'Cap Televisyen' coffee lures tourists to Kluang

KLUANG - To outsiders, the coffee is known by its brand name 'Cap Televisyen (TV)' as stated on the label of its packaging, but for most people in Johor, it is known as 'Kluang Coffee.'

Kluang coffee has been a favourite at coffee shops in the district since the 1960s. It's no surprise that this product, from the Kluang Coffee Powder Factory, is recognised as one of Johor's key tourism products.

The aroma of the coffee attracts coffee lovers from all over the country.

The factory general manager, Goh Yong Kian, a third-generation owner, said the coffee factory was founded by his grandfather, Goh Tong Tor, in 1966 in Batu Tiga as a source of family income.

"It started with just a wooden factory," he said, adding that the family business later moved to a larger, more modern facility on Jalan Besar in 2002 to meet growing demand.

COFFEE-TELEVISION 2 KLUANG

"Many people asked why the 'Cap TV' logo. Actually, my grandfather used the brand name 'Cap TV' for the coffee after he had bought himself a TV set, which was then the black and white TV and considered a luxury item.

"When the TV was on, children and senior citizens of all races would gather at my grandfather's house with chairs and ladders to watch the programmes.

"It was these fond memories that inspired my grandfather to name his coffee 'Cap TV,' hoping the business would flourish and become as popular as his TV, which attracted people to his home and strengthened his friendships with the community," he told Bernama here recently.

Sharing the uniqueness of Cap TV coffee, Goh said it is made from a blend of three types of coffee beans: liberica from Chamek here, robusta from Indonesia, and arabica from Brazil.

'When these three types of beans are roasted together with margarine and sugar, they create a distinctive flavour that is strong, rich, and aromatic,” he said.

"Unlike other coffee factories that use butter, we use margarine so that vegetarians can also enjoy Cap TV coffee," Goh said, adding that this was one reason the coffee has garnered its own loyal following, including the late Sultan Iskandar, the fourth Sultan of Johor.

According to Goh, Cap TV coffee is in such high demand that the factory produces 6,000 kilogrammes of coffee daily, supplying over 400 coffee shops in Kluang and 1,000 shops nationwide.

The coffee is available in various forms: powder, sachets, and beans.

The unique flavour of Cap TV coffee attracts coffee lovers throughout the week, including visitors from Singapore who cross the Tebrau Strait to Kluang just for a cup. - BERNAMA