BBYB 2021

133

BUSINESS SECTORS

FOOD AND BEVERAGE

Several strategies have been identified to reduce

gaps in the ecosystem and value chain of the

food industry, including assisting specialised

foreign direct investment (FDI) companies that

have shown potential for growth.

Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and

Minister of Finance and Economy II Dato Seri

Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin

Abdullah stated this during the 16

Legislative

Council (LegCo) Meeting in March 2020 in view

of the food industry being one of the main

sectors enhancing investment activities in the

country.

The minister said three aspects of the industry

will be in focus: primary production through

collaboration with the Ministry of Primary

Resources and Tourism; secondary production

to ensure overall potential value chains are

maximised; and supporting industries such as

logistics and cold storage.

Among the notable developments in the industry

is the appointment of a committee to establish

the Brunei Food and Beverage Association

(BFBA). As was reported in November 2020, the

new association functions as a central platform

for the local food and beverage (F&B) community,

as well as related ministries and agencies in

Brunei Darussalam.

The association also provides assistance

including the resolution of business licensing, the

processing of the Halal certification, manpower

supply and the supply of food ingredients.

For the first quarter of 2020, the value of food and

beverage sales generated in Brunei Darussalam

was estimated as BND84.9 million. Additionally,

there is an estimated total registration of 3,000

eateries across Brunei including restaurants,

food stalls and home-based business. The

association’s establishment is timely in

supporting the F&B industry in recovering from

the pandemic, said the BFBA.

The BFBA will work with other agencies

and stakeholders within the Brunei tourism

community, such as the Ministry of Primary

Resources and Tourism, the Brunei Association

of Hotels (BAH) and the Association of Travel

Agents of Brunei.

It is hoped that the association brings the

F&B community together to work on mutual

collaborations that will further develop food

tourism across Brunei Darussalam.

Another notable development was the launch

of Royal Brunei Culinary (RBC)’s state-of-the-art

Central Kitchen on December 7, 2020.

Situated on a two-hectare plot at the Lambak

Kanan West Industrial Park, the 110,000-foot

Central Kitchen is the largest of its kind in the

Sultanate. The Central Kitchen consolidates

RBC’s corporate office and kitchen operations

for its healthcare, airlines and retail business

segments.

RBC is a company under the purview of

Darussalam Assets Sdn Bhd, and is the leading

provider of premium culinary services and food

solutions in the country.

Meanwhile, the Brunei Food Awards (BFA) is

a new initiative to promote and invigorate the

growth of the food and beverage industry. It is

the first food award that formally recognises

and awards the best dishes of both local and

international cuisines in the country.

During last year’s BFA in December, 44

restaurants featuring over 70 dishes were

awarded. A total of 336 restaurants and eateries

throughout all four districts submitted more than

800 of their best dishes for evaluation since

October.

Adapting to challenges from the

pandemic

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been

felt across multiple sectors, including the food

and beverage industry.

Several measures were introduced to curb the

spread of the virus following the first positive

case in the country. Dine-in and buffet services

were temporarily closed to ensure public safety.

As customers opted to stay indoors, a significant

increase was seen in the usage of food delivery

services.

One of the pioneers in the local food delivery

services is GoMamam. Chief Executive Officer

and Co-Founder Hadi bin Wahab explained in an

interview in March 2020 that the company did

its best to keep up with the growing demand of

daily orders. With more restaurants being added

to its growing list of partners, the number of

customers have also increased.

In curbing the pandemic, precautionary

measures were its main priority before

receiving or delivering orders. GoMamam staff

were educated on how to miminise the risk of

infection, such as regular handwashing and

wearing a face mask.