The Brand Story of CCCLAY: A Journey of Innovation and Heritage
In 2022, the CCCLAY brand was officially established in Jingdezhen, a Chinese city known as the "Porcelain Capital" with a history of thousands of years. It is less of a ceramic brand and more of a cultural brand co-created by a group of specialty coffee enthusiasts who have a deep respect for Chinese ceramic culture and possess contemporary aesthetic sensibilities.
In 1974, Erna Knutsen published an article titled "Coffee and Tea" and first introduced the concept of Specialty Coffee. In the decades that followed, this concept quickly gained widespread acceptance. Nowadays, it has become a synonym for those top-notch, excellent coffees that respect the attributes of the origin and have a transparent production process. These coffees account for only 1% of the total global coffee consumption. The prices of these coffees have been increasing year by year, and they are becoming increasingly popular among people who seek an immersive experience. This process is inseparable from people's pursuit of the value of scarcity in the essence of beverages and the deepening of the sensory experience.
The brand's founder, Clay, hails from Shanghai, China. Shanghai is a global hotbed for the latest and most vibrant trends in the specialty coffee scene, a booming new consumer hub. For the first decade of his career, he worked in international air logistics at one of China's top aviation transportation groups. This experience gave him a sharp international outlook and a knack for sizing up markets. But his real passion was specialty coffee, and he was determined to up his coffee game. In 2018, even though he was just an enthusiastic amateur at the time, he stunned everyone by taking second place in a major world coffee competition. That's an elite honor in the specialty coffee world, and very few Chinese coffee pros have managed it.
Inspired by his deep understanding of how people enjoy coffee and his eagerness to innovate, Clay founded CCCLAY. The brand is rooted in Jingdezhen, known as China's Porcelain Capital for thousands of years. Jingdezhen's long - standing traditions and master artisans provide the perfect backdrop for CCCLAY to blend age - old craftsmanship with modern innovation in both technology and design.
Respecting and reviving traditional culture is in its DNA, but that's definitely not the be - all and end - all of the brand's growth. Right from the start, it's all about the sensory experience, crafted specifically for folks with a super - sensitive sense of taste. It really zeroes in on connecting people. In the three years since it was founded, it's teamed up with over 80 players in the specialty coffee industry, specialty coffee shops, and lifestyle aesthetics brands both here in the US and abroad to co - create products and launch joint - brand releases. Plus, it's been the go - to choice for coffee competition gear by at least 100 specialty coffee competition contestants from all over the world.
Before the emergence of CCCLAY, most coffee cups were merely blunt imitations and unthinking replications of foreign brands. They lacked originality in both their shapes and styles. Since the establishment of the CCC brand, Chinese local ceramic brands that cater to the specialty coffee drinking experience have begun to emphasize aesthetics and the sense of experience in the design of coffee cups. Imitative designs of CCC's creations have started to gain popularity in the market. Paying tribute to Chinese ceramic culture, and with the continuous exploration and efforts of a group of specialty coffee professionals in pursuit of the sensory experience, the CCC coffee tasting cups, with an aesthetic that harmoniously integrates Eastern and Western cultures, are stepping into the expansive global market.