Tenom's Yit Foh Coffee Sustains A Proud Legacy

By Muhammad Saufee Rosman

TENOM, Nov 20 (Bernama) -- Amid clouds of aromatic roasting coffee beans stands Yit Foh Coffee Factory Sdn Bhd, a pioneer that has witnessed Tenom’s coffee industry grow for more than six decades.

The producer of the Yit Foh Coffee brand shows how a preserved and strengthened heritage can become both a local pride and a significant economic driver for the interior region.

For director Alex Yong, the legacy left by his father, founder Yong Loong Vun, is more than a family business; it is a heritage to be safeguarded since the factory was established in 1960.

“Building a business from scratch is easier than taking over its management, especially as the world changes. But we try to stay relevant by diversifying our products and adapting to trends because we’re ready for a new wave of transformation,” he told Bernama recently.

Located about 150 kilometres from Kota Kinabalu, Tenom’s oldest coffee factory continues to spread the scent of freshly roasted beans throughout Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia, and even attracts enthusiasts from abroad, including Brunei and China.

Yong said the brand’s uniqueness lies in its traditional roasting method, which produces a richer, stronger flavour with a captivating aroma, a hallmark that keeps both local and international customers loyal.

He said Yit Foh uses Robusta beans, well-suited to Tenom’s terrain and lower cultivation costs, yet capable of delivering the bold taste loved by coffee fans.

The factory now produces around 30 products, including traditional ground coffee popular among older consumers, rural communities and European and Chinese tourists who prefer brewing their own cup.

To appeal to younger drinkers, Yit Foh has introduced modern variants such as Matcha Latte and a Velesa coffee line aimed at easing entry into international markets.

“We’ve also opened two Yit Foh Kopitiam outlets in Kota Kinabalu this year. Our goal is to expand across Sabah first before moving into the peninsula,” Yong said.

Yong noted that visitors, particularly from China, now arrive almost every week to tour the factory, holiday at the Yit Foh Coffee Factory and Park, and buy products as gifts, helping boost the local economy.

Behind the brand’s success, many small-scale coffee bean growers rely on Yit Foh as a central collection point for their harvests, improving income for Tenom’s coffee farmers.

As such, Yong hopes for stronger support from both the Sabah and federal governments in the form of funding, training and skills development to elevate the Tenom coffee industry.

“If coffee bean production can be strengthened, the district’s economy will grow and we can continue driving Tenom’s coffee development,” he added.

Under the Tenom parliamentary constituency, there are the Kemabong and Melalap state seats, which are contested in this year’s Sabah Election.

The Election Commission has set Nov 29 for polling and Nov 25 for early voting.

-- BERNAMA