About Hai’s
Hai’s is a Singapore-based food manufacturer and consumer brand that produces sauces, cooking pastes, instant pastes, and other Asian food products. The company originated in 1984, initially supplying chilli and curry pastes, kaya, and peanut butter to wet markets, hawkers, and bakeries in Singapore. Currently, Hai’s operates in both the consumer retail and food-service/OEM sectors, distributing products within Singapore and exporting to various international markets.
Company profile
- Brand: Hai’s
- Company: Hai’s Pte Ltd
- Origin: Singapore
- Founded: 1984
- Industry: Food manufacturing
- Main products: Sauces, cooking pastes, instant pastes, sambal, curry pastes, and sauce kits
- Business segments: Retail, food service, and contract/OEM manufacturing
- Headquarters: 50 Gambas Crescent, #01-03 Proxima@Gambas, Singapore 757022
- Core positioning: Convenient Asian cooking products retaining traditional and regional flavours
- Certifications: Halal, HACCP, and ISO 22000
Foundation and early years
The business began in 1984 in Singapore, operating from Woodlands Industrial Park. Early production focused on items such as chilli paste, curry paste, kaya, and peanut butter, which were supplied to traditional channels including wet markets, hawkers, and bakeries. 2
In the 1990s, the company expanded beyond small-scale retail by developing bulk-pack products for the food-service industry and obtaining Halal certification. This allowed Hai’s to serve a wider customer base. As demand increased, the firm relocated to larger premises at Woodlands Loop and introduced chilled instant pastes to supermarkets. 3
Expansion and manufacturing innovation
During the 2000s, Hai’s concentrated on food-manufacturing technology and product shelf life, adopting retort processing for its sauces and pastes. This method enables commercial sterilisation and extended storage periods for packaged foods.
The company also established manufacturing facilities aligned with HACCP and ISO 22000 food-safety standards. To accommodate growing demand, Hai’s set up a production plant in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, aiming to increase capacity and support overseas and contract-manufacturing opportunities.
Retail expansion
Hai’s broadened its presence in the local consumer market by developing individually packaged cooking pastes designed for household use, rather than focusing solely on restaurant supply. This strategy aimed to make traditionally complex Asian dishes more convenient to prepare at home.
The retail portfolio now features products inspired by Singaporean, Southeast Asian, and broader Asian cuisines, including Singapore Laksa Paste, Singapore Chilli Crab Paste, Hainanese Chicken Rice Paste, sambal products, and various Asian cooking sauces.
The brand received the Singapore Prestige Brand Award in 2017. Subsequently, the company expanded its warehousing capabilities and moved its headquarters to Proxima@Gambas due to increased demand.
Products
Hai’s offers several categories of food products.
Instant and cooking pastes
A key segment of Hai’s offerings is its range of instant cooking pastes, intended to simplify the preparation of dishes that typically require numerous spices and ingredients. Popular varieties include:
- Laksa
- Chilli crab
- Hainanese chicken rice
- Curry dishes
- Nasi lemak-related products
- Sambal and chilli products
The company aims to facilitate home preparation of traditional and regional Asian dishes through these products.
Asia Joy
Hai’s Asia Joy is a contemporary line of convenient cooking sauces and pastes inspired by dishes from across Asia. Available through Singapore retailers, flavours in this range include Mala Hotpot, Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle, Japanese Curry, Ma Po Doufu, Korean Army Stew, Jjajang, White Bee Hoon, and Sweet & Sour Meat. 4
This collection reflects Hai’s strategy of expanding beyond traditional Singaporean pastes into a broader Asian convenience-food proposition.
Sauce kits
Hai’s also manufactures sauce kits, which bundle multiple components required to prepare specific dishes. For instance, the Chicken Rice Sauce Kit includes separate elements such as chicken-rice paste, chicken meat sauce, chilli sauce, and dark soy sauce.
Food-service and OEM business
A significant portion of Hai’s operations involves B2B food manufacturing. The company supplies commercial customers with sauces and pastes in large formats and provides OEM/contract-manufacturing services. According to the Singapore Food Manufacturers’ Association, Hai’s can develop customised products, including pastes, sauces, soups, and jams, based on client specifications. 1
Consequently, Hai’s functions not only as a consumer-facing brand but also as a manufacturer for other food businesses. Its clients include restaurants, central kitchens, and commercial food operators who prioritise consistent flavour and reduced preparation time.
Manufacturing and food safety
Food manufacturing is central to Hai’s identity. The company utilises technologies such as retort processing, which extends the shelf life of sauces and pastes without relying exclusively on chilled distribution.
Manufacturing operations are associated with HACCP and ISO 22000 certification, while products are marketed with Halal certification. These certifications are important for serving Singapore’s multicultural market and international export destinations.
International presence
While originating in Singapore, Hai’s exports to markets including Australia, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Taiwan. Its international strategy leverages its capability to produce shelf-stable sauces and pastes alongside its OEM services.
Brand positioning
Hai’s positions itself at the intersection of traditional Asian cuisine and modern convenience. The brand addresses the challenge of preparing traditional Singaporean and Southeast Asian dishes, which often involve complex ingredients and specialised knowledge, by converting recipes into ready-to-use pastes and sauces.
The brand maintains two complementary identities:
- A heritage-oriented Singapore food brand, utilising traditional Straits Asian and Singaporean flavours.
- A modern food manufacturer, employing industrial food-processing technology to deliver convenient, consistent, and scalable products.
This combination of heritage recipes and modern manufacturing defines the Hai’s brand.
Corporate structure
The current operating entity is Hai’s Pte Ltd, a private limited company incorporated in Singapore on 10 May 2000, with sauce manufacturing listed as its principal activity. 2
The company’s history also includes Hai’s Foodstuffs Trading, registered in Singapore in 1984 and associated with the manufacture of sauces and related food products. 5 6
Thus, the 1984 origin of the Hai’s business and the 2000 incorporation of Hai’s Pte Ltd represent distinct corporate milestones.
Significance
Hai’s exemplifies a segment of Singapore’s food industry that has transitioned from traditional, locally produced condiments to industrial-scale Asian food manufacturing. Its development mirrors shifts in Singapore’s food culture, where traditional flavours remain valued while consumers and commercial kitchens increasingly seek convenience, consistency, and longer shelf life.
Today, the Hai’s brand encompasses both household cooking products and commercial food manufacturing, extending its role beyond that of a conventional supermarket sauce brand. Its products link Singaporean and wider Asian culinary traditions with modern packaged-food technology.
