Expect some enticing aroma of freshly-brewed coffee wafting out of Pavilion Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur during Pesta Kopi at the end of the month.

The festival is set to take place from Sept 29 to Oct 1, and carries the theme “Miss SHOPHIA GO Pesta Kopi Extended 2023”. It is organised by Pesta Kopi Ventures in collaboration with Tourism Malaysia, as a way to support local businesses and promote coffee tourism in the country.

In conjunction with the event, Tourism Malaysia will also be launching its latest coffee tourism package, “Miss SHOPhia Coffee Experience”, to further boost the industry in Malaysia.

A similar campaign, “Northern Malaysia Coffee Experience” was held last year, which helped to boost sales and gain recognition for more than 2,000 local coffee shops.

Pesta Kopi Ventures general manager Syahmi Pozi said at an event in KL recently, “Malaysia has experienced an explosion of cafes over recent years, all to cater to the growing number of coffee lovers.

“We want to celebrate the ‘coffee culture’ that has garnered so much attention, especially among young people.”

He added that the event will bring together over 40 homegrown coffee entrepreneurs from across Malaysia. Among the participants attending the coffee fiesta are from Cameron Highlands (Pahang), Johor Baru, Alor Setar (Kedah), Melaka and Sabah.

Visitors not only get to enjoy the various artisanal coffee products, but they can also see the different ways of preparing coffee using affordable equipment, which can be done at their homes too.

“Fellow enthusiasts will get a taste of Malaysia’s local coffee as vendors from Sabah and Sarawak will be joining the event as well,” Syahmi said. Sabah is known for its aromatic Tenom coffee, while Sarawak is of course famous for its decadent Kopi Luwak.

Barista Battle, a fast-paced barista competition will also be held during the event.

Craft fest

Meanwhile, Perlis has been chosen as the host of the inaugural Festival Kraf Utara (FKU) 2023, which will be held at the Kraftangan Malaysia Perlis Branch from Sept 22 to Oct 1.

Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation (Kraftangan Malaysia) industry development division senior director Azran Arip said Perlis was chosen as the inaugural host for FKU 2023 because of its high potential in the tourism industry and its strategic geographical position as a destination for domestic and foreign tourists.

“For the first edition we chose Perlis as the host; it will later be held in other northern states in the following years. We hope FKU2023 can help boost promotions for Visit Perlis Year 2024-2025,” he said in a report by Bernama.

The theme for FKU2023 is “This is Malaysian Craft”, and highlights the diversity of Malaysian craft products. About 60 craft entrepreneurs from all over the country have confirmed their participation so far, bringing with them a variety of textile crafts, forest and land products, as well as metal products.

The festival’s main objective is to promote local handicrafts and increase the public’s knowledge and awareness of them.

“For this first event, we are targeting sales of RM400,000, and 15,000 visitors,” said Azran.

Visitors to the festival will also be treated to some interesting activities such as craft demonstrations, interactive craftwork, cultural performances, and folk games.