Not many people are aware of the historical link between early Tamil Hindu settlers in Sarawak and the Brookes. The Second Rajah, Charles Brooke brought the first coffee to Sarawak in 1866. He recruited Tamil Hindu workers from India and Sri Lanka to grow both tea and coffee on the Government's experimental plantation which was the earliest known coffee plantation in Malaysia.
It is always a fitting time at this Festival of Lights to remember the pioneering efforts of those early Hindu settlers. Fast forward to today and these efforts have been commemorated in a special Brooke Blend with coffee beans planted in Sarawak. The Brooke Blend is a collaboration between the Brooke Trust and the Earthlings Coffee Workshop, the first specialty coffee shop in Sarawak.
The Brooke Blend is available for purchase at the Brooke Museums gift shops. For overseas residents who are both coffee aficionados and Friends of the Trust, please email brookegallery@brooketrust.org if you are interested in trying out this special historic blend!
