Saffron a Wellness Sensation
Bilal Ahmad Bhat, Managing Director of Kong Posh
While many associate Bilal Ahmad Bhat as the face of furniture experts Decon Designs, he also has a passion for one of the most exclusive spices in the world – saffron. After all, he was raised in Kashmir – where this beautiful spice is cultivated – and it has long been a symbol for Bilal’s company Kong Posh industries. Bilal speaks with PASSIONS about his new business venture – Saffron Cottage – where the power of saffron is used to channel a healthy influence in life.
A Wealth of Wellness
“We grow all of our saffron in the rich fields of Wuyan Pampore in Kashmir. We never buy from others or import, but instead cultivate our own, which is of the highest-quality. It has the perfect aroma in saffranal, flavour in picrocrocin and colour in crocin,” shares Bilal. And while the growing season for this most exclusive and expensive of spices is a mere two weeks, the medicinal and health benefits are far more enduring – hence Kong Posh’s venture into wellness.
The drinks collection is the first in a range of modern and enhanced lifestyle products, with the company unveiling a selection of saffron beverages – by infusing the three most consumed drinks worldwide with saffron. Bilal explains, “Our Sahelwa healthy water is a Japanese treated mineral water in which we place a few stems of saffron and allow them to infuse. The mineral water we provide tastes, on its own, even better than usual and adding the saffron makes it even more delicious – and of course, more healthy.”
Add to this their popular ‘4-in1’ coffee sachet (with saffron in addition to the coffee, sugar and creamer) and also the Masala Tea, which blends herbs and the fantastic saffron spice, and Kong Posh has developed the perfect wellness consumables to leave you feeling revitalised and refreshed. “With properties such as anti-ageing, anti-oxidant and a whole host of others, saffron has a rich heritage of healing qualities. Saffron lovers understand that a quality product is worth its weight in gold,” Bilal enthused.
A Cottage Industry
That Kong Posh is so excitingly close to realising the full Saffron Cottage brand is testament to Bilal’s endeavour and meticulous eye for service and product excellence. Beginning with the delicious, nutritious beverages, the range will eventually expand to apparel, fine dining sets and health-rejuvenating crèmes – all under the saffron Cottage brand. “We are looking to take saffron wellness and other products in the line worldwide, and Malaysia is at the forefront of our vision, as well as the Middle East and China.” Thanks to the convenience of online delivery as well as fantastic product and health benefits, the appeal to join the Kong Posh ‘revolution’ is even more alluring than ever.
The saffron product Kong Posh uses not only provides wellness for the body, but also for a 252 strong farming community in Kashmir, who rely on the saffron season and are boosted by Bilal’s moves to provide sustainability . It is is an appropriate full-circle for saffron, which has a positive effect on whomsoever it comes in contact with and also for Kong Posh – who also care about people, from providing customer service excellence right down to their wellness and wellbeing, one sip at a time.