to quality passed down through generations — a testament to the enduring bond between man, wild and coffee.


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Attikan Estate
The Explorer
The Journey Begins
1882
Randolph Hayton Morris, a Scotsman who is believed to have ridden on horseback from Coonoor in the Nilgiris, had a love affair with the B.R. Hills. Gazing at the hills from the northern Nilgiris, he could not resist their allure. In 1882, he obtained sizeable forest wasteland from the Coimbatore Collectorate. He rode brave on his beloved horse, Ackbar, cultivating coffee and opened "the Attikan".
Survival
The Gaur Incident
1900
Morris was a hunter (Shikhaar) and on one of his hunts, shot an indian gaur, presuming it to be dead. As he approached, the animal, still alive, gored him through his ribs, injuring him grievously. Although it took three days to transport him to a nearby hospital, where the doctors said his chances of living were slim, his wife Mabel nursed him back at Attikan to live another fifteen years.
Resilience
Mabel Takes Charge
1915
After Morris's injury and his eventual passing, Mabel managed the estate single-handedly, an extraordinary feat for the era. She eventually passed stewardship to their first-born son, Eric Morris, who after serving in the Second World War, returned and settled in Attikan with his daughters, continuing the family's deep bond with the land and it's coffee.
New Era
A New
Chapter
1958
K.S. Vaidyanathan (Partner at Peterson and Co.), a stockbroker from Madras sharing the same vigour as Morris, took over Attikan from Eric Morris through his connections in the trade. The estate entered Indian stewardship, beginning a new chapter of cultivation and care. He continued to learn passionately from Morris about the land and art of coffee cultivation and visited their family quite often in England.
Guardians
Third Generation
1998
Attikan is now managed by third-generation planters, S. Appadurai (Vaidyanathan's grandson) and Hamsini Appadurai. The eco-friendly practices along with enhanced processing and fermentation makes Attikan coffees unique and the most sought after Indian coffee. Attikan has a habit of leaving people speechless, with them calling it the most beautiful estate in the world.
Present
Veer Attikan Launches
2026
Shriya Appadurai joins to co-found Veer Attikan, a vertically intergrated specialty coffee brand. From estate to cup, the legacy continues. The passion for the land and its capabilities, and a commitment to quality, passed down through four generations, now reaches coffee lovers directly.