6 May 2021 | 32 mins

Episode 14: Spotlight on China – A land of vast scale and opportunity

On the podcast this week we are turning the spotlight to China and exploring how the traditionally tea-drinking country is rapidly growing into one of the most dynamic and opportune coffee markets in the world. From billion-dollar valuations for start-up coffee companies to a breathtaking number of new café openings, the Chinese coffee market is a machine you cannot ignore.

In this episode, we’ll be speaking with the COO of international coffee shop chain Costa Coffee, a two-time Chinese Barista Champion, and a local coffee machine distributor to better understand this burgeoning market and explore the breadth and scale of opportunities for coffee brands in China.

Shakir Moin, Chief Operating Officer of Costa Coffee, outlines the astounding speed at which the Chinese coffee market is developing and why he estimates China will soon be among Costa Coffee’s top three coffee markets globally.

Jeremy Zhang, a two-time Chinese barista champion and founder of a café and roastery M2M Coffee Roasters and UNiUNi Coffee, shares how the growth and innovation in China extend to even the most bespoke end of the specialty coffee market.

Gordon Chang, General Manager, La Marzocco China, provides an insight into China’s tea-drinking culture and the continued growth he sees for artisan coffee across the country.

Credits music: "Music Is There" by Daisy Chute, winner of the 2018 Coffee Music Project

Guests

Shakir Moin

Chief Operating Officer, Costa Coffee

Shakir Moin is the Chief Operating Officer of Costa Coffee since 2019, responsible for international expansion and growth of Costa Coffee. Prior to this, Moin served as Head of Global Growth Operations for The Coca-Cola Company and Chief Marketing Officer for Coca-Cola Greater China and South Korea.

Jeremy Zhang

Founder, M2M Coffee Roasters and UNiUNi Coffee

Jeremy Zhang has worked in the specialty coffee industry for over ten years and is a two-time Chinese Barista Champion and was the World Barista Championship semifinalst in 2017. Zhang is the founder of UNiUNi Coffee and M2M Coffee Roasters - a specialty coffee shop, coffee roaster and training school.

Gordon Chang

General Manager, La Marzocco China

Gordon Chang heads up La Marzocco’s business in China and is an expert on the coffee market in China having started his career in the industry almost 30 years ago. Chang helped build the illy brand in his home country Taiwan before joining as its distributor for the nascent China in the early 2000s.