Check Out Our List Of Must-Share Bites From Brands In The Sustainability Game

A frozen treat from gelato boutique Birds of Paradise is a great way to end any meal on a high note. Their Signature Set comprises four innovative, plant-based gelato flavours inspired by nature — White Chrysanthemum, Lychee Raspberry, Pistachio, and Midnight Gianduja. With each purchase, you also get a packet of house-made Thyme Cone Chips and a classy-looking Birds of Paradise cooler bag. How can you resist?
Edwin Lim, a former engineer, founded Birds of Paradise in 2016 to cater to dessert lovers who appreciate unique gelato offerings made from scratch with local ingredients. “We wanted classic flavours people would never tire of,” says Lim.
The environmentally conscious company uses only biodegradable cups and spoons. The cups are made from sugar cane pulp, a waste product of sugar cane juice extraction. Plus, you get $1 off every pint when you bring your insulated cooler bag for takeout. 
Since 2019, the brand has also been donating all sales from its anniversary weekend every July to its community partner EQUAL, a charity that provides animal-assisted learning services to people with special needs and dementia.

Vinegar is known for its therapeutic properties in many cultures. Several studies have found that it may promote fat burning, decrease blood sugar levels, improve cholesterol levels, and boost immunity and heart health. FreshJoy Fruit Vinegar Collection is easy to drink and comes in four flavours: Gac, Lemon with Ginger, Fruits & Vege, and Apple Vinegar.
The FreshJoy Gac Vinegar Drink contains Southeast Asia’s own superfruit: the Gac. The spiny cochinchin gourd, harvested in Vietnam and commonly known as baby jackfruit, is packed with antioxidants, beta-carotene, and vitamins A, C, and E, which are thought to improve vision health.
FreshJoy began in 1967 as a humble drink stand at 41 Zehnder Road selling refreshments at Haw Par Villa. Putting his freshly made and affordable cold orange juice and soft drinks into glass bottles, Teo Kim Chua later brought joy to the public.
In 2019, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and PS Food & Beverage (S) Pte Ltd then collaborated to develop FreshJoy for the Food Innovation Product Award (FIPA), a food innovation competition. The brand is based on the heritage and tales of the Teo family, who lived and worked in Haw Par Villa. 
Presently, the business is run by Teri Teo, Business Development Director of PS Food & Beverage (S) Pte Ltd, the grandson of Teo Kim Chua and the son of craftsman Teo Veoh Seng, the last of a family of Singaporean craftsmen who maintained Haw Par Villa’s 1,000-odd surreal sculptures for 68 years.
FreshJoy offers both a fresh taste and heritage in a drink while preserving the traditions of street hawking. “We turn nature’s best fruits into nourishing power drinks designed to bring joy with every sip,” says the team at FreshJoy, who hopes to continue doing so for future generations.
The brand hopes to boost local Vietnamese farmers’ incomes through its mission to engage a shared ecosystem. As part of FreshJoy’s waste reduction efforts, you can trade in empty glass bottles for a free glass bottle sleeve. These are returned to their factories to be recycled and refilled with new batches of product.


 

With aromatic flavours of Singapore and Malaysia, this trio of organic spice pastes makes it so easy to transform a simple dish into something truly sensational. Use the chilli sambal to enhance meat or veggie dishes; the vegan laksa paste for combining with noodles in a rich broth or as a stir-fry; and the rendang paste for an aptly spiced, slow-cooked beef that melts in the mouth.
Former banker, Daphne Hedley decided there was a need for a lifestyle brand that showcased Southeast Asian artisanal products after visiting a friend in Chiang Mai who served vegan food made with home-made vegan pastes and sauces. She and that friend, Jang Bauerle came up with Mekhala, a Singapore-based brand dedicated to healthier eating in 2011. They even recruited Hedley’s sister Diane, affectionately called the “Chief Sauceress”, who gave up her job as a tax consultant to join them.
Sadly, Bauerle died from cancer in 2014. But the sisters continued to grow their business, upgrading to a larger factory next to Bauerle’s retreat in Chiang Mai and supporting the local economy by sourcing organic ingredients from farmers in nearby Mae Hong Son. 
Committed to improving lives in the community, Mekhala is run by an all-female team which provides work opportunities for women, and sponsors the Schools of Hope programme for Myanmar’s Shan students.

An unforgettable cake says best wishes like nothing else and this decadent dark chocolate treat will go down well with anyone—even those who are health conscious. With a beautiful glaze and a raspberry coulis (an amalgam of raspberries, maple syrup and lemon juice), this gluten- and dairy-free cake is as beautiful-looking as it is healthy. It’s also ideal for those with allergies or intolerances, as well as for individuals who simply want a healthier diet.
Oh My Goodness! offers cakes, breads, pizza bases and other pastries.
While studying for her MBA in Europe, she tried new recipes to address the health issues that had plagued her, namely acute rhinitis and sinusitis. A naturopathic doctor recommended she adopt a no-wheat, no-dairy diet when her hair started falling out. “Many health problems result from eating foods that are not healthy, causing inflammation in your cells,” Ragupathi says. “I felt so much better and lost weight after I changed my diet.”
Upon returning to Singapore in 2016, she left her corporate job at an impact fund and business development to launch Oh My Goodness! Ragupathi specifically wanted her cakes to be accessible to “fellow sufferers” and there is no doubt that many are grateful to her for bringing a slice of heaven into their lives.
Recipes must pass her “precision engineering” test kitchen at home before making their way to the brand’s production facility in Mandai. She says: “My rule is if I won’t eat it myself, I won’t sell it.” 
Apart from making delicious cakes and pastries, Ragupathi is a strong advocate of conscious manufacturing. “We focus on being a no-waste company in our manufacturing process. As much as possible, we repurpose everything,” she explains. “We never throw away anything salvageable. Our factory also recycles all the materials that come in.” 
Supporting those in need, Oh My Goodness! hires two groups of people that others typically avoid: ex-offenders and persons with intellectual disabilities, who are a vital part of the organisation today.


 

 

What could be better than a cookie? Two freshly baked cookies, plus a scoop of premium ice cream in between!
The Ice Cream & Cookie Co.’s first—and still bestselling—product is its signature ice cream cookie sandwich that is included in this mouth-watering bundle of vegan favourites, all dairy-free, gluten-free and 100 percent plant-based. The set includes three 473ml tubs of ice cream and six ice cream sandwiches (100g each). Flavours include Dark Chocolate, Tropical Coconut, and Acai Berry.
Founder Natasha Chiam started selling ice cream cookie sandwiches in 2012 at the Farmers Market at Loewen Gardens in Singapore, after graduating with a law degree from the University of Melbourne.
Chiam and her husband Andrew Lie discovered this treat when he was studying in the United States. To satisfy their cravings, she decided to make her own and began selling them at farmers’ markets, parties and events while working. “After six months, I quit my job and went full-time into the business; orders had picked up and I was frantically busy,” Chiam explains.
Doing home deliveries and takeouts from her tiny home kitchen, she soon became overwhelmed by the burgeoning popularity of the brand. So, with $20,000 in personal savings, the couple took the plunge and started their own manufacturing business.
As one of Singapore’s leading suppliers of frozen confections today, the brand’s revenue has doubled almost every year since its founding. It has also achieved ISO 22000 accreditation, an internationally recognised food safety management certificate.
Besides those of Singaporean heritage, The Ice Cream & Cookie Co. also offers flavours unique to the region—think Chendol, Matcha Mochi and Bubble Milk Tea—and was one of the first local brands to introduce vegan ice cream alternatives in 2017. Chiam’s husband and son are both allergic to dairy and eggs, so this product line is close to her heart.
Furthermore, as a socially conscious food manufacturer, The Ice Cream & Cookie Co. never uses plastic bags and the packaging is 100 percent recyclable. It even gives away reusable cooler bags with orders to encourage customers to reduce their environmental impact.

A healthier alternative to potato chips, poppadoms are thin, crispy discs made from seasoned dough. Most producers use chickpea, tapioca, or rice flour, but Uncle Saba’s version is made with split urad dal (black lentil) flour that is higher in protein and fibre and has fewer carbs and saturated fats than regular potato chips. The poppadoms are fried until golden, with any excess oil drained away. 
Uncle Saba’s Poppadoms Mix consists of four flavours: Original, Barbecue, Tomato and Sweet Chilli. With 30 pillow packs, you’ll have lots to go around for your next party or to just have around the house as a grab-and-go snack.
A pioneer in producing ready-to-eat poppadom lentil chips in a can, Uncle Saba’s was founded in 2015. “Few people, except Indians, know how to fry them properly,” says Uncle Saba, who was born in a fishing village in South India and came to Singapore when he was 14. “I wanted poppadoms to be accessible to everyone—ready to eat, without having to fry them,” adding that he has “always wanted to take the ethnic out of the humble poppadom and make it global.” The enterprising entrepreneur scoured the globe to discover the best in the industry, from design to technology, to “create the product from the heart”.
Uncle Saba’s zero-MSG recipes also mean you get to enjoy the natural taste of lentils with a mix of flavourful spices, minus any additives. Certified halal and suitable for those on a vegan or gluten-free diet, they are produced in Malaysia and exported to more than 25 countries. Additionally, the brand has been striving to reduce its carbon footprint by collaborating with UK plastic manufacturers to make the packaging recyclable.
Uncle Saba says proudly: “Anyone who likes Indian food will see a familiar snack with a modern twist on a traditional taste. A mother buying a canister of this for her children will see a guilt-free indulgence.”

This 12-pack of fun-named beers from the CRUST Group comprise four bottles each of its flagship beers: Breaking Bread Ale, I Knead An Easy IPA and Toasted Lager.
Breaking Bread Ale is a light, bright brew that features citrus and floral notes, and is slightly sweet. I Knead An Easy IPA has notes of exotic tropical fruits and honey with a slightly bitter finish, while Toasted Lager is a darker malt-flavoured brew with hints of vanilla and corn.
What’s fascinating about the CRUST Group, which launched in 2019, is that it uses surplus food such as bread and fruit peels to create CRUST beers and CROP sparkling fruit waters respectively. Travin Singh, a financial consultant, founded the brand to prevent food waste by using excess products in new recipes. Upcycling is the operative word here. He says: “As long as there is food waste in this world, we will find a way to build a solution around it.”
The sight of huge amounts of unsold bread thrown out by bakeries and restaurants prompted Singh to experiment with making a drink with bread. After producing home brews for a while, he turned to YouTube for guidance, taking four attempts over a year to perfect the recipe.
“I grew up in a family where food was never wasted. My mum always cooked for us and if we didn’t finish the food on the day itself, she would incorporate it into something else the next day,” says Singh. “This is the CRUST Group’s underlying philosophy: creating a value-based company that develops products that reduce food waste.”
The CRUST Group team collects leftover bread from ingredient partners such as RedMart; the bread replaces barley and malt, which are typically used to make beer. Sugars in the bread are extracted to make the alcohol. Fermentation takes two weeks before the beer is bottled and packaged for distribution.
CROP, the CRUST Group’s new line of non-alcoholic, natural sparkling fruit waters, is made from fruit waste. Again, in line with the brand’s mission statement, no crust or peel is left behind! As of 2020, the company has saved 275kg of bread and produced 4,482 litres of beer. Its mission is to reduce 1 per cent of global food waste by 2030.



 

You can explore more local brands and the widest range of Made With Passion brands on With Love, SG.