SABAH, Malaysia – The Sabah International Coffee Festival – Expo 2023 (SICF2023) is returning for its sixth year with exciting new additions, including the Borneo Chocolate Beverage Competition and Borneo Mixology Drinks Competition, in collaboration with the Professional Coffee Athletics (PCA).
These competitions cater to the growing trend and demand for chocolate drinks and mixology in Sabah, eliminating the need for participants to travel to Kuala Lumpur for such quality competitions.
The festival aims to discover and nurture talent in coffee, cocoa, and mixology, providing opportunities for local baristas and enthusiasts. SICF2023 is organized by the Federation of Sabah Industries (FSI) and Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK), supported by various organizations and ministries, with winners representing Borneo in the Shanghai finals.
The event features competitions, workshops, music performances, and a diverse range of exhibitors from the coffee, tea, and cocoa industry, fostering business opportunities and trade networking.
It is estimated that Sabahans consume up to 200 million cups of various coffee drinks a year. The beverage can come in different variations; from local Kopi-O to hotel brewed, and presently riding the contemporary wave of espresso based, if not “boutique coffee” made by new apparatus.
The food & beverage sector is a solid backbone of Sabah’s dominant service sector, fulfilling the burgeoning tourism sector’s needs. In 2012 alone the sector employed over 100,000 people or 7% of the state economy’s total employment number.
To better cater to this growing sector of sustainable importance, DBKK has taken the lead to organise Sabah International Coffee Festival, encompassing exhibition, coffee demonstration, and competitions for aspiring baristas or coffee makers to showcase their skills.
Sabah International Coffee Festival was inaugurated in 2018, and is organized annually to showcase the rich natural offerings, coupled with Sabah’s rich culture comprising diverse indigenous customs, traditions and rituals. Tourists from both domestic and international sources are welcome to visit and partake in the celebrations, to enjoy Sabah’s food and beverage hospitalities, visit places of attractions, immerse in the culture, and bring home memories with products.
