A Celebration of Shared Legacies: OldTown Heritage Centre Opens as Ipoh’s Newest Landmark

OldTown White Coffee, Malaysia’s largest halal-certified kopitiam chain, renowned for its signature white coffee and traditional Malaysian delicacies, celebrated the opening of its new Heritage Centre, located at the heart of Ipoh along Jalan Panglima, to a fanfare of arts and cultural showcases and an evening soiree to commemorate its Artists Heritage Collaboration Project.

Celebrations commenced in the evening where the brand also unveiled its inaugural Artists Heritage Collaboration Project, an initiative by OldTown White Coffee to elevate its Heritage Centre as a “living” heritage where artists are able to showcase any pieces of art that honour the sweet-smelling legacies of Ipoh white coffee.

Spread across three floors of the neo-colonial structure are an eco-driven Earthcare Cafe, the OIdTown Heritage Gallery, and a retail outlet that allow visitors to fully immerse themselves in the history and heritage of white coffee. The Earthcare Cafe will serve as the brand’s flagship farm-to-table dining concept, featuring a new menu that is distinct from the brand’s familiar kopitiam fare, with an emphasis on ethically and locally-sourced produce, such as free-range eggs from cageless chicken farms.

“The OldTown Heritage Centre is not just a place to enjoy great coffee and food. It’s a celebration of our shared history and values, as well as a platform for fostering community and environmental stewardship,” commented Dawn Liew, CEO of Kopitiam Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd.

“Its position along the historically significant Heritage Trail meant that we must respect the pre-existing traditions that shaped the area, and this is reflected in the Heritage Centre’s architecture and how we operate the place internally.”

As part of the brand’s cultural preservation efforts, it has elicited the help of various artists to spearhead its Artists Heritage Collaboration Project, most of whom were present for the opening, including:

1. Melinda Looi, celebrated fashion designer who was also chiefly responsible for creating the iconic brown coffee cups for OldTown White Coffee back in 2009, and has returned to create a limited edition, commemorative OldTown Heritage Tote Bag to mark the Heritage Centre’s opening.
2. Chuen Mun Wai, one of the last surviving traditional Chinese lantern makers in Malaysia who was specially commissioned to create five lanterns for the Heritage Centre, visible at the Ground Floor dining area.
3. Chin Choon Yau, a renowned mural artist from Ipoh who has painted over 300 walls that eulogises the cityscapes of yesteryear.
4. Lim Pui Wan, also known as “PicoWorm”, a miniature artist famed for creating exceedingly intricate and realistic dioramas that could fit the palm of a person.
5. Jeffrey Lim, a multi-talented photographer, cultural artist, and heritage enthusiast who contributed a vintage coffee brewing station, a collection of antique coffee cups, and a “Traditional Kopi Lineage” photo installation.
6. Azmi Hussin, a cartoonist celebrated for his quirky depictions of local life and the Malaysian record-holder for creating the country’s longest single comic strip, “Saga Kami”.

“The Artists Heritage Collaboration Project will be an ongoing initiative for OldTown Heritage Centre to support local artists and craftsmen, and we will continue to seek out potential talents to create new installations to enrich our gallery,” added Liew. “It’s our way of giving back to the community who have done so much to give shape and definition to our business over the years, and our Heritage Centre now stands as a beacon of ingenuity, celebrating the best of what Ipoh has to offer, beyond white coffee.”

The OldTown Heritage Centre opens in the midst of Visit Perak Year 2024, and is primed to cater a fresh influx of local and international tourists keen on enjoying what was recently announced as one of the world’s best coffees. With its unique approach to serve time-tested recipes and a history lesson, OldTown White Coffee’s latest flagship addition raises the bar on how heritage businesses are able to capitalise on their rich histories to serve an ever hungry audience with a palate for the past.

Also read: Ipoh White Coffee Secures 10th Place in the List of Top 39 Coffees in the World!