Owner of DEERLAND TEA, Angie Chen, was selected for Food Innovation Camp 2022, being the only stall out of 80-plus stalls to display products Made in Taiwan. The event attracted 1,300 buyers from across Germany, local businesses and innovative youth.
DEERLAND TEA's owner Angie Chen was one of the first Overseas Community Affairs Council Global Young Entrepreneur Stars. She said she entered the selection for Food Innovation Camp because she wanted to obtain information related to local entrepreneurship of German youth and go through the local innovative business selection process in person. She realized that the owner of a startup is vital. To better introduce Taiwan's excellent tea industry, she cooperated with Overseas Compatriot Card specially-engaged business Teamate and a Taiwanese company that imports Fu Wan chocolate from Taiwan, UROCISSA, to jointly exhibit fine Taiwanese teas, handmade tea drinks and Fu Wan chocolate that is made in Taiwan from start to finish from local-sourced ingredients, cleverly showing that Taiwan has the skills to produce international (EU)standard products. She also pointed out that Taiwan is one of the few democratic and developed countries that produces tea, coffee and chocolate, three fine agricultural products. By participating, visitors to Food Innovation Camp were able to see and experience the tastes of Taiwan.
The owner of Teamate said that he insists on the highest quality for Taiwanese handmade tea drinks. As natural tea is very sensitive to water quality, with the precondition of not adding any chemicals and using local materials and equipment, he solved the problem of tea drink quality instability caused by German water quality.
Descendant of Taiwanese calligrapher Cheng Chin-fa, Dr. Kalie Martin Cheng, his sister and an African friend also had a stall for their company Plastic2Beans GmbH. He said that this startup intends to improve the problem of plastic material use in developing countries by using his expertise to increase the plastic recycling rate and thus reduce the burden on the earth. The recycled plastic container they have developed is sold together with coffee grown in Ethiopia; they are now sold in supermarkets in Cologne.
This year's was the fourth Food Innovation Camp. Every year, 80 innovative food companies are selected for participation. After the pandemic, this year more than 90 businesses were selected, more than ever before. Partners included large local companies and media such as REWE Nord, Chefs Culinar, The Social Chain AG, Bünting Group, Jung, Veganz, Katjes Greenfood, Green Generation Fund, Open Kitchen and Hamburger Morgenpost.
