What do a forgotten pot of overcooked shellfish and a mission to cure nutrient deficiency have in common? They both birthed some of Hong Kong’s most beloved packaged food empires. From rich peanut wafers to mochi-coated ice cream, many of the city’s grocery shop brands have surprising years of heritage.
Here are five Hong Kong brands that have been stocking the city’s cupboards and fridges for decades.
Lee Kum Kee
In 1888, in a coastal town in China’s southern Guangdong province, Lee Kum-sheung lit a fire to cook oysters as normal. When he accidentally let the broth simmer for too long, a viscous, oily paste coagulated at the bottom of his pot.
This was the birth of oyster sauce, now a dinner-table necessity in many Asian households.
Following his discovery, Lee began selling the umami sauce as a high-end condiment, eventually moving to Macau – then a flourishing trade hub – in 1902.
As demand for international trade increased, the business shifted operations to Hong Kong in 1932.
Today, Lee Kum Kee’s 300 varieties of sauces and seasonings serve as affordable, everyday flavour enhancers in Hong Kong and beyond.
The Garden Company
Upon noticing the growing appeal of European-style pastries in Hong Kong, Garden was founded in 1926 by two cousins as a small bakery in Sham Shui Po. It had a simple mission: “may the Chinese eat better”.
The name, “Garden”, was inspired by the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, where the pair would spend their night breaks discussing business ideas.
After a fire destroyed their three-storey factory, Garden’s production relocated to Castle Peak Road, where it still stands. Today, its goods and confectionery like wafers and nutrient-fortified Life Bread can be found in stores citywide.
Kee Wah Bakery
Founded in 1938, Kee Wah began as a small grocery store in Yau Ma Tei. During the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong, the store had to make do with limited ingredients.
They sold sugar cakes and almond biscuits to neighbours, baked in an old barrel that had been fashioned into an oven.
After the war, word spread of its tasty pastries and Kee Wah opened its first factory. In the late 1900s, Kee Wah expanded out of Hong Kong to Taiwan and the United States. Today, the brand is recognised for premium local delicacies and is a popular souvenir for visitors.
Vitasoy
Established in 1940, Vitasoy created the first ready-to-drink soy milk as a dairy-free alternative for Hong Kong’s lactose-intolerant population to combat malnutrition.
Glass bottles of Vitamilk – its original name – were delivered door-to-door by bicycle. The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong ceased Vitamilk’s operations, but the company re-emerged after the war.
Soy is an excellent source of protein, but its products tend to spoil easily. To combat this, Vitasoy started to heat milk to ultra-high temperatures before packing to kill off bacteria. This meant drinks could last for up to six months unrefrigerated.
The introduction of Tetra Brik packaging – with seven layers of paper and plastic – in 1975 would make the company pioneers of shelf-stable paper-packed beverages in Hong Kong.
Vitasoy is now the largest producer of non-carbonated drinks in Hong Kong and a quintessential brand name.
Kowloon Dairy
This beloved dairy brand was founded in 1940 to deliver milk to the northern part of the Kowloon Peninsula. In the company’s early years, there were only 30 employees.
The brand once operated a 21,000 sq ft farm in Yuen Long, but today, it imports raw milk from a partner ranch in Guangdong. This milk has been homogenised and pasteurised daily at a Tuen Mun plant since 1972.
Kowloon Dairy is Hong Kong’s only brand that still offers glass-bottled milk as most brands opt for lighter cartons or Tetra Paks.
