Coffee smells filled the air in the MATRADE Exhibition and Convention Centre when Cafe Malaysia returned for its second year following its successful debut in 2015. Dedicated to the cafe and teahouse communities, the trade and consumer event recorded the presence of more than 10,000 trade visitors and coffee and tea connoisseurs, here to discover raw materials, new products and technologies and seek business opportunities presented by 102 exhibitors from 13 countries. Organised by Conference and Exhibitions Management Services (CEMS) and hosted by the Malaysia Specialty Coffee Association (MSCA); the event got the supportive nod from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia and the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau seeing the important role food & beverage plays in the development of the country.
It was serious business for the baristas participating in three national-level championships – Malaysia Brewer’s Cup (MBrC) 2016, Malaysia Barista Championship (MBC) 2016 and the Malaysia Latte Art Championship (MLAC) 2016. The winner of each competition is given the honour to represent Malaysia at the World Brewer’s Cup (WBrC) 2016, the World Barista Championship 2016 to be held in Dublin, Ireland, and the World Latte Art Championship 2016 to be held in Shanghai, China. Winners were:
Malaysia Brewer’s Cup (MBrC) 2016:
Ms Wong Li Ning of Just Want Coffee
Malaysia Barista Championship (MBC) 2016:
Mr Koay Zizheng of VCR
Malaysia Latte Art Championship (MLAC) 2016:
Mr Eng Boon Hong of JWC Global.
Café Malaysia 2016 was instrumental as a B2B platform for key decision makers to source for their cafe’s needs – from raw materials to the most niche of tools and equipment. And with the number of specialty coffee drinkers growing over the years, there was ample opportunity to explore new collaborations in the country as testified by the interest to participate in 2017’s edition, expressed by more than threequarters of exhibitors.
