{"id":11,"date":"2026-07-28T13:15:22","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T05:15:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardenia-international.com\/?page_id=11"},"modified":"2026-08-27T17:04:59","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T09:04:59","slug":"a-brief-brand-chronology","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/gardenia-international.com\/?page_id=11","title":{"rendered":"A Brief Brand Chronology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Founding S.E. Asia\u2019s Gardenia <\/strong>Restaurant Catering Bakeries, Foods & Beverages Brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

S.E. Asia\u2019s household name Gardenia Restaurant, Catering, Bakeries Foods & Beverages Brand was first established in 1959 by Datuk Wong Tze-Fatt as a fine dining, \u201csurf and turf\u201d British colonial Grill Room, named Gardenia Restaurant<\/strong> located above his Tong-Hing Supermarket<\/strong> on #55 Bond Street Jesselton, which was then the capital of the Crown Colony of British North Borneo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gardenia Restaurant<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gardenia Restaurant soon gained fame for its Sizzling Pepper Steak served on a hot-plate, and other classical colonial favourites such as, Steak Diane Flambe, Fillet Steak Rossini, Mulligatawny Soup, Mock Turtle Soup, Lobster Thermidor, Maryland Spring Chicken, Dover Sole Meuni\u00e8re, Battenberg Cake, Chocolate glazed Vanilla Cream Eclairs and Bombe Alaska flamb\u00e9. On a clear Saturday evening, Gardenia Restaurant was a popular venue for ballroom dancing on its open air roof-top veranda where both British expatriate and local diners could waltz, foxtrot, quickstep, cha-cha, rumba, and tango to the popular recorded ballroom dance music of the Victor Sylvester Dance Orchestra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*In 1963 the British Crown Colony of North Borneo gained independence as Sabah State of Malaysia and North Borneo\u2019s capital Jesselton was renamed Kota-Kinabalu the present State capital of Sabah, Malaysia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gardenia British North Borneo\u2019s first Colonial Steak & Grill Room<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\nBorneo's First Surf & Turf Colonial Grill Room<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gardenia Air-Catering Services<\/strong> \u2013 K.K. Airport Catering & In-Flight Services Providers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1969 Gardenia Restaurant extended food and beverages operations to Kota-Kinabalu Airport as Gardenia Airport Caf\u00e9 and soon after was awarded a supply contract by Borneo Airways to provide sandwiches cakes and beverages for their British North Borneo In-Flight Services requirements.  This marked Gardenia Brand\u2019s entry into In-Flight Catering and which pioneered Gardenia Catering Services and which after independence of British North Borneo as the Malaysia State of Sabah continued as Kota Kinabalu International Air-Terminal\u2019s leading In-Flight-Catering Service Provider.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the end of 1969, Kota-Kinabalu airport was rapidly developing as an important international business destination in the S. E. Asia region.  With a view to meet the demands for international quality sliced sandwich bread to serve growing demand for Gardenia Sandwiches, in 1971 Datuk Wong Tze-Fatt approached the U.S Trade Consular in Singapore and through their International Executive Service Corporation (IESC)  program, engaged Master Baker Sye Slocum of the Chicago Baking Institute USA as a bakery consultant to start his Gardenia Brand Bakeries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same year 1971, Gardenia Brand first bakery was established, and marked the beginning of a lifelong friendship between Sye Slocumm and Datuk Wong Tze Fatt.  Being that Sye Slocum hails from the Southern State of Alabama USA, the honorific Southern moniker \u201cUncle Slocumm\u201d became his nickname and was later used to name his Original Recipe for Gardenia\u2019s Classic U.S Recipe Sliced Sandwich Bread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1985 a purpose-built Flight Kitchen developed by Tong Hing Holdings Sdn Bhd to MAS (Malaysian Air System) specifications was completed at Putatan just outside the Kota Kinabalu International Airport\u2019s southern airport perimeter, to meet In-Flight Kitchen increased demands from international Flag Carriers clients MAS, Royal Brunei Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Dragon Air and Philippines Airlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c<\/em>Gardenia Golden Age of Air Travel”.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\nGardenia's Golden Age of Air-Travel<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sye Slocumm<\/strong>\u2013 Classic US Sliced Sandwich Loaf “Uncle Slocumm Recipe”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prior to Sye Slocumm\u2019s introduction of his Original Gardenia Sliced Sandwich Bread “Uncle Slocumm” Recipe to S.E. Asia,; the norm for S E Asia\u2019s bakers was to use weak low protein general-purpose wheat flour in a straight dough process to bake sandwich bread loaf.  However this baking recipe and process tended to form large gas bubbles during the dough fermentation stage and when baked and put through the slicer for packing, resulted in large holes (Like a French Baguette) in the final bread slices which further shrank and warped dramatically when put through the toaster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The strong wheat flour\u2019s higher protein apart from having higher nutritional content has the added property of retaining a shelf display life of over 7 days and when coupled with a USA\u2019s marketing retail practice of taking bread returns which was on the third morning after a maximum of 2 days display; to take unsold goods in return and replacement with new fresh baked breads.  This ensured daily fresh out of the oven quality for the consumer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under Sye Slocumm\u2019s tutelage Gardenia Baker’s learnt to temper strong high-protein wheat flour with a Sponge & Dough baking process to produce a nutritious High Protein Classic US Sliced Sandwich Loaf Bread which retained a fine silky soft texture and when sliced did not reveal large holes in its slices or would shrink and warp dramatically when toasted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking a leaf from USA\u2019s public national health program created after its great depression in the 1930\u2019s, Sye Slocumm introduced vitamin enrichment of the Classic Sliced Sandwich Loaf to better the health and diet of S.E. Asia\u2019s growing population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gardenia International Overseas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1974 Gardenia Brand Bakeries expanded overseas to Brunei Darussalam and Singapore. In Brunei bakery production began the same year under the auspices of Brunei International Airport\u2019s Gardenia Airport & In-Flight Catering Services, and in Singapore Gardenia International Pty Ltd was registered and was tasked to search for a suitable location to start Gardenia\u2019s first In-Store Bakery overseas venture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1978 three shop units were acquired at Singapore\u2019s new Bukit Timah Shopping Centre at Holland Road to start Gardenia In-Store Bakery & Ice Cream Parlour and Wishbone Restaurant. Datuk Wong Tze Fatt invited Sye Slocumm and his wife Martha and Jim Humphries the consultant ice cream maker and his wife to Singapore for a vacation; and as his guest of honour attend the grand opening of Gardenia International Singapore\u2019s first modest but highly sort after Gardenia In-Store Bakery at Bukit Timah Plaza.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the great success of Singapore\u2019s Gardenia In-Store Bakery and growing demand for Gardenia Brand products, a new Gardenia Brand Bakery was completed at Singapore\u2019s Pandan Loop Industrial Park and production started in 1981 with wholesale bread distribution to Singapore\u2019s convenience stores, groceries and supermarkets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gardenia Bakery Territories<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the growing success of Gardenia Bakeries\u2019 Classic U.S Recipe Sliced Sandwich Loaf Bread, Datuk Wong Tze Fatt observed that rapid urbanisation in Peninsular West Malaysia in contrast with the less urbanised communities of East Malaysia and Kalimantan Indonesia constituted two asymmetrical consumer markets for Gardenia bakery products. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Market studies indicated that the urbane markets of Singapore and greater Kuala Lumpur, product demand was for convenience snack food, whereas in East Malaysia and Kalimantan Indonesia, Gardenia Bread was a growing staple.  To meet this asymmetrical market challenge, Datuk Wong Tze Fatt looked for a strategic partner to develop Gardenia Brand Bakery Franchise in the urbanised cities of Singapore, West Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, while keeping the Gardenia Brand Bakery Franchise for East Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia for development by his Tong Hing Holdings Company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1990 Gardenia International Pty Ltd formed the first co-venture with QAF Pty Ltd and extended bakeries production to Kuala Lumpur Peninsular Malaysia which marked the beginning of today\u2019s group of highly successful Gardenia Brand Bakeries, widely recognised as S.E. Asia\u2019s leading Food Brand for quality and halal certified bread, pastries and cakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However certain Gardenia Bakery franchise territories and operations including Gardenia Brand Bakery franchise for West Malaysia were delineated and Gardenia Brand \u201cdevolved\u201d to QAF (S) PLC while Tze-Fatt\u2019s Tong Hing Holdings Sdn Bhd maintained ownership of the Gardenia Bakery Brand Franchises in East Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fin-de-si\u00e8cle<\/strong> \u2013 Gardenia Brand Bakery Pioneers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a short period of failing health, Sye Slocumm passed away at his home near Birmingham Alabama USA in 1982 and in 2004 Datuk Wong Tze Fatt passed away in his home at Kota Kinabalu Sabah Malaysia.  The passing of the two pioneers marked the fin-de-si\u00e8cle of Gardenia Brand Bakeries’ founding era and the passing of the baton to a new generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2004 with the passing of Datuk Wong Tze Fatt founder of S E Asia\u2019s Gardenia Bakery Brand and the consequential distribution of his estate; JWPK Holdings Sdn Bhd became the new owners of Tong Hing Holdings Sdn Bhd and its subsidiary Gardenia Air Catering Services sdn bhd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2009 the new owners of Tong Hing Holdings sdn bhd elected to consolidate their investment holdings to Gardenia Bakery Franchises, Real Estate & Property Development, and Tourism Hospitality businesses……………..With mutual consent by all parties, Gardenia Air Catering Sdn Bhd operations was wound down and ceased operations in 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gardenia GFI Brands; Beverages & Creameries<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gardenia Beverages Sdn Bhd<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 13th Sept 1978 Dato Wong Tze Fatt flew with his eldest son Wong Kah Ho from Kota Kinabalu to Hong Kong and in the days after met with PepsiCo USA executives at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and signed letter of interest as PepsiCo’s Sabah\u2019s Franchised Bottler for Pepsi-Cola and Mirinda Beverages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gardenia Beverages Sdn Bhd was incorporated on 17th October 1978 as a subsidiary of Dato Wong Tze Fatt\u2019s Tong Hing Holdings Sdn Bhd holdings company, which then invested in a Beverages Bottling Plant sited in Putatan, Kota Kinabalu Sabah Malaysia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 16th May 1981, the plant was officially opened by the Honourable Deputy Chief Minister Datuk James P Onkili and bottling operations of Pepsi-Cola and Mirinda globally acclaimed beverages brands began in Sabah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1985, Gardenia Beverages Sdn Bhd pioneered an aluminium canning and PET bottling line in Sabah, and produced a successful line of popular Malaysian still and fizzy beverages leading first with Gardenia Soya Bean, Orange Cream Soda, and then followed by Gardenia Sarsi, Strawberry, and Chrysanthemum Tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gardenia Brand Creameries <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Datuk Wong Tze Fatt\u2019s Tong Hing Supermarket was a purveyor of imported of hard Ice Creams products in Kota Kinabalu Sabah Malaysia, which in the nineteen fifties and sixties were all imported and shipped from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hard Ice Cream contained less milk butter fat and is served at a temperature of below 12 degrees Celsius, and could be hardened at temperatures well below 12 degrees Celsius before shipping in reefer containers from overseas manufacturers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the USA, hard Ice Cream with a high vegetable fat content is classified as confectionary, whereas soft Ice Cream which has a high milk butter fat content is classified as a food, and a premium Ice Cream served at 6 degrees Celsius. Its higher milk butter fat content gives satiety and a satisfying smooth and soft milky taste, but due to its higher aeration and milk butter content was prone to being de-natured from poor handling and when shipped over long distances requiring very careful refrigeration temperature control throughout the whole delivery process.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The strong sales of imported hard ice cream retail packs in Tong Hing Supermarket and the increasing popularity of USA style soft ice cream in S.E Asia as a premium food product lent impetus for Datuk Wong Tze Fatt to venture into the local production of Gardenia soft ice cream. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1972, Datuk Wong Tze Fatt purchased an Italian Ice Cream Cone vending machine and between 1973 and 1975 Signor Villa Luigi  came over to Malaysia with a commission to tutor Mr Leong See Seng as the supervising production technician.  The vending of Gardenia Ice Cream tubs and cones sales of classical Vanilla, Chocolate Strawberry and Coffee flavours soon proved to be a popular success in Kota Kinabalu. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to the success of Gardenia brand ice cream, Datuk Wong Tze Fatt, decided to scale up production and to produce a USA style soft ice cream supermarket retail packs to be sold at his Tong Hing Supermarket as well as vending ice cream scoop cups and cones from refrigerated ice cream vending cabinets.  In 1974 Datuk Wong Tze Fatt approached the Singapore US Trade Consular and through their International Executive Service Corporation (IESC) program, engaged Mr Jim Humphries as consultant ice cream maker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 14th December 1973, Gardenia Ice & Confectionery Sdn Bhd was registered and the company began purchasing US Ice Cream making machinery to Mr Jim Humphries specification and setup a batching line at a back lot of Tong Hing Supermarket 55 Gaya Street.   In 1975 Mr Jim Humphries flew over to Kota Kinabalu Sabah Malaysia on a year\u2019s contract to provide technical consultancy to produce package and retail American style retail ice cream tubs and packs for Tong Hing Supermarket, as well as selling soft ice cream scoops cups and wafer cones from refrigerated vending cabinets stalls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gardenia Brand Ice Creams, soon proved to be very successful for their popular soft ice cream flavours of Strawberry, Chocolate, Vanilla, Coffee and local specialty flavours of Yam and the signature Gardenia Durian Ice Cream with fruit pulp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the 24th May 1978, Gardenia Ice & Confectionery Sdn Bhd change name to Gardenia Food Industries Sdn Bhd and GFI became the operating manufacturing company for both Gardenia Creameries as well as Gardenia Sandwich Sliced Bread Loaf both initially starting up as in-store bakery and creameries for Tong Hing Supermarket at 55 Gaya Street. Then in 1978, Gardenia Food Industries Creameries, and Bakeries production were re-located from their Tong Hing Supermarket in-store premises at 55 Gaya Street and moved to a new Gardenia Food Industries factory located at Inanam while GFI\u2019s Gardenia Beverages opened bottling and canning production in their new purpose built factory in the Putatan suburb of Kota Kinabalu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consolidation of Tong Hing Holdings Group<\/strong> 2010-2016. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the year 2004, following the passing of Dato Wong Tze Fatt the founding curator of Gardenia Foods Brand and distribution of his estate; the new owners of his Tong Hing Holdings Sdn Bhd saw that Sabah\u2019s market consumer behaviour was fast changing and its economy was rapidly diversifying out of its resource based economy which was primarily in timber logging export and into growth of services industry.  As a result the new owners JWPK Holdings elected in 2009 to consolidate their investment holdings to Gardenia Bakery Franchises, Real Estate & Property Development, Tourism & Hospitality businesses.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the process of consolidation by the new owners of Tong Hing Holdings its two subsidiary companies GFI Gardenia Creameries cease operation in Sep 2013 and Gardenia Beverages Sdn Bhd\u2019 bottling operations was wound down by 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Best Is Yet To Come!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From its early beginnings in Kota-Kinabalu Sabah, Malaysia and Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam; Gardenia Restaurants, Catering, Bakeries, Foods & Beverages Brands are now represented throughout South East Asia. The Gardenia family of franchises is enjoined in a common heritage in upholding Gardenia’s founding motto of “There is No Substitute for Quality” in employing the best marketing practices for the distribution and delivery of Gardenia Brand services and products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2007 Gardenia Bakery franchise for East Malaysia (Sabah, Sarawak), Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia was acquired by JWPK Holdings Sdn Bhd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\nJWPK Holdings Sdn Bhd<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Founding S.E. Asia\u2019s Gardenia Restaurant Catering Bakeries, Foods & Beverages Brand. S.E. Asia\u2019s household name Gardenia Restaurant, Catering, Bakeries Foods & Beverages Brand was first established in 1959 by Datuk Wong Tze-Fatt as a fine dining, \u201csurf and turf\u201d British colonial Grill Room, named Gardenia Restaurant located above his Tong-Hing Supermarket on #55 Bond Street…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-11","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t