Introduction:The classic mulberry fruit tea "Pitch Black" from Chagee has made a comeback this year in an upgraded version, alongside the launch of a new product, "Triple Berry · Goodnight Cup," emphasizing freshness with hand-peeled ingredients and same-day juicing. While consumers rave about the juicy burst of fruit, kitchen staff face increasingly tedious preparation processes. This article takes an in-depth look at the changes in production procedures and shares the real voices of frontline employees, offering a behind-the-scenes look at these seasonal limited-time drinks.
The classic mulberry fruit tea "Pitch Black" from Chagee has returned to the market in an upgraded form amid the high expectations of many customers, with the simultaneous release of a brand-new flavor, "Triple Berry · Goodnight Cup." Official sources emphasize that the updated version maintains fresh hand-peeling and same-day juicing, with even more pronounced juiciness of the fruit pulp, quickly earning praise in the market. However, this upgrade has become a heavy burden for store kitchen staff.
According to feedback from several employees, previously used frozen mulberries only needed to be thawed in advance, then mixed with other fruits in fixed proportions, and finally shaken in a machine to complete the process — a simple and efficient workflow. But this year, with the full switch to fresh mulberries, the preparation steps have increased significantly. From destemming and mashing to juicing, each cup requires manual handling, not only time-consuming but also noticeably increasing labor intensity.
Labor-intensive hand-peeling and juicing procedures
According to official descriptions, the upgraded "Pitch Black" retains the original formula, but adjustments have been made in raw material processing. To preserve the rich texture brought by large pieces of fruit pulp, each drink requires hand-peeling mulberries to remove stems, strawberries to be mashed on-site, and mulberry juice must be freshly squeezed on the same day. Although this "freshness-first" approach is well received by consumers, it has kitchen staff up in arms.
One early-shift employee revealed that fresh mulberry pulp is delicate and must be deseeded and prepared one berry at a time; another batch of mulberries needs to be blended with pineapple into a puree, which is then forcefully squeezed through a filter cloth to extract the rich mulberry juice.
He further explained that mulberry pomace is extremely fine, making it very difficult to squeeze juice out once poured into filter bags, with overall efficiency far lower than other fruits. It is estimated that "the juice yield of 5 servings of wheat juice is roughly equal to that of 2 servings of strawberry juice, while the juice yield of 1 serving of mulberry juice is only half that of 1 serving of strawberry juice." Even after painstakingly squeezing out a bucket of mulberry juice, it is often used up after just a few drinks, putting immense pressure on preparation.
Complicated production process, time-consuming and laborious
In addition to preparation, the overall production process of the upgraded "Pitch Black" and the new "Triple Berry · Goodnight Cup" is also much more complex than previous versions. Employees report that each drink requires at least several additional steps, not only taking more time but also adding to their workload.
One employee bluntly stated that although the R&D team emphasizes freshness and taste, these "selling points" ultimately fall on kitchen manpower, leading some to question the rationale behind the R&D decisions. Some staff even joked: "Stressing freshness is a bit too hard on people," "Peeling mulberries at Chagee until you’re going crazy," and "Prepping ingredients is driving us nuts, thanks to R&D."
Social media complaints abound, employee voices resonate
Since the mulberry series launched, aside from flavor discussions, social platforms have been flooded with authentic feedback from kitchen staff. Many employees say the upgraded preparation process leaves them "peeling until they’re going crazy" or "prepping until they’re exhausted," with some lamenting, "They really make us squeeze everything — the R&D team isn’t making this easy for us."
While consumers enjoy the juicy burst of fruit, for frontline staff, the tedious procedures behind these seasonal limited-time drinks undoubtedly add work pressure. Fortunately, the mulberry series is a seasonal product, and staff can only hope it is taken off the menu soon, returning to their usual preparation routines.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
