The three-day “Barra Slow Festival” concluded last night, and Macau Central and Southern Districts Industrial and Commercial Federation Chairman Lei Cheok Kuan stressed at Friday’s opening ceremony that the event was focused on rediscovering Macau’s unique urban rhythm.
According to a statement released during the opening ceremony, based on the concept of “Chill Out, Live Loud”, the festival integrated contemporary popular cultural aspects with the aim of creating a curated holiday leisure experience.
The festival was held at the No.1 and No.2 Navy Yard and Outdoor Plaza in Barra (“Harbour Entrance”) district, organised by the federation.
Lei said that the festival brought together 135 booths, featuring diverse content such as a coffee market, an art and design exhibition, thematic lectures, and workshops. The festival gathered participants from Macau, other cities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and from outside Macau, namely China’s Taiwan region and over a dozen foreign countries, including Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the UK and the US, Lei said.
Through the integration of community resources and cross-district collaboration, according to Lei, the festival aimed to rediscover Macau’s unique urban rhythm, promote its cultural heritage and economic innovation, striving to create new community experiences that blend creativity with the aesthetics of slow living.
Kyosuke Hikage, founder of Japan’s Hikage Coffee, told the Post on Friday that the brand’s core philosophy is to integrate the poetic essence of Japan’s “four seasons” and “seasonal words” into its roasting process.
Each coffee corresponds to a specific seasonal flavour and narrative, creating a unique Japanese aesthetic experience, Hikage said. The brand also explores various fermentation techniques and adjusts flavours every day, based on customer feedback, he said.
The founder of Japan’s Coffee Session, who preferred not to be named, told the Post on Friday that she gained deep exposure to Thai coffee-growing regions while studying in Thailand and now focuses on importing and roasting high-quality Thai single-origin specialty coffees. She said that she hopes to introduce Macau consumers to the clean, elegant, and herbally-nuanced profile that defines Thai coffee.
On Friday, the founder of 3345MACAU, who identified herself as Olivia, told the Post, that her brand is a vinyl-record-themed café specialising in creative specialty coffee. She also said that her brand focuses on woody flavour profiles and presents two popular options for autumn and winter, such as a woody-scented “autumn” coffee centred around the aroma of geranium and sandalwood, and a creative “winter” beverage inspired by Irish coffee, combining whiskey, cinnamon, and hazelnut low-temperature slow-cooked spirits, showcasing rich layers of both cold and hot flavour transitions.
The founders of Japan’s Days Coffee Roasters, Daisuke and Shirai, told the Post that their brand specialises in sourcing specialty coffee beans processed with innovative methods. They also said on Friday that for the festival, they are proudly featuring a selection of distinctive products, including the very beans used in their award-winning competition of International Roasting.
“Through exceptional flavours and a dedication to masterful roasting, we aim to offer Macau consumers a coffee experience that breaks new ground,” they said.
“Coffee flavours are as diverse and vibrant as colours,” said Yudai, the founder of Koloro Coffee, on Friday. He told the Post that his brand was based in the countryside of Japan. He said that his brand aimed to use the opportunity of taking part in the festival to gauge Macau consumers’ response to their coffee and “test the waters” in overseas markets. He also said he hopes to share the distinct taste of Nagano’s specialty coffee with a broader international audience.
Coffee aficionados flock to the Barra Slow Festival on Friday, its opening day, in the Outdoor Plaza in Barra.
Koloro Coffee owner Yudai and his partner pose at his booth on Friday.
Macau Central and Southern Districts Industrial and Commercial Federation Chairman Lei Cheok Kuan speaks to reporters at No.1 Navy Yard in Barra district on Friday. – Photos: Armindo Neves
