5 brands you thought were from S’pore but have surprising origins elsewhere

The origins of these seemingly ‘Singaporean’ brands may surprise you

Many of us in Singapore grew up eating Maggi noodles, spending weekends at Timezone, or shopping at Bata and Giordano.

While they’ve become household names here, several of these familiar brands have surprisingly rich origin stories spanning different continents and dating back decades.

From instant noodles and arcade games to footwear and fashion, here are five popular brands and the stories of how they began.

1. Maggi

Maggi, with its iconic instant noodles and seasoning products, actually began in Switzerland in 1884.

Despite being a supermarket staple in Asia today, the iconic yellow-and-red brand actually began in a small Swiss town more than 140 years ago.

The Maggi brand traces its origins to 1884, when Swiss entrepreneur Julius Maggi came up with a solution for busy home cooks.

As more women entered the workforce during the Industrial Revolution, there was a growing demand for affordable and convenient meals.

He thus developed easy-to-prepare food products to help these families.

After years of research, the first powdered soups were created: Maggi Pea and Bean Soup.

From this, Julius Maggi eventually invented the famous Maggi Liquid Seasoning sauce we know and love. This was created alongside the cube stocks, beloved by consumers worldwide.

Maggi eventually became part of Nestlé in 1947, and entered the Singapore market in the 1960s.

Since then, the brand has become a mainstay — with unique products being developed for the local and regional market, from curry instant noodles to asam laksa flavours.

2. Brand’s Essence

A brand trusted by many parents for generations, Brand’s actually traces its origins to the British royal family.

In the early 19th century, royal chef H.W. Brand developed an essence of chicken drink to help improve the health of King George IV.

After retiring from the royal kitchen in 1835, he commercialised the recipe.

This laid the foundation for what would become the well-known Brand’s Essence of Chicken.

It made its way to Singapore as early as the 1920s and gained popularity as a household health supplement, especially for students.

In 2010, Brand’s marked its 175th anniversary by launching a Brain Research Centre in Singapore to study the health benefits of its bioactive compounds and support further scientific research.

3. Bata

Long before it became a staple footwear retailer in Singapore, Bata started as a small family-owned shoe business in 1894.

It was founded by Thomas Bata, a ninth-generation shoemaker from what is now the Czech Republic.

In 1930, the footwear brand opened its first store in Singapore, then part of British Malaya, at the Capitol Building.

This was the same year that Thomas Bata established Bata Shoe Company Limited.

The Singapore branch opened a Bata Building on North Bridge Road in 1940, and later, a Bata Factory at 66 Telok Blangah Road in 1964.

From the 1960s, Bata would open stores in the heartlands of Singapore, and make its mark as one of the most popular places to buy school shoes.

4. Timezone

For many Singaporeans, Timezone takes us back to carefree childhood weekends spent playing arcade games.

You don’t have to go far to find an outlet in your neighbourhood mall, but the brand’s origins is not that close to home.

The entertainment chain was founded by Malcolm Steinberg in Perth, Australia, in 1978.

It made its way to Singapore in 1997, with its first outlet located at White Sands shopping centre in Pasir Ris.

There are now more than 10 Timezone outlets across the island spanning from Jurong to Pasir Ris.

5. Giordano

One of the most reliable casual wear brands known among Singaporeans, Giordano could seem local, but actually originated in Hong Kong.

The company was established in 1981 by Hong Kong businessman Jimmy Lai.

Giordano entered the Southeast Asia market in 1985, and opened its first retail store in Singapore that same year.

Today, the brand has more than 2,600 stores worldwide.

Foreign brands turned into household names

From apparel and footwear to food and entertainment, foreign brands have long captured the hearts of shoppers here.

Some even entered the Singapore market around the same time as the country’s independence.

Though they may have origins elsewhere, these foreign brands turned household names have no doubt left a mark in local history.

Also Read: Netizens discuss ‘most uniquely Singaporean’ thing to explain to foreigners, suggest chope-ing & kopi orders

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Featured image adapted from Maggi, After Rain Florist and aeonmall_metro_prima on Instagram.