KUALA LUMPUR/SINGAPORE: Berjaya Corp Bhd (BCorp) wholly-owned entity Country Farms Group and Singapore’s food tech start-up Growthwell Foods today announced a distribution partnership, which will grant Country Farms Group’s CountryFarm Organics Sdn Bhd exclusive rights to Growthwell Foods’ HAPPIEE!™ plant-based product portfolio, driving the launch of the brand across retailers and foodservice channels across Malaysia.
HAPPIEE!™ plant-based food products will be available at selected AEON supermarket outlets in Peninsular Malaysia by the end of June 2022. The brand will also partner with restaurants and eateries within the region to roll out special dishes made from HAPPIEE!™ plant-based food products later this year. Through the partnership with Country Farms Group, Growthwell Foods aims to introduce the HAPPIEE!™ plant-based food to more restaurants and eateries across Malaysia by the end of 2022.
Country Farms group managing director and CEO Louis Kho said with more Malaysians choosing to adopt veganism, vegetarianism, or flexitarian diets due to a growing desire to improve their health and wellbeing, demand for plant-based alternatives in food and beverage continues to rise.
“HAPPIEE!™ plant-based food is well positioned to meet the needs of consumers, demonstrating that highly nutritious plant-based food can be readily available and enjoyed from the comfort of their own homes,“ Kho said in a statement this morning.
Growthwell Foods group CEO Manuel Bossi said Malaysians are becoming more interested in exploring plant-based alternatives due to health and/or environmental reasons. This is an opportunity for Growthwell Foods to make plant-based nutrition more accessible to support the pursuit of a more sustainable lifestyle.
“Country Farms Group’s impressive distribution network and experience in plant-based and organic products, made them the ideal partner for Growthwell Foods to enter the Malaysian market,” he added.
Created by Growthwell Foods Innovation and R&D Manufacturing Centre, HAPPIEE!™ plant-based food enables consumers to easily adopt plant-based options by providing sustainable and highly nutritious plant-based alternatives to seafood and chicken, without compromising on taste.
The brand features a seafood line made from Konjac; an ingredient naturally free from cholesterol, high in fiber, and low in calories that will also lower blood sugar levels and reduce cholesterol levels, and a range of soy-based chicken that emulates the taste and texture typical of chicken meat.
With the versatility to be incorporated into any cuisine and developed to be enjoyed anywhere, HAPPIEE!™ plant-based food is catered for both consumers and chefs, complementing any restaurant or home dining experience for all Malaysians.
Beyond its availability in retail supermarkets, HAPPIEE!™ plant-based food will also be made available for food services distribution in Malaysia from the third quarter of 2022 onwards.
