Eat and drink local goodies that are Made With Passion

The season to eat, drink and make merry is here – and if you’re looking to buy local and support Singapore brands, one place to start is FairPrice Finest.

The local supermarket chain is a staunch champion of local goods and initiatives, with Made With Passion being one of them. Launched last year, Made With Passion is a national initiative by the Singapore Brand Office (SGBO) and the Singapore Tourism Board, supported by Enterprise Singapore, that showcases a curated collection of local lifestyle brands and celebrates the passion behind them.

Ms Dilys Boey, assistant CEO (Lifestyle & Consumer, Food and AgriTech) of Enterprise Singapore, shared: “The Made with Passion initiative aims to elevate our local brands, the stories of the people and their passion driving the brands. Besides acting as a gateway of discovery of our brands, the initiative also fosters partnerships between brands to create new and unique offerings with retailers committed to supporting brand owners gain stronger market visibility and channels to market.

"By working closely with local retailers like FairPrice and industry partners, we hope to shine a spotlight on Made With Passion products and drive demand for these exciting local lifestyle brands.”

Inspired by the success of the initiative, hundreds of brands from the beauty and wellness, fashion and accessories, homeware and decor, as well as packaged food and beverage industries applied to be recognised as being Made With Passion this year, with 64 brands selected after a decision-making process involving a panel of trade associations, industry thought leaders and government agencies.

In total, there are now 111 brands under Made With Passion.

Being Made With Passion is about being recognised for the hard work and passion that has gone into building a brand – an effort that translates into a range of great products. In true Singaporean spirit, Made With Passion brands are constantly searching for ways to make their products and services better, so that they can reach more people and showcase the best of Singapore here and beyond our shores.

LOCAL BRANDS AT A LOCAL SUPERMARKET

Mr Tng Ah Yiam, chief procurement officer of FairPrice Group, is more than familiar with Singaporean brands. The company veteran – who has clocked over 30 years in the business – has held senior positions at NTUC FairPrice, and possesses extensive experience in areas like purchasing, merchandising, trading and store operations.

According to Mr Tng, FairPrice is deeply committed to supporting local brands and businesses amid the challenges of an increasingly competitive landscape. “Riding on our physical network, we can help Made With Passion brands raise awareness for their products through our islandwide consumer touchpoints, and thus boost their business growth,” he said.

Several brands stocked at FairPrice Finest have been recognised with the Made With Passion mark. These include Gryphon Tea Co, Hook Coffee and The Golden Duck.

Gryphon Tea Co’s series of botanically cold brewed sparkling teas are made with a blend of tea leaves and fruit juices, with localised flavours like Pearl of the Orient with Lychee, Earl Grey Lavender with Strawberry, and Osmanthus Sencha with Passionfruit. Brewed for no less than 12 hours, the refreshing beverages contain no artificial sweeteners, colours or flavourings and are lightly sweetened only with fruit juices.

For those who prefer a bolder pick-me-up, Hook Coffee sources beans from the world’s best farms and roasts them with state-of-the-art roasters. At FairPrice Finest, customers can sample Hook Coffee’s Variety Pack of drip bags, while those who use coffee pod machines can have a taste with the Shotpods Taster. This Christmas, Hook Coffee has come up with an Advent Calendar containing 24 different sachets of drip coffees with notes ranging from gingerbread cookies to mulled wine. The calendar features festive artwork by students with disabilities and part of the proceeds will go to charity.

If you’re looking for a snack to complement the beverages, The Golden Duck would be a logical choice. Launched in 2015, the brand offers handcrafted gourmet snacks featuring beloved Asian flavours, such as Salted Egg Yolk Fish Skin, Chili Crab Seaweed Tempura, Salted Egg Yolk Potato Ridges and Sichuan Mala Hot Pot Fragrant Mix.

The brand’s chefs pride themselves on their exacting standards, taking care for example to ensure that their Salted Egg Crab Seaweed Tempura contains real crab meat, while their Bangkok Tom Yum Goong Gourmet Mix was developed via a team-up with Bangkok-based Blue Elephant Royal Thai Cuisine for authenticity as well as maximum crunch and umami.

CHAMPIONING PRODUCTS MADE WITH PASSION

During the festive season, when you’re shopping for presents and treats for others, the Made With Passion mark also highlights a good way to support local while giving crowd-pleasing gifts.

Mr Tng added that Singaporeans are increasingly aware of the benefits of buying local, such as the assurance of great products – which is now even easier to look out for, with the help of the Made With Passion mark.

To further highlight Made With Passion Brands, all 29 FairPrice Finest outlets islandwide will feature Made With Passion-branded gondola ends (displays at the foot of each shelving unit in an aisle) from Dec 3 to Dec 31, making it easy for customers to pick up the products while shopping. There is also a FairPrice Finest Christmas Catalogue highlighting selected Made With Passion brands – just in time for festive gifting.

“We work with Made With Passion brands to showcase their products in dedicated and dressed up spaces at our FairPrice Finest stores for increased product visibility and engagement with our shoppers,” said Mr Tng. “As a Made with Passion partner, we aim to provide a springboard for local brands to grow their businesses by engaging our broad customer base with their quality offerings.”

Customers have so far responded positively, with Mr Tng noting that demand for local brands has held steady even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

FairPrice Finest is eager to continue championing Made With Passion brands. Said Mr Tng: “Over the years, we have seen growing appetite and appreciation among our customers for local brands. We hope that more Singaporeans can join us in our efforts to support homegrown brands as they find their foothold in the marketplace, both here and abroad.”

Discover Made With Passion brands online or on social media (@madewithpassionsg) and be inspired by their stories.