International Coffee Day: Ranau, a 'bean-to-brew' destination

 By Olivia Miwil - October 1, 2023 @ 10:23am


Villagers harvesting coffee beans at Kampung Toboh. -NSTP/LANO LAN

RANAU: Enjoying coffee early in the morning with the majestic Mount Kinabalu as a backdrop is a luxurious experience for those who love caffeinated beverages.

Anooh Cafe, one of the newest establishments easily spotted on the roadside in Kundasang, embraces the "bean-to-brew" concept by exclusively using locally grown and processed coffee beans.

Its owner, Azizul Julirin, said her cafe typically uses beans supplied by another villager, Barbara Bongkok from nearby Kampung Tambiau.

"I am using her coffee beans to introduce local coffee products and to support local entrepreneurs.

"The responses from our customers are excellent. Travellers, both domestic and international, often prefer to choose local coffee to experience something different," he said, adding that Barbara's Apai hazelnut coffee is the best-selling item at the cafe.

After undergoing brain surgery, Barbara went into early retirement after working as a nurse and started her coffee business in March 2018.

She learned about coffee from scratch through the Ranau Agriculture Department. She sold and marketed her bottled coffee at the community market and petrol stations in the district.

Now she has earned a reputation for producing high-quality coffee beans under the Apai Ranau brand and can sell up to 500 packs of premixed coffee products a month.

Operating her humble factory from home at Kampung Tambiau, Barbara has also indirectly promoted agrotourism.

"There was a time when a medical doctor from Lahad Datu stopped by at my place before heading to Kota Kinabalu for a course.

"I remember he brought his own mini tool to make his coffee using our beans and seemed to enjoy the moment," she said, adding visitors can pre-book a tour to visit her factory, where she can show the green beans and traditional way of roasting, as well as offer a cup or two of coffee.

She said many are not aware of the good quality beans produced in the Ranau highlands, as people often associate coffee with those from Tenom.

However, due to the increasing demand for beans from here, the supply has become limited and inconsistent.

One farmer cultivates her in-law's coffee plantation and supplies the beans to the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama).

Esther Suyung, 32, inherited a 13-year-old coffee plantation with around 300 trees from her mother-in-law in Kampung Toboh.

"Collectively, with several families in the village, we manage to harvest about two tonnes of coffee beans annually, which we supply to the Fama.

"As full-time farmers, we also work on other crops and assist others with agricultural land to supplement our income," she said, adding she tends to the coffee farm twice a week.



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