Charity Cheung

Few would choose the Sudan Rume as their preferred coffee bean, but Charity Cheung is not like most people. Having traveled far and wide in pursuit of knowledge, exposure, and coffee, Charity embodies the Sudan Rume as a variety that comes alive through fermentation and experimentation—the “we’ll never know if we don’t try” spirit. This is Charity Cheung’s coffee story.

A two-time French Brewer’s Cup and one-time Coffee and Good Spirits French champion, Charity is also known for co-owning Moklair Coffee, a roastery in the picturesque Champagne region of France. Despite only being in the coffee industry for about four years, she is already turning heads with her drive and passion.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Charity defies categorization, wearing many hats: vegetarian, mixologist, barista, competitor, travel enthusiast, and even a boxer for fun. Yet, one common thread ties them all—she’s a people person.

 

“I wanted to have a career that was people-based, and that’s the thing I love about coffee. Yes, there’s the product, but it’s also a great community of super passionate people.”

 

This passion for people led her to study public policy, seeing it as a bridge between politics and other industries only for her to find out that she’d rather be doing something else—coffee. Initially just a passion project, her love for the coffee community grew as she spent more time in it—and the community’s love for her grew too.

Community to her is anyone “crazy” about coffee—those who care about its taste, its origins, the process, and the people behind it. As long as you’re a respecter of coffee and its lifecycle, Charity sees you as a member of the coffee community.

“You don’t have to be a coffee expert or coffee geek to be in the community; you can be a regular client or a barista or coffee professional.”

The strength of the coffee community became clear to Charity during her first competition, the Brewer’s Cup in Melbourne 2022. She got guidance from her coach, Kemal from Archers, UAE, who has been instrumental in her journey. Although she placed third in open service and struggled in the compulsory round, she was encouraged to return and keep competing.

Her ten minutes on stage were transformative. In that brief time, the coffee world felt her passion, and it resonated deeply. Everything she shared mattered—a feeling she still cherishes. She left the competition not just with new experiences but with countless new opportunities for herself and her roastery. Her passion for coffee now reaches audiences far beyond France, to all over the world.

“When we started competitions, so many doors opened, and we got to meet people from all around the world who were just as crazy as us.”

Returning to compete in Chicago 2024, Charity had a completely different aura. With the experience from Melbourne in her armory, she knew she was better prepared this time. Her victory was a testament to her growth mindset.

“When you make it to the finals and you don’t win, you’re thinking, ‘Since you made it to the finals, you could also try again, and maybe one day you’ll win.’ So it gave me that feeling of, ‘Maybe I’ll go again.’”

Competing in Coffee and Good Spirits was an entirely different challenge for Charity, as she notes that coffee competitions and bartending are vastly different. Her curiosity about cocktail mixing sparked her interest, and her experience in Copenhagen 2024 made her rethink the creative boundaries within coffee competitions.

The bartending approach in Coffee and Good Spirits demands a higher level of creativity than typical coffee competitions. The strict requirements often overshadow the creativity a competitor brings to the drink, which is why the scoresheets differ a lot.

Ultimately, Charity still dreams of winning the World Brewer’s Cup, and she’s already taking steps toward that goal, even if it means traveling the world.

After spending significant time in Singapore, Charity visited the Netherlands before settling in France’s Champagne region about seven years ago and frequently visiting Paris. Her extensive travels have led her to believe that China will be the next coffee powerhouse after Australia. During her most recent visit to Shanghai, Charity noticed China’s expanding coffee scene, where coffee shops are organized by different tastes and styles. People are increasingly willing to pay more for quality coffee, as they appreciate its life cycle and the effort behind it. She’s also observed a rise in the Asian coffee market, with countries like Thailand becoming hot spots for coffee entrepreneurs.

Her love for travel and meeting people has shaped her understanding of herself and the coffee world. Whether it’s wine tasting, boxing, or niche perfumery, Charity is drawn to activities that engage her senses and make them feel alive.

One of her most impactful journeys was visiting a coffee plantation in Brazil. Charity got to “walk the walk,” picking her own cherries, roasting them, and brewing her own coffee. It was a hands-on experience that deepened her understanding of the challenges faced by coffee farmers.

“Before visiting the farm, I did not know what it all looked like. It was insane seeing the amount of hard work behind a cup of coffee. For instance, in my competition script, I always say, ‘Fully ripe coffee cherries are handpicked.’ This sounds easy [to say], but picking ripe cherries by hand is also a lot of work.”

Charity brings all her travel and competition experience to Moklair Coffee. Starting a business as a foreigner in France was challenging, but Charity and her co-founder have persevered, finding creative solutions to every problem—even down to choosing their business name.

“We used my business partner’s mother’s maiden name because it sounded French and was easy to pronounce across all languages. There are a lot of French brands that are difficult to pronounce.”

Getting the business off the ground was slow, with cultural biases and language barriers posing significant challenges. But after her competition winnings, Moklair Coffee gained more recognition. Having a French name also helped, as it made local customers more willing to support the brand.

Despite the hurdles, Charity is committed to staying in the coffee industry—whether it’s competing or running Moklair Coffee Roasters from a plane to a new country. Her journey has been filled with ups and downs, but one thing she knows for sure is to never give up.

“Believe in yourself. If you’re doing what you love, what you care about, and what you think represents you as a brand. It’s only a matter of time.”