New Generation of Milk Tea Masters Contribute to the Community with Their Milk Tea Making Skills

A cross-sector collaborationto organise the New Generation Milk Tea Master Training Programme, aiming to preserve one of the Hong Kong's most important cultural heritages, provide trainees with practical experience in cha chaan tengs, and broaden student's career horizon by training them to become junior milk tea masters

HONG KONG, CHINA - Media OutReach -16 November 2018 - FrieslandCampina (Hong Kong) Limited ("FCHK") and its brand BLACK & WHITE® have been spearheading the development of Hong Kong-style milk tea drinking culture for nearly 80 years. With its brand BLACK & WHITE® , the most used evaporated milk brand of nearly 80% of cha chaan tengs in Hong Kong[1], FCHK recognises the importance of Hong Kong-style milk tea to the city's cultural identity. As such, the company has partnered with five NGOs, three cha chaan teng partners (local tea shops in Hong Kong) and a chef management school to organise the third instalment of New Generation Milk Tea Master Training Programme ("the Programme")in a bid to promote and preservethe craftsmanship of making Hong Kong-style milk tea.^[1]

Master Donald Tse, experienced milk tea master and the coach of the New Generation Milk Tea Master Training Programme, supervised the trainees practising using BLACK & WHITE® evaporated milk to bring the fragrance, smoothness, aroma and thickness to Hong Kong-style milk tea.

Hong Kong-style milk tea making technique was recognised in The First Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory of Hong Kong in 2014. Its significance in local food culture was further recognised in August 2017, when the technique was chosen to be part of The Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hong Kong from a list of 480 items. However, cha chaan tengs are facing a shortage of skilled workers as many senior milk tea masters have been retiring in recent years. To prevent the technique from dying out and bring new bloods to the cha chaan teng industry, FCHK has launched the Programme since 2016 through a cross-sector collaboration with NGOs and food services customers.

35-hour vocational training on cha chaan teng fundamental bartending skills

75 percent of trainees were granted a one-month internship opportunity

The Programme recruited nearly 30 trainees from five NGOs, including the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions Training Centre, the Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Service -- Hong Kong ("ELCSS-HK"), Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service, Hong Kong Women Development Association and the Urban Peacemaker Evangelistic Fellowship. Under the support of ELCHK, Grace Training and Development Centre and Star Chef Management School, the trainees completed 35 hours of cha chaan teng fundamental bartending skills, in which they could not only understand the operations of a cha chaan teng, bartending and food safety, but also learn how to make Hong Kong-style milk tea, cha chaan teng classic and special drinks, and local snacks. FCHK also invited Tai Hing Catering Group, Christy Café and Swiss Café as the internship partners. Trainees, who completed the course, a final evaluation and interview with good results, would then receive a one-month internship opportunity (around 150 hours) at designated cha chaan tengs from these partners to gain practical experience and get ready to work in the industry. This year, the internship opportunities were granted to 75 percent of the trainees and they have gradually started their internships in respective cha chaan tengs. As such, in addition to invigorating the cha chaan teng industry, the Programme has the added benefit of helping trainees to re-enter the workforce. To date, FCHK has trained nearly 150 professional Hong Kong-style milk tea masters.

Mr. Peter Lo, an alumni of New Generation Milk Tea Master Training Programme 2017, shared that this is a life-changing experience. "I worked as an office clerk for 16 years, but have always been fascinated by the cha chaan teng industry and had a dream to work there. This Programme allowed me to fulfil my dream, giving me a valuable opportunity to learn how cha chaan tengs operate and Hong Kong-style milk tea making techniques. I am honoured to participate in such professional training programme, which enables me to start a new chapter of my career. I have been working in the cha chaan teng industry for a year now."

Extended to the career mentorship programme for secondary school students

Junior milk tea masters will battle it out in the charity sales competition

To pass on the Hong Kong-style milk tea culture and craftsmanship to the next generation, FCHK has also extended the Programme to secondary schools and recruited twenty Form 4 to Form 5 students from S.K.H. St. Simon's Lui Ming Choi Secondary School through the Career Mentorship Programme organised by ELCHK, Youth Career Development Service. Students have become junior milk tea masters, after being trained on Hong Kong-style milk tea making techniques and learnt about entrepreneurship with Mr. Eddie Pang from Christy Café. They will be divided into two groups to battle for the charity sales at the upcoming BLACK & WHITE® Hong Kong Milk Tea Day pop-up store, BLACK & WHITE® Milkteafé (黑白®奶茶體驗館), from 17^th to 18^th November. Through participating in this programme, students can enrich their life experience and have the opportunity to explore their interests, capabilities and aspirations for their future career developments.

The sixth Hong Kong-style milk tea day with the first everBLACK & WHITE® Milkteafé             

To celebrate thecultural heritage of Hong Kong-style milk tea and its making technique, BLACK & WHITE® will kick-start the sixth annual Hong Kong Milk Tea Day in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, from16^th November to 25^th November with an all new feature -- a BLACK & WHITE® Milkteafé. This 10-days pop-up store is dedicated to appeal to locals and tourists alike where they can experience the unique Hong Kong-style milk tea drinking culture and craftsmanship through multiple activities including brand new AR interactive digital zone, BLACK & WHITE® combo setcharity sales and free Hong Kong-style milk tea demonstration and tasting classes.

All proceeds made from the BLACK & WHITE® combo setcharity sales in BLACK & WHITE® Milkteaféwill be donated to ELCSS-HK for elderly service development, while proceeds made by students at the battle on 17^th to 18^th November will be donated on behalf of their school, in honour of the Elderly Day on 18^th November, as well as to acknowledge elderly's contributions to the society.

Ms. Helena He, Managing Director of FrieslandCampina (Hong Kong) said, "BLACK & WHITE® evaporated milk is the only evaporated milk available in the Hong Kong market that is 100 per cent made from fresh milk from the Netherlands. It has been bringing the fragrance, smoothness, aroma and thickness of the Hong Kong-style milk tea since the 1940s. As the true companion of Hong Kong-style milk tea, FCHK and its brand BLACK & WHITE®are devoted to promoting this unique milk tea drinking culture and craftsmanship."

She further explained, "Through this cross-sector collaboration, the New Generation Milk Tea Master Training Programme hopes to champion the rebirth of Hong Kong milk tea traditions and reignite conversations about the importance of Hong Kong-style milk tea as its craftsmanship is a true art that can only be found in Hong Kong. With the support of NGOs and food service customers, we are honoured to provide free trainings to the trainees and students so that this intangible cultural heritage can be passed on to our next generation and for more generations to come."

BLACK & WHITE®

Owned by FrieslandCampina and originating from the Netherlands, BLACK & WHITE® entered the Hong Kong market in 1940 with its BLACK & WHITE® evaporated milk product and has since then grown with Hong Kong people, spearheading the unique Hong Kong-style milk tea culture. BLACK & WHITE® evaporated milk has always been a favourite with both Hongkongers and local tea shops alike, with many local tea shops choosing the hundred per cent Netherlands produced BLACK & WHITE® evaporated milk for Hong Kong-style milk tea making. BLACK & WHITE® evaporated milk is produced with fresh milk in the Netherlands and is full of natural milk aroma and nutrients. The aromatic, smooth and rich BLACK & WHITE® evaporated milk lingers around the tea cup to add a delicate fullness, creating the fragrant thickness of traditional Hong Kong-style milk tea. BLACK & WHITE® symbolises and represents both Hong Kong-style milk tea culture and the collective memories of Hong Kong people.

FrieslandCampina Hong Kong -- nourishing the lives of Hong Kong people across all ages

FrieslandCampina (Hong Kong) Limited (FCHK), a subsidiary of Royal FrieslandCampina, has maintained a long presence in Hong Kong since 1938. Building on FrieslandCampina's over 140 years of Dutch dairy heritage and expertise, the 'from-grass-to-glass' stringent global supply chain and constant innovation unlocks the nutritional potential of milk. FCHK has been leading the development of the dairy industry in Hong Kong, nourishing the lives of Hong Kong people across all ages with its full range of high quality and nutritious dairy products, including FRISO® pregnancy, infant and toddler milk formula, DUTCH LADY® dairy based beverages, BLACK & WHITE®, LONGEVITY® dairy products and OPTIMEL® adult nutrition formula for consumers. The company also serves customers and food service business partners through a wide network in both retail and business channels in Hong Kong and Macau.

FCHK believes that healthy community is the foundation of successful and sustainable society development, hence, is committed to give back by leveraging its dairy and nutrition expertise and product portfolio. In order to make a contribution to provide better nutrition for the community, FCHK advocates 'Drink & Move, Building Strong Families Together' and celebrates the Hong Kong World Milk Day annually to promote balanced nutrition, sufficient dairy intake and regular exercise to local children and families. Meanwhile, FCHK and its brand BLACK & WHITE® have been leading the development of the Hong Kong-style milk tea for over 75 years; and are committed to promoting and preserving the Hong Kong-style milk tea making technique, an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hong Kong. FCHK also formed a cross-sector public-private partnership with social service organisations and renowned chained restaurant groups to host the 'New Generation Milk Tea Master Training Programme' to empower the unemployed. As Hong Kong people's partner in health, FCHK supports local food banks and charity groups and provides food assistance to people in need. In 2018, FCHK served over 28,000 beneficiaries with an aggregate value of over HKD1.4 million to the community.

Royal FrieslandCampina -- nourishing by nature

Every day, FrieslandCampina provides millions of consumers from all over the world with food that is rich in valuable nutrients from milk. FrieslandCampina is one of the world's largest dairy companies that produces and sells consumer products such as dairy-based beverages, infant and toddler nutrition, cheese and desserts, as well as providing products like cream and butter to bakery and catering customers and supplying ingredients and semi-finished products to manufacturers of infant nutrition, the food industry and the pharmaceutical sector around the world. The company is fully owned by the cooperative Zuivelcoöperatie FrieslandCampina U.A, which is jointly formed by 19,000 member dairy farmers in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. FrieslandCampina has offices in 34 countries and employs a total of over 23,000 people.

Providing the growing world population with the right nutrients in a sustainable way is one of the critical challenges for the coming decades. By offering trustworthy and nourishing dairy products, FrieslandCampina contributes to food and nutrient security. FrieslandCampina's purpose -- nourishing by nature -- stands for better nutrition for the world's consumers and a good living for our farmers, now and for generations to come. For more information please visit: www.frieslandcampina.com^[2].

References

1. ^{^} Media OutReach (www.media-outreach.com)
2. ^{^} www.frieslandcampina.com (www.frieslandcampina.com)