Maiden Coffee Appreciation Session @ Chilla Cup

On 21^st and 22^nd of September 2012, Chilla Cup has successfully conducted our maiden Coffee Appreciation Session together with INTI College students, winners of the ‘I want to be a Coffee Expert with Chilla Cup’ and our beloved media friends and bloggers. There are a total of 4 sessions with each focus group personally guided by Tony Tang and Li Hebin from School of Coffee in Singapore Polytechnics.

The main key elements of coffee appreciation can be derived from sight, smell and taste where participants are trained to be a coffee expert. In case you miss out this workshop, let me walk you through the process so that you can gain some insights as well!

Sight – Participants are trained to differentiate between Arabica and Robusta coffee beans and its’ characteristics. From its’ initial green colour of the coffee beans until it is perfectly roasted, the differences of colour in each stage and also identifying coffee beans eaten by insects are explained in thorough detail. Participants are also able to identify badly roasted coffee beans and know the difference between local coffee and gourmet coffee. 

Do you know that local coffee has much more caffeine compared to gourmet coffee served in Chilla Cup?

Smell – Every one of us enjoy the fresh coffee aroma and coffee beans that are freshly roasted could only last for 14 days to ensure the best taste of coffee. After 14 days, fermentation starts to happen and that is why sometimes you taste some sourness in your coffee. Participants are trained to differentiate the smell of coffee beans who is 2 weeks old, 3 weeks old and 4 weeks old. The crushing and grinding of the beans release its’ aroma and after grinding, it could only last 5 minutes to ensure the perfect cup is delivered.

At Chilla Cup, we serve the freshest coffee only and the coffee beans are grinded upon order of each Handcrafted Premium Coffee.

Taste – Participants are given 3 bags of coffee beans which contains perfectly roasted coffee beans, coffee beans which has turn sour due to acidic compound from fermentation and over roasted coffee beans which have a burnt taste respectively. Each of them chewed on coffee beans from all the 3 bags and experience firsthand on how coffee beans should taste like. Then, the masters from the School of Coffee prepared shots of espressos for the participants to try. A perfect espresso should have a thick layer of crema which is a thick layer of 'foam' that sits on top of the espresso. Crema only occurred due to the coffee degassing. It has a dark unsweetened cocoa taste with a tinge of bitterness after taste that mingles in your palate which should not be confused with a burnt taste.

After several 2 hours session across 2 days, we have few batches of coffee experts in the market!

Till the next Chilla Cup experience!

Insights from Chilla Cup’s Store Manager

Our beloved Chilla Cup blog readers, this week we are going to do something different. We are featuring one of our Store Managers – Mr. Fauzi. He shares with us passionately on his career, personal development, market perspective and also vision.

This 33 years old gentleman has been working with Chilla Cup since the very beginning for near to 1 ½ years ago. The working environment in Chilla Cup has always been fun and challenging for him. With the strong backing of his loyal team crews who have been with him since the very first day he joined Chilla Cup, together they strive to fulfill the needs of the customers.

“Everything in life has its’ ups and downs, importantly it is for us to take up the responsibility and solve the challenges and move ahead”

As with all business, people management is the key challenge that he has to manage daily. He has to ensure the customers satisfaction, gearing up the crew to head into the same direction, feedback to The Management on the operations and managing his own family as well. All these interactions finely honed his skills of people management and he could see that he is improving day by day. His management and leadership ability has grown by leaps and bounds comparing to just 1 ½ years ago.

On Chilla Cup, he is one passionate, aficionado coffee expert where he believes that Chilla Cup serves one of the best coffee in Malaysia. With the evolving of Chilla Cup from its’ first branch to its’ current new store in The Mines @ Sri Kembangan, the overall Chilla Cup experience has improved tremendously. Chilla Cup has gain massive brand awareness with more and more people being aware of the Chilla Cup experience.

“I just couldn’t believe the level of open communication that we have with the top management. Everyone is like a big family and we are even invited to private events. Our feedback is valued and appreciated where we work towards providing the very best”

Coming from someone who has been caught by the red tape bureaucracy of rankings previously, it really means something.  This bottom-up approach of Chilla Cup is the key towards the constant innovation of providing only the best to our customers.

Fauzi is someone who likes to keep close relationship with all parties. Chilla Cup’s core value to always keep in touch with our customers bodes well with him. As Chilla Cup grows, there will be new recruits which he has some words for them, “Take up the challenge, cope with it and eventually you will see your efforts turn to success. Be there when success comes.”

He already has a crystal clear picture of where he will be 5 to 10 years down the road with Chilla Cup – as a managing partner with shares in the company! His vision is to make Chilla Cup the number 1 brand of Coffee House in Malaysia where he is the core team that makes it happen right from the scratch. With his can-do attitude and his ever charming wide smile, we wish him all the best and we sincerely believe he can do it!

“Life goes on”

As the interview come to an end, he quickly thank me and attend to the operations again ensuring the ship sail tight. Indeed a man living up to his motto!

Till the next Chilla Cup experience!

I want to be Coffee Expert with Chilla Cup

Is coffee a part of your life which you can’t do without?

Are you an aspiring coffee connoisseur?

Would you like to know more about brewing that perfect cup?

If you answered a resounding ‘YES!’ to all the questions above, then we have wonderful news for you!

In conjunction with Coffee Day on 29^th of September 2012, we are organizing a coffee appreciation workshop on 22^nd of September 2012 in our Subang Avenue store. This golden opportunity is limited to only 10 pairs of lucky winners so make sure you don’t miss it!

We are flying in coffee professionals from School of Coffee in Singapore Polytechnics to conduct this workshop. They are Tony Tang, who is the owner of the school and the Regional Barista competition judge; together with Li Hebin, who is one of the top trainers in the school as well.

They will engage you by utilizing all five of your senses (touch, sight, hearing smell and taste) to appreciate coffee. After this workshop, you are definitely one step closer towards becoming a Coffee Expert! Best of all, there is a tasting session where you get to sample our finest coffee!

So, how to be one of the lucky winners? Easy, just like our Facebook page, share this photo with the comment ‘I want to be Coffee Expert with Chilla Cup’ and tag 3 of your friends. Remember to make your sharing public and you are well on your way! Multiple entries allowed ;)