Coffee Shop Owner Wins Gold Tea King Using Hand-Brew Method for Milk Tea
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Zhong Yupui, proprietor of Chart Coffee, has claimed the Hong Kong Gold Tea King crown by employing hand-drip coffee techniques to prepare traditional Hong Kong-style milk tea. The veteran tea brewer, with over a decade of experience, impressed judges with his innovative approach and secured 41.69 points—a margin of 0.46 points over the second-place finisher. Zhong will now advance to represent Hong Kong at the Greater Bay Area Gold Tea King Grand Final in Guangzhou on December 8.
Key Points
- Zhong Yupui, owner of Chart Coffee, won the Gold Tea King title with a score of 41.69 points, beating the runner-up by 0.46 points
- He applied hand-drip coffee brewing methods to prepare milk tea, leveraging his background as a coffee shop owner and former coffee brewing competition winner
- This was his second attempt at the competition; last year he reached the finals but did not place, using that experience to refine his tea recipe, technique, and temperature
- The preliminary round featured 24 contestants, with 8 advancing to the finals: Law Kai-yin, Tam Hoi-yan, Zhong Yupui, Choi King-wai, Chan Po-wa, Wong Yat-hin, Li Wai-chi, and Chan Sik-hang
- The December 8 Greater Bay Area finals will be held in Guangzhou, marking the 17th edition of the Gold Tea King competition
Why It Matters
Hong Kong-style milk tea was inscribed on the intangible cultural heritage list in 2017, and the industry currently supports approximately 10,000 food establishments citywide . Hong Kong Coffee Tea Association chairman Wong Ka-wai emphasized the need for innovation amid a 26.9% decline in Cantonese cuisine business compared to 2018, positioning this year's theme—"Heritage with Creativity, New Trends in Milk Tea"—as a call for the sector to evolve while preserving traditional craft .
Hong Kong-style milk tea was inscribed on the intangible cultural heritage list in 2017, and the industry currently supports approximately 10,000 food establishments citywide . Hong Kong Coffee Tea Association chairman Wong Ka-wai emphasized the need for innovation amid a 26.9% decline in Cantonese cuisine business compared to 2018, positioning this year's theme—"Heritage with Creativity, New Trends in Milk Tea"—as a call for the sector to evolve while preserving traditional craft .