Constant Gardener Coffee

Slowing down, look around and smell the flowers.

Recently, we took some time to do some field work and visit a few coffee farms as the F&B industry slows to a crawl.

While we may be a tiny coffee shop with limited resources, learning,exploring and experimenting are integral of what we do. These are the means to nurture and cultivate our passion.

There are a lot of hands involved in the production of coffee.

Not all farmers are equal.

Smallholders are family owned with small plot of land. These tiny farms are often inherited from the previous generations, and they require the most assistance.

Many smallholding farmers grow diverse range of cash crops, such as rice, vegetables, fruits, spices, and some farm animals to manage unpredictable harvesting risks.

Industrial farmers are huge, professionally ran operation. Some are conglomerates with a few listed in the stock markets.

In the middle scale, there are commercial farms. Some are operated by professionals, many are family owned with a clear focus on quality. These are similar to famour wineries around the world. However, in the world of coffee, the farmer and the (wine) maker are seperate groups of people.

We explore the business mechanics of the coffee trade, dived deep into studying soil, processing and the science of coffee brewing in order to understand the risks, value and opportunities.

One thing is certain, Excellent Coffee is never cheap.

Buying directly from farmers doesn't mean we got it cheap. In reality, it can be slightly more expensive. In order to be less expensive, it's purchase quantity that matters. Direct trade is a method to manage quality.

In a few months, we will be importing and buying some coffee beans directly from Origin and from a few farms to create a particular flavour profile for our Penang customers

We are putting what we have learned in the last 9 years into practical use; adding more value to your daily coffee without raising the price.

Here's to 9th year in serving Penang.

Stay tuned.

2024 Develop, Train and Upgrades.

A new set of back-end systems are being tested for upgrade. Some systems will take a few months to complete. A few are almost complete.

In the last 4 months, we have been working with multiple local roasters to use their beans to test our coffee system.

Some single origin espressos are darker roasted. Some are filter roast coffees running as espresso. So our coffee quality has been swinging at a wider range, rather "excitingly".

Good news is we have got our data and decided on a new course for the next 4 years.

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While this may be disheartening for some customers, DAILY BUSINESS HOUR has been shortened to:

9am - 6:30pm.

The reason behind this difficult decision is to improve mental health and provide better opportunity for the team to have dinner with loved ones.

We know some of our kindest customers have been asking us to open till 10:30pm but that's not possible.

Despite business revenue will be reduced with shorter business hours, it's our hope to improve overall efficiency and mental health.

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Some unfinished renovation projects from 2023 will continue into this year.

A major coffee project has been in the development for almost year. It's expected to be ready by late May 2024 with more exciting coffees.

The world of coffee is changing extremely fast. New coffee processings, new technologies, new gears and tools.

There are more to explore and learn than ever before. So we are retraining our team with the latest information, experience and knowledge.

A friend in a Michelin restaurant once shared, "Before all these, it was nothing but 10 years of foundation building."

He was right.

2024 Develop, Train and Upgrades.

A new set of back-end systems are being tested for upgrade. Some systems will take a few months to complete. These include a series of team training.

In the last 4 months, we have been working with multiple local roasters to use their beans to test our coffee system. So our espresso coffee quality has been swinging at a wider range. Good news is we have figured things out and charted a new course for 2024.

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While this may be disheartening for some customers, Daily Business Hours has been shortened to

9am - 630pm.

This is a push to improve our team's mental health and provide better opportunity for them to have a proper dinner with loved ones.

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Some unfinished renovation projects from 2023 will also continue into this year.

A major coffee project has been in the works for almost year. It's expected to be ready in May 2024 with more exciting coffees to come.

There are more to explore and learn than ever before.

The world of coffee is changing extremely fast.

Dear valued customers,

Starting from MARCH 2024, daily operation hours will be adjusted.

9am - 6.30pm

Why the reduced hours?

We want to improve our team's mental health and to give them a decent chance to have a normal family dinner with their parents.

From business point of view, we are willing to sacrifice our revenue for an improved mental health.

While the operating hours has been reduced, we remain committed to providing you with the same quality experience that you have come to expect from us.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

Introducing our latest canned coffee: Blacksmith.

Crafted in collaboration with our friends at .coffee, this blend combines Arabica beans with locally grown Liberica beans, ensuring a delightfully unique sensory experience.

Blacksmith boasts a unique profile, featuring a distinctive fermented yellow fruit character from the Liberica beans. It has a gentle and mellow acidity that allows its bold body to shine. The result is a cup that offers a smoother mouthfeel and a balanced taste profile.

A truly satisfying cup, perfect caffeine boost for a busy day.

Grab it now!

Wishing everyone a peaceful and wonderful Chinese New Year.

We are CLOSED from today 9th to 11th February.

Be safe on the road.

Let's welcome the Dragon Year with our exclusive tea and fruit juice creations.

“Hoseh”
An aromatic experience, where floral elegance meets with citrus allure. Elevate your celebration with every sips.

“Fat Choi”
Immerse in the harmonious blend of orange and pear, with cool subtlety of cucumber. A refreshing drink perfect for a flavourful new year.

Available now.
Join us in toasting to prosperity and joy!

🧧Chinese New Year Closure Notice🧧

Our cafe will be closed on 9th - 11th February for Chinese New Year celebrations.

We'll be back brewing on 12th of February, 9am - 8pm.

Wishing you all a joyous and prosperous Dragon year.

Introducing our latest filter coffee from .coffee - 01 JACKFRUIT.

Grown locally in Johor and gone through natural sun-dry process for up to 3 weeks, this bean offers a distinctive flavour profile.

Each sip unveils the subtle notes of jackfruit, blackberry and dried longan. It concludes with subtle hints of a black tea aftertaste to complement its juicy body.

Available for serving now.

Exciting Opportunities Await...

We're on the lookout for passionate individuals to join our team at the heart of coffee culture.

Positions available:
- Barista
- Coffee Roasting Assistant

Sensory and brewing training provided by SK Leng.

If you have a love for coffee, a flair for customer service, and thrive in a dynamic environment, we want to hear from you!

To apply, email us at [email protected] or contact us directly at 011-6078 7883.

Exciting news!! Award-winning Single Origin chocolate from Temangan, Kelantan has finally arrived.

Crafted by Malaysia's talented chocolate maker , this chocolate has earned recognition at the Cocoa of Excellence Program - a global competition honoring cocoa farmers' craftsmanship.

Prepare to treat your taste buds as this chocolate offers a subtle acidity, harmonious chocolate richness, and delightful fruity undertones.

Visit us now for an unforgettable chocolate experience!

Prepping for the upcoming long weekend with fresh espresso beans from .

We've got two fruity options waiting for you:
- Ethiopia Sidamo Bombe G1 • Natural
- Colombia San Vicente • Washed

Stop by and have a chat with our barista on our daily bean selection. We are looking forward to seeing you this festive season.

We've just received a fresh shipment of Geisha filter beans from , perfect for the upcoming weekend.

Explore our Geisha selections, including Panama Candela, Ethiopia Alo Melt, Honduras Brayan Bautista, and Guatemala Santa Felisa.

Experience these limited Roasters' Reserved Selections. Only available for this holiday season.

The Art.

Giving all we have to the art of coffee, accepting the whole - systems, the team's strengths and deficiencies, our passion and shames, into a single path.

Each morning, we make coffee and serve the community, again and beyond. We chair the failures and mistakes with the successes, so the cup is humbled as a whole.

Dedicating our lives to this art form isn't only about serving the best cup, we rescue the worst coffee into good meaningful sips.

Have a safe and peaceful holiday season.

Celebrate this holiday season with our exclusive Dark Chocolate Bundle!

The bundle consists of chocolate grown in 3 different states in Malaysia. Crafted by the international award-winning chocolatier , each piece is a festive symphony of unique taste profiles.

Semai 70% dances on your palate with tropical fruit, cashews, and tea undertones.

Chemor 70% delivers a fruity and balanced profile with a nutty finish.

Johor 70% offers a robust finish, complimented by hints of black grapes and roasted sunflower seeds.

Elevate your Christmas celebrations with these delightful threats!

Available for limited time only...

New Batch of Coffee Beans for Filter and Espresso has arrived from .coffee and .

This batch of Liberica coffee has gone through a new anaerobic fermentation process.

OneHalf has graced us with some exciting beans from Yemen, Ethiopia and Colombia.

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As part of espresso extraction trials, we are now running some abnormally expensive coffee beans.

These coffees are so expensive, they make no business sense.

However, as part of our research (and doing stupid things), we needed more data from this range of coffee beans.

Our valued customers have given us a foundational opportunity to study and experience coffee for the long-term.

In the spirit of giving back, we are NOT raising our Speciality Espresso prices.

Thank you for the most amazing 8 years and 11 months.

We hope to continue serving everyone the best we can without losing our shirts and shoes.

See you soon.

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Oh, we served an insanely expensive Geisha coffee on the espresso few days ago, at regular price.

We subsidized every cup that went out that day.

What's a few bucks among friends?

Have a wonderful December and safe travel.

Out of Single Origin Espresso and Filtered Coffees.

Speciality coffee offerings are out of stock for 2 days due to delayed shipments of single origin coffee beans.

What's left is the seasonal darker roast Penang Blend.

The situation will be remedied by Wednesday.

Sorry for the inconveniences.

Introducing two new additions to our chocolate bar lineup.

SEMAI 70% DARK CHOCOLATE - A proud recipient of the AVPA (France) Bronze Medal in 2023, this award-winning Malaysian delight is cultivated at 1500ft in Pahang. This single origin chocolate promises a harmonious blend of flavours, from ripe tropical fruits to cashews and subtle tea undertones.

CHEMOR 70% DARK CHOCOLATE - Uncover a rich and balanced flavour journey with tropical fruit notes and delicate nutty finish. The cacao pods went through an innovative fermentation as short as three days, thus enhances the natural cacao complexity and reduces its acidity.

Crafted by award-winning Chocolate Maker .

Both are available now.

Paragon Espresso - Welcome to a new era of espresso indulgence

The Paragon chill brew method is expected to retain 40% more aromas in the coffee, according to studies.

What surprises us is how it delivers a smoother palate experience, eliminating harshness while enhancing flavours and sweetness compared to traditional espresso brewing method.

Keep in mind that this brewing method may vary with different beans. Further trials will be carried on as we search for better cups.

Do drop by and join us on this flavourful journey as we continue to explore.

Cafe Systems Upgrade in Progress.

There will be minor seating disruptions for these 2 months as our team is currently upgrading various systems.

1 • CAFE LIGHTING - 65% COMPLETED.

Majority of the seating area lighting have been upgraded. The coffee bar will have a new lighting system installed within these 2 weeks.

2 • HOUSE CLEANING.

We have been here for almost 9 years. Things don't look as fresh and pretty. Subtle patch up work and cleaning will be done to the cafe environment.

Please ignore us as we clean up the space, sand down an uneven wall and paint over a small patch of the wall.

Gardening and woodworking will begin soon.

3 • CEILING VENTILATION ENHANCEMENT.

The team has redesigned the cafe ventilation system. The old system was installed during the pandemic.

The new enhancement will be more energy efficient and cost effective.

Majority of the work will be done in the ceiling. This may cause occasional disruption.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

4 • WATER SYSTEMS.

Our water systems (in and out) are being upgraded. We have installed a new water tank today. A series of water filters will be changed this week.

The team will be upgrading the water systems by adopting robust industrial specification into our cafe.

The aim is to improve water quality, operational efficiency and effectiveness, while reducing mundane and repetitive workload.

5 • NEW COFFEE METHODS

Work on 3D design and modelling of new coffee equipment will begin after we have finished upgrading the shop.

The aim is to produce the best possible espresso - the culmination of more than a decade in theoretical work on espresso extraction.

Ironically, failures gave us more data than expected, which we subsequently distilled into insights and working principles.

Can't wait to present the result.

Here's to raising the coffee quality without hiking the price.

Stay curious. The learning never stops.

Why settle for one when you can have all three?

Join us for the ultimate coffee adventure with our Single Origin Coffee Taster Set.

This platter consists of an espresso, a black coffee and latte, all brewed from single origin espresso beans.

Available for dine-in only, so relax, take a seat, and relish every sip as it fulfills your caffeine cravings.

Johor 70% Dark Chocolate by Malaysia's Award-winning Fine Chocolate Maker - now gracing our shelves and ready for you to experience.

Cultivated in Johor next to matured Liberica coffee tree, the journey of this chocolate begins with careful selective harvesting followed by 15 days of fermentation.

Immerse your senses in this 70% dark chocolate bar, where every bite unfolds a symphony of flavours. Experience the tantalising notes of fruity goodness, complemented by refreshing acidity of ripe black grapes, roasted sunflower seeds and a robust cocoa finish.

Water Experiment Days.

These 2 days, we ran some Water for Espresso trials.

We boosted Penang's soft water to 3x the baseline to map the relationship between water hardness (TDS) with coffee grind size.

As a result, our coffee may be abnormally stronger than usual.

We have got the data.

Tomorrow we will go back to our regular water hardness.

Thank you for supporting our little coffee shop.

Change is in the air.

We've made some exciting updates to our menu.

Whether it's refreshing juices, velvety hot chocolate, or the latest additions to our specialty coffee and matcha lineup, we've got it covered to satisfy every palate.

Drop by and try these new delectable selections soon.

Embracing Changes : 9 Years And Beyond

Stepping into our ninth years,
We've been busy with a series of minor renovations and furniture upgrades over the past few months.

Each nail hammered, each brushstroke of paint applied, we've taken this opportunity to create a better environment as the industry is going through a slower season.

While it might seem like we are trying to improve, the reality is that we are just merely countering the deterioration. It's been a challenging journey, requiring immense effort to preserve the charm of our cafe.

9 years of grindings.
9 years of appreciations.
Your smiles, your conversations, your visits – they've all been a part of our story. As we evolve, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to you.

Thank you.

Kickstart your weekend with pure delight!

Join us as we brew up the finest Ethiopia Chire espresso beans, freshly roasted by .

Get ready to savor the rich and aromatic notes of this exceptional coffee.

See you this weekend.

International Coffee Roasting Conference 2023.

Together with industry peers, we will be hosting coffee roasters from Australia, UK, Vietnam, Pakistan and India for a collaboration in exploring the diversity in coffee roasting methods and technologies.

3 hours of theoretically discussions and 8 days worth of roasting experiments, field study, developing fermentation and infusion, roastery setup, and sharing laughs of our own mistakes and failures.

Roasting machines

Nucleus LINK
IKAWA
PROBAT
GIESEN
STRONGHOLD
LORING
FROCO TENGENTIAL
FROCO DRUM CLASSIC

Penang - Kuala Lumpur - Johor, and finish in Singapore.

Happiness in getting caffeinated.

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And...

The daily rain will probably flood the toilet in our building. Sorry for the inconvenience.

It's a persistent issue that Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce cannot resolve.

NEW Arrival.

Coconut is now an option for milk drinks.

Oat and Coconut offer unique twists to the familiar cup.

Coconut Milk is provided by

Oat Milk is supplied by

Canned filtered coffees are available at in Bayan Lepas area of Penang.

They offer a cozy and relaxing environment to escape the hustle and bustle.

The hardworking people behind this hidden gem offers full breakfast and lunch menu, while waking up at 4am to bake some fantastic croissants and pastries.

New canned filtered coffee is coming soon.

COFFEERIC
1-1-47 Elit Avenue, Jln Mayang Pasir 3, Bayan Baru, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang.

Call: 04-608 2339
Business Hours: 9am-5pm (Daily)

Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/77XP4ntDX8uJCjfu5

Get ready for a fresh adventure!

We are now adding coconut milk alternatives to our Penang coffee.

Our Coconut Penang Latte boasts an incredibly creamy texture and leaves you with a captivating, lingering aroma. It also offers a delightful hint of gula melaka, a flavor cherished by the locals.

Available now.
Visit us today to savor this delightful twist in your coffee experience.