Hainan kopi,roasted theold way since 1955

一锅牛油，一把糖，从1955年炒到今天。

KEFI makes private-label coffee for kopitiams, hotels, cafes and brands. Every blend builds on the Lao Mao (老猫標) Hainan roast technique, first roasted in Butterworth in 1955. Our generation keeps that technique, refines it, and produces with certified partner factories across Malaysia.

Move across the cup to stir it
Since 1955The Lao Mao Hainan recipe
Certified partner factoriesTeluk Intan · Selangor · Kuala Lumpur · Johor
NationwideSupply across Malaysia, export to Singapore

From Hainan to Butterworth

从海南，到北海

The Lao Mao story begins with Mr. Lim, whom the family calls 林老. He sailed from Hainan to Malaya looking for a better living and, like many Hainanese before him, found it in coffee. In 1955 he opened a small roastery in Butterworth. His way of roasting beans with caramelised sugar, margarine and salt is the technique KEFI brings to your brand today: kept by our generation, upgraded and refined for modern production.

Read the full Lao Mao story

  1. 1st genMr. Lim opens his roastery in Butterworth and sets the Hainan recipe: beans roasted with caramelised sugar, margarine and salt.
  2. 2nd genThe family keeps roasting in Butterworth, and Lao Mao kopi finds its way onto coffee shop tables around town.
  3. 3rd genWe keep the technique, upgrade and refine it, and produce with certified partner factories across Malaysia under the KEFI name. 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 the family's early roastery 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.

How a Lao Mao bean is made

一颗咖啡豆的四个阶段
Step 1

Choose the beans

选豆

Malaysian Liberica for a bold, distinctive character. Arabica from Colombia, El Salvador, Ethiopia and Indonesia for aroma. Each blend is matched to the taste your customers expect.

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, giving kopi its glossy coat, strong body and gentle bitterness.

Step 3

Cool, blend and grind

冷却、拼配、研磨

Sample blends are cup-tested with you before production. 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. For coffee shops, we can train your staff to brew it right.

Lao Mao, for your cup at home

自家品牌，家里也能喝到老咖啡店的味道

The classic Lao Mao range is kopi-o kosong: black, no sugar, so you can taste the roast. Sweeten it your way. New this season: a single-origin Colombia drip bag for a fresh cup anywhere.

Kopitiam Classic
经典咖啡店口味
KOPI O KOSONG

Kopitiam Classic Kopi O Kosong

Our boldest blend: the taste of the corner coffee shop, strong and smoky.

Premium Brew
精选特调
KOPI O KOSONG

Premium Brew Kopi O Kosong

Our smoothest blend: richer and rounder, for a slower morning.

Original
传统海南咖啡
KOPI O KOSONG

Original Kopi O Kosong

Our everyday blend: the classic Hainan kopi, balanced and familiar.

Lao Mao Colombia Supremo 17/18 drip bag coffee box, 8 sachets x 12gNEW

Colombia Supremo Drip Bag Coffee

Single-origin Colombia Supremo 17/18, balanced and smooth. 8 drip bags × 12g. View product →

New for a new generation

第三代研发的新口味

As tastes changed, the third generation 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 blended with MCT oil, smooth and rich.

Hainanese kopi-oKopi-CWhite coffee3-in-1 premixCappuccino, 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 can put their own name on Hainan-roast 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. We also make functional coffee and offer low MOQ for startups.

Bean blend
Robusta55%
Liberica30%
Arabica15%
Roast
Format
Pack colour
Kraft brown · Black · White · Red · Green · Navy · or pick a custom colour

Taste profile

Body
Aroma
Bitterness
Caramel notes
An indication only. Every sample blend is cup-tested with you before production.
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. See our design concepts.

Digital marketing

Help to launch and promote your coffee online.

Staff training

We show your team how to brew it right.

One recipe, made across Malaysia

三代人，喝的是同一杯

Families who grew up with Lao Mao still keep a pack at home. Today the same Hainan recipe reaches coffee shops, hotels and brands across Malaysia.

Our production network

The Lao Mao technique was born in Butterworth. Today we bring it, upgraded and refined, to certified partner factories in Teluk Intan (Perak), the Klang Valley (Selangor & Kuala Lumpur) and Johor. The partner factories hold Halal, HACCP and MeSTI certifications. Together they supply businesses across Malaysia and support export to Singapore and markets that require Halal certification. Clients can meet our team at our offices in Bayan Baru, Penang and Petaling Jaya, Selangor; the Petaling Jaya office serves customers in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

Butterworth Where Lao Mao began, 1955 Penang Marketing office Teluk Intan Partner factory Klang Valley Selangor & KL · Partner factories Petaling Jaya · Selangor office Johor Partner factory Singapore · Export Where Lao Mao began Partner factories KEFI offices Export 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 OEM service that produces private-label coffee for kopitiams, hotels, cafes and retail brands, built on the Lao Mao (老猫標) Hainan roast technique first roasted in Butterworth in 1955. Our generation keeps and refines that technique, and production is handled by certified partner factories in Teluk Intan, the Klang Valley (Selangor & Kuala Lumpur) and Johor. KEFI has offices in Bayan Baru, Penang and Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Is KEFI coffee Halal?

KEFI itself does not hold Halal certification. KEFI coffee is produced by partner factories that hold Halal, HACCP and MeSTI certifications. If your brand needs its own Halal certification, our partner can guide you through the application.

Can KEFI make coffee under my own brand?

Yes. We develop the blend and roast level with you, then produce 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?

The classic Lao Mao 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 Kopi-C, 3-in-1 premix, drip coffee, roasted beans, tea and cocoa.

Where does KEFI supply, and how do I order?

We supply customers across Malaysia and export to Singapore and markets that require Halal certification. For retail packs, bulk supply or OEM production, message us on WhatsApp at +60 12-285 8218 or email hello@kefi.com.my.

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. Our team will get back to you with sample options.

WhatsApp +60 12-285 8218 Request samples