Hainan kopi,roasted theold way since 1955

一锅牛油，一把糖，从1955年炒到今天。

KEFI is run by third-generation roasters in Butterworth, Penang. We make Lao Mao kopi for your table, and private-label coffee for kopitiams, hotels and brands.

Move across the cup to stir it
Est. 1955Founded by Mr. Lim from Hainan
3rd generationStill run by the Lim family
Butterworth, PenangRoasted here, sent nationwide

From Hainan to Butterworth

从海南，到北海

Our grandfather, Mr. Lim, sailed from Hainan to Malaya looking for a better living. Like many Hainanese before him he found it in food and drink, and in 1955 he opened a small coffee roastery. We still roast his recipe today, on modern equipment, the same patient way.

  1. 1st genMr. Lim founds the roastery and sets the Hainan recipe: beans roasted with caramelised sugar, margarine and salt.
  2. 2nd genThe family grows the business with the coffee shops and hotels of Butterworth.
  3. 3rd genModern roasters, online stores and private-label production. The recipe stays the same, and new flavours follow the times: Ipoh white coffee, gula Melaka white coffee, cappuccino, mocha, latte and MCT oil coffee.
Vintage-style illustration of Lim's Coffee Factory in Butterworth, with its Chinese signboard and classic cars outside
Lim's Coffee Factory, an illustration of our early days in Butterworth.
A cup of black Hainan kopi in a Lao Mao cup, with youtiao and roasted coffee beans
Kopi O in the Lao Mao cup, the way our town has drunk it for generations.

How a Lao Mao bean is made

一颗咖啡豆的四个阶段
Step 1

Choose the beans

选豆

Liberica from Malaysia for its rare, bold character. Arabica from Colombia, El Salvador, Ethiopia and Indonesia for aroma. For some blends we pay farmers more to pick only ripe cherries.

Step 2

Roast with sugar, margarine and salt

牛油糖炒

The Hainan way. Sugar caramelises onto every bean and seals in the aroma, which gives kopi its glossy coat, strong body and gentle bitterness.

Step 3

Cool, blend and grind

冷却、拼配、研磨

Every batch is tasted before it is blended. We grind to suit how you brew, from the kopitiam sock to drip bags at home.

Step 4

Pack it, then teach you to pour it

包装与培训

Packed as powder, drip bags or whole beans. When a coffee shop buys equipment from us, we train the staff to use it.

Lao Mao, for your cup at home

自家品牌，家里也能喝到老咖啡店的味道

Our best sellers are all kopi-o kosong: black, no sugar, so you can taste the roast. Sweeten it your way.

Kopitiam Classic
经典咖啡店口味
KOPI O KOSONG

Kopitiam Classic Kopi O Kosong

The taste of the corner coffee shop, bold and smoky.

Premium Brew
精选特调
KOPI O KOSONG

Kopi O Kosong Premium Brew

A richer, rounder blend for a slower morning.

Kopi O
传统海南咖啡
KOPI O KOSONG

Kopi O Kosong

The everyday Hainan kopi our town grew up on.

New for a new generation

第三代研发的新口味

As tastes changed, the third generation went back to the roaster and developed a new range, from Ipoh white coffee to MCT oil coffee. Want your own white coffee? See white coffee OEM.

Ipoh White
怡保白咖啡
WHITE COFFEE

Ipoh White Coffee

Smooth and creamy, in the Ipoh tradition.

Gula Melaka
马六甲椰糖
WHITE COFFEE

Gula Melaka White Coffee

Sweetened with Melaka palm sugar for a deep caramel note.

Cappuccino
卡布奇诺
CAPPUCCINO

Cappuccino

Light and frothy, with a cocoa finish.

Mocha
摩卡
MOCHA

Mocha

Coffee meets chocolate, rich and mellow.

Latte
拿铁
LATTE

Latte

Milky and gentle, an easy everyday cup.

MCT Oil
MCT油咖啡
MCT COFFEE

MCT Oil Coffee

Black coffee with MCT oil, for a clean, steady start.

Hainanese kopi-oWhite coffeeCappuccino, mocha and latteMCT oil coffeeDrip coffeeRoasted beansTeaCocoa
Order packs on WhatsApp

Your brand, roasted by us

你的品牌，我们来炒

Kopitiams, hotels, cafes and retail brands put their own name on our coffee. We can also design your brand and packaging and market it online, so you save time. Sketch your blend below and send the brief straight to our team.

Bean blend
Robusta55%
Liberica30%
Arabica15%
Roast
Format
Pack colour

Taste profile

Body
Aroma
Bitterness
Caramel notes
An indication only. Our roasters cup-test every sample blend with you.
Send this brief on WhatsApp Read the OEM guide We reply with sample options and pricing.

Blend development

We tune the blend and roast to the taste your customers expect.

Roasting and packing

Powder, drip bags or beans, under your label.

Brand and packaging design

Brand look, label and pack design, ready for printing.

Digital marketing

Help to launch and promote your coffee online.

Staff training

We show your team how to brew it right on the equipment you buy from us.

Poured in Butterworth for three generations

三代人，喝的是同一杯

Coffee shops and hotels across Butterworth and Penang serve our kopi, and so do shops in the Klang Valley and Johor. Families who grew up with it still keep a pack of Lao Mao at home.

Butterworth Our roastery since 1955 Penang Coffee shops Klang Valley Coffee shops and hotels Johor Coffee shops Straits of Malacca

Questions buyers ask us

常见问题

Straight answers about KEFI, our coffee and private-label orders.

What is KEFI?

KEFI is a Malaysian coffee maker that produces private-label (OEM) coffee for kopitiams, hotels, cafes and retail brands, alongside its own Lao Mao (老猫標) Hainan coffee range. The coffee is roasted in Butterworth, Penang, by a family that has roasted Hainan coffee since 1955. KEFI's marketing office is in Bayan Baru, Penang.

Can KEFI make coffee under my own brand?

Yes. We develop the blend and roast level with you, then roast and pack the coffee under your label as kopi powder, drip bags or whole roasted beans. Sample blends are cup-tested with you before production. We can also design your brand and packaging and handle your digital marketing, so you deal with one team instead of several suppliers.

What makes Hainan coffee different?

Hainan coffee is roasted with caramelised sugar, margarine and a pinch of salt. The sugar coats each bean, which gives the coffee its glossy look, strong aroma, full body and gentle bitterness. It is traditionally brewed with a cloth sock in Malaysian kopitiams.

What coffee products does KEFI offer?

Our classic range is Hainan kopi-o kosong (black, no sugar). The third generation has added Ipoh white coffee, gula Melaka white coffee, cappuccino, mocha, latte and MCT oil coffee. We also supply drip coffee, roasted beans, tea and cocoa.

Where does KEFI supply, and how do I order?

Coffee shops and hotels in Butterworth, Penang, the Klang Valley and Johor serve our coffee. For retail packs, bulk supply or OEM production, message us on WhatsApp at +60 12-485 8218.

Let's roast your next batch

下一锅，为你而炒

Tell us what you pour, how much you need and how your customers like it. A member of the Lim family will get back to you.

WhatsApp +60 12-485 8218 Request samples