OldTown White Coffee flying high

16 March 2009

AIR TRAVELLERS can now enjoy their favourite cuppa of Ipoh’s most famous white coffee while aboard AirAsia flights from the Kuala Lumpur hub.

The low-cost airline has, since March 1, started inflight service of OldTown White Coffee 3-in-1 Classic blend at RM5 per cup.

"Now everyone can fly and drink OldTown White Coffee," quipped OldTown’s group marketing general manager Alex Chuah Seong Meng (pix).

Indeed, sales have been encouraging with 300 cups being sold per day on board AirAsia flights, he said.

"We’re looking forward to seeing sales of over a thousand cups a day soon," said Chuah.

He also said that serving the "classic" blend on board is just the beginning.

"We plan to provide more options for AirAsia passengers, by adding two more products – our OldTown 3-in-1 White Milk Tea and 3-in-1 White Coffee with Hazelnut."

Chuah said following the positive response on local flights, the sale of OldTown White Coffee will also be extended to AirAsia flights from its Indonesia and Thailand hubs next month.

"Through this collaboration with AirAsia to serve our products in all three of the airline’s business hubs, travellers in Southeast Asia can experience the thick aroma of OldTown White Coffee while flying.

"Southeast Asia is our target territory, thus this collaboration is a good channel to promote our products," he said.

OldTown White Coffee is exported to 15 countries including China, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, Singapore and Papua New Guinea.

"We are also seeking to expand to possible markets in the Middle East and Australia," he said.

Chua said OldTown White Coffee has achieved a 12% growth in sales and plans to open 40 more outlets this year.

Meanwhile, apart from letting AirAsia passengers savour the OldTown White Coffee, the company is also opening its latest outlet, its 121st at LCCT Kuala Lumpur – the bastion of AirAsia – to let coffee lovers indulge in a good cup of java as well as have a good meal when they arrive at the airport.

Besides beverages, local delights such as Ipoh chicken hor fun, nasi lemak and nasi rendang will be served at the outlet, 24 hours a day, seven days a week together with its usual spread of toasts, buns and sandwiches

"The investment for this outlet is about RM600,000," Chuah revealed.

OldTown White Coffee started in 1958 when its Hainanese founder in Ipoh devised an ingenious style of roasting coffee beans, much to the delight of coffee connoisseurs in the old town neighbourhood of Ipoh.

OldTown White Coffee is a perfect blend of specially roasted Liberica, Arabica and Robusta beans with small amounts of caramel, moderately roasted in high temperature.