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sure to the large varieties of coffee com- research work to improve on the output her skills for the competition. A lot of
pared to our neighbors across borders. and quality of coffee beans. This know- hard work went into the preparation
ledge will hopefully translate into the for the competition considering the
As the Vice-President of the Malaysia continuous improvement in the overall ever - improving participants. Regine is a
Specialty Coffee Association, what do growth of the industry. good example that female can thrive and
you think can be improved for the female succeeded in this industry if they are
professionals in the industry? We recently noticed that you roasted the passionate and willing to put in effort to
Female professionals in the indus- winning beans for the 2015 Malaysia support their beliefs.
try may project a feminine image, however Brewers Cup champion, Regine Wai Some say that ladies make the best
this should not stop us from progress- Yee-Beng. How did you feel as a roaster roasters, because of the attention to detail.
ing into technically sound professionals. for achieving such great heights? Do you agree with that myth?
In the past few years, there have been I feel extremely proud and honored
an increase of female roasters, baristas to have had the opportunity to be a part of I do agree that attention to detail
that have won national championships, the winner’s team. Working on premium is an utmost important trait that a coffee
roaster must possess, but I feel that there
some undertook responsibility as Head origin beans, the quality control began is no direct relation to gender. Men make
Judges or even Technical Judges on the at the farm, considering the growth, great roasters as well!
competition stage. In my opinion, there nurture, harvest and processing methods
are no barriers for females should they of the coffee. Subsequently roast plann- If you could advise the new ladies in the
be willing to work hard in achieving ing, pre and post roasted beans sorting, industry, what would you say to them?
their goals and not worry to get soiled. each and every parcel need to have a Equip yourself with the skills and
I would like to see more female participa- holistic and consistent treatment are knowledge required for the industry. We
tion in skilled and technical aspects, like equally important processes. Kudos to will excel in the industry with the right
machine and equipment troubleshooting, Regine Wai for putting in the time and attitude and be ready to rough it out in
coffee growing and as well as agricultural effort to practice and practice and honing a challenging industry.

Sylvia Tan

Coffee Stain - Entrepreneur & Founder
CQI Q & R Grader & Authorised SCAE Trainer
at dcAcademy & Discover Coffee

Tell us a little bit on how you first began Publika. I followed through on my because the coffee that were imported in
your journey in coffee and what initially journey by travelling the world to search were actually welcomed by consumers
sparked your interest to get involved with for inspirations and also took pride in and also received really good feedback.
the coffee industry. expanding my skills in the search for the What are some of the biggest challenges
I first began my journey in coffee perfect coffee for my café. you faced as a female figure and as an
back in 2009. What sparked my interest What was your biggest fear when you first entrepreneur in the industry?
was watching my younger sister Samantha started Coffee Stain years ago? I have not really faced any problems
Tan, when she was first making waves in My biggest fear like any other as a female figure in the industry, but
the coffee world. I saw the passion and business owner was the ability to survive we all know what it’s like to be a female
love for coffee and as an elder sister, the market. My initial plan when I first entrepreneur in the industry. Things are
I wanted to support her in her journey started was to introduce premium always a tough and it is very important
and dream. In 2012, I started getting coffee to our customers such as geisha to have a positive attitude and not fear
more involved in Specialty Coffee indus- and blue mountain coffee. This iniatitive the journey. I think the biggest challenge
try over the border in Singapore and I did worry be quite a bit and it took up I’ve faced was getting my brand out there
believed that there would be a huge a lot of time and resources to source into the world. It requires a lot of patience
potential for Specialty Coffee in Malaysia premium beans from foreign roasters, and hard work. Ultimately, it is important
in the coming years. It was then we consistently. Till this day, I am still in that one enjoys the journey, whether
started a café, Coffee Stain located in disbelief that we actually pulled it off, good or bad.
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