Ever wondered what goes behind a cup of coffee from Milky Way Café at HTX HQ? Hear from Danny, one of the café’s proud baristas bringing joy to Xponents daily.
“I usually get in at about 7.40am to prepare the ingredients and equipment for the day, such as calibrating the espresso machine and preparing the traditional kopi-o and teh.”
“I used to help my late father at his coffee stall selling local coffee. I didn’t know much about the “angmoh” type of coffee then. But I gradually picked up the skills, and also went for barista certification courses sponsored by TCE.”
TCE is the abbreviation for The Caffeine Experience – a social enterprise with a goal of hiring ex-offenders and offering them training and employment opportunities to support them in rebuilding their lives. In 2020, HTX invited TCE to collaborate for a corporate social responsibility café project – leading to the setup of Milky Way Café at HTX HQ.
“In brewing a cup of handcrafted coffee, every step requires precision, from weighing the grind – 180 grams, to be specific…”
“…tamping the coffee to reduce air pockets…”
“… even down to the angle of holding the milk pitcher to prevent bubbling!”
“Brewing a perfect cup of coffee requires a lot of focus, and there’s also discipline and patience to achieving consistency in the many cups we prepare every day.”
“I also learnt how to make waffles and toasties. HTX customers like to order waffles and toasties for breakfast and tea break.”
“This is Leonard, one of my regular customers. He likes to have a hot cup of kopi-C kosong in the morning. I try to remember what my regular customers like, some like more milk and others less sugar.”
“Customers here are friendly and patient. Grateful for (Xponents) who wait with a smile 😊”
“I’m happy to work here and do enjoy being a barista. With the other skills I’ve picked up during my time here, perhaps I may have the chance to open my own café in future… who knows?”
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Your support is crucial in giving social enterprises such as Milky Way Café and the incarcerated under their programme a chance to rebuild their lives and give them hope for a brighter future.