Brunei’s newest locally made sauce and condiment brand, Mantap, aims to expand its reach to over 400 retail stores nationwide after its recent market debut.
Mantap, a foreign direct investment (FDI) by Atoll Agro, offers a range of products including tomato ketchup, chilli sauce, soya sauce, Korean Ssamjang, mayonnaise, cheese dressing and thousand island dressing.
With a total production capacity of two tonnes of sauce daily, Atoll Agro aims to bolster Brunei’s diversification drive and food security by competitively pricing itself against imports, while also targeting regional exports later this year. The company also plans to create 50 jobs, open to locals, to support this expansion.
Founder of Atoll Agro Ankit Jayantibhai Patel said that the company underwent rigorous testing not only for Halal certification but also achieved international food safety and quality standards including Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and ISO 22000.
“Our products are ready for the mass and export markets. Going forward, we will also increase our range of products and begin exports to ASEAN countries,” he said.
Patel expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT) and Brunei Economic Development Board (BEDB) for facilitating the project, citing the sultanate’s potential for further FDI in Southeast Asia.
“As foreign investors, we see the potential in setting up in Brunei to target regional markets, especially with the support that we have received. We also see synergies with working with local SMEs in our ingredients and supply chain to help grow this business further,” added Patel.
Atoll Agro is part of the Atoll Group, whose operations in Brunei began in 2011 with Patel setting up Atoll Oxygen Sdn Bhd in Belait to supply industrial and medical gases. Atoll as a group is a 50-year-old organisation established by his father, Jayantibhai P Patel.
Initially known as Parekh Group of Companies, it originated in India and has a presence in India, Brunei, Africa and Australia.
The group’s business activities spread across agriculture, real estate, hospitality, chain of cold storage, food processing, industrial gases, industrial equipment and recycling of rubber and plastics.
Present to launch the brand at the company’s factory at the Brunei Agriculture Research Centre (BARC) in Sengkurong was MPRT Minister Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Hj Abdul Manaf Haji Metussin.
THE BRUNEIAN | BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
