“WE EMBRACE THE UNCONVENTIONAL TO FIND WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE HEALTHY LIVES”
“We believe everyone has their own challenges, and we’re at our greatest when we make our comeback.” It was certainly unconventional, a shock to the system even, when Herman Wong had to undergo heart surgery because of lifestyle and work-related stress & illness, and his full-on jet-setting life came to a grinding halt. This dramatic wake-up call for him to take better care of his body, and his journey of recovery led him and his siblings to start Beams Co. and form its unique approach to health and wellness.
“We want to simplify wellness and self-care by just starting each day with clean energy and a healthy mindset by drinking a cup of coffee. We believe the best way to look after your body should come from whole, natural, responsibly sourced ingredients.” The Wongs went back to learn from their ancestors’ history, selecting natural medicines in the form of functional mushrooms and developing coffee pods that are full of these plant-based superfoods for different functions: Cordyceps for increased energy, Lions Mane for mental clarity, Tremella to promote skin health and Reishi to help soothe stress and strengthen immunity.
“EACH COFFEE BLEND HAS ITS UNIQUE STORY WHICH WE PASS ON TO OUR CUSTOMERS”
“We work with some great coffee roasters and our decision to work with their organic and fairtrade coffee blends is the most direct way to contribute back to farmers and sustainable businesses.” The coffee beans used in their MIND and DECAF blend come from members of ASOPEP, a co-op of more than 120 micro-farms in the Tolima region of Colombia. Not only does this region produce coffee beans with some of the world’s highest cupping scores, but the association supports efforts for organic farming (100% certified), minimizing ecological damage to protect biodiversity and educating the next generation on sustainable coffee farming practices. The BEAUTY blend comprises different kinds of organic and fair trade beans from Colombia, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, and Honduras, which directly gives back to farmers in regions with dense rainforests, and provide them with a way out of deforestation to make a living.
“We are also committed to maximizing our biodegradable and compostable coffee pods.” Their coffee pods can be broken down to biomass, CO2 and water in an industrial composter in a matter of 12 weeks. The biggest barrier currently is reaching the minimum quantity for industrial composting: one truckload. They have plans in 2021 to unite with local organisations and the government to collect used compostable coffee pods and send their first truck for composting.
“TO KEEP ONE STEP AHEAD IN INNOVATION, THE KEY IS TO ANTICIPATE WHERE CUSTOMERS ARE MOVING TO.”
With the current restrictions on travel, Herman believes people are looking for products with unique experiences. “People are looking for certainty that their food is natural and organic, but also keeping it new and novel. We’ve seen huge popularity and success in retreats and cafes in wellness destinations such as Byron Bay in Australia.” The addition of Beams Co. products won’t add to their foodservice partners’ carbon footprint. “Our coffee is a good fit for (our partners’) green sustainability programme.”
Beams Co. have a few things up their sleeve for 2021, one of which is collaborative bundles, and are looking for partners to work with to develop delicious nutritional foods to pair with their coffee, such as snack and breakfast bundles that are convenient, affordable and healthy.
On top of launching a DECAF product for those looking for a non-caffeinated range, they are also working closely with their resident clinical nutritionist to provide free consultations for their customers to better understand their own nutrition, goals and plans. “We feel it’s important for people to build self-awareness and understand what is powering their body, health and mind. We would love to share and collaborate with other partners because I reckon we can really help people get clarity and enjoy food.”
“WE LOVE BEING IN A GROUP WITH A COMMON MISSION”
“We believe being part of Food Made Good HK helps keep us accountable and keep our standards high.” Beams Co. are keen to contribute to and collaborate with the Food Made Good community, and aim to be B-corp certified someday. “We are open to learning and sharing. We are always looking to better serve our customers and over-deliver on our promise to help them in customising their health and wellbeing.”
Head over to their website to find out more.
This interview was conducted on June 23rd 2021 when we were known as Food Made Good HK, prior to our rebranding to Future Green.
