Director's Perspective: My Love Letter

It was sweet and refreshing, with a slight minty mouthfeel. I didn’t have easy access to the internet back then. So I would spend my time at a local cybercafe playing games and learning about coffee while queuing for a game. That was when I discovered the word “barista.”

After graduating from high school, I worked part-time as a barista at Starbucks, and that was when I learned coffee isn’t just a sweet drink. My first sip of coffee was a French press made by my store manager. It was bitter, honestly “horrible” at first—but with each sip, I slowly began to enjoy it. It was floral, bright, and naturally sweet. I didn’t know coffee could taste like that. Suddenly, coffee was no longer just a drink, it became passion, and emotion in liquid form. From then on, I spent whatever little money I had on coffee beans and tried every type I could find.

Later, I moved to Australia and once again, coffee transformed for me. While studying in Melbourne, coffee wasn’t just a drink; it was a culture. As long as I lived there, I don’t remember ever having a bad cup. There, I continued to learn, became a better barista, and worked with many coffee brands and cafe owners.

When I returned to Malaysia, the coffee culture was very different. Many people enjoyed sweeter coffees with syrups, condensed milk, and flavoured mixes. Delicious in their own way, but different from the style I had grown to love. Even the large coffee chains couldn’t quite serve the latte I had been craving.

I also noticed that the barista culture here felt different. In places like Melbourne or London, baristas take pride in their craft. In Malaysia back then, that passion wasn’t always as easy to find but there were definitely a few branches and cafes that made great coffee and clearly cared.

What I realized was this: Passion makes the difference. It’s the invisible ingredient that turns a cup of coffee into an experience. Without it, even the best equipment and beans can’t create that warm feeling.

Bréhut aims to build a space where people can truly enjoy coffee, whether they’re traveling along Malaysia’s long highways, working, or taking a moment to relax.I carried those memories and lessons home with me. And that’s how Bréhut Coffee began, not because I simply wanted to open a coffee business, but because I wanted to share the feeling coffee gave me. A reminder that the simplest things in life when crafted with passion can become something beautiful.

To me, Bréhut isn’t just a coffee brand, it’s my love letter to the craft that inspired me.