Welcome to my new segment.
BEYOND THE BRAND
Where I will sit down and chat with business leaders in the food industry to find out more about the people that make these companies and brands tick. Hopefully we can get some insight into what makes their companies so great and gain a few helpful tips along the way. So let’s get things kicked off with the company behind my favourite rice brand!
BKK AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
Today I sit down for a chat with Peter Tan, director of BKK Australia to take a look at the man beyond the brand.
Saba. Tell me a bit about yourself Peter and your background?
P.T. My name is Peter Tan and I was born and raised in Sydney Australia. I spent much of my education and career in science, with my last job working at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute however I got a bit disillusioned with the daily grind and entered the family (and food!) business about five years ago.
BKK Head office in Sydney
Saba. Why a food business?
P.T. A lot of this journey has to do with food. All I wanted as a kid was McDonald’s and KFC but as I experienced more of the world and ate more widely, the more I realised that the things that people eat is tied up in their environment and traditions. Food is a great catalyst to find a human nature, culture and history.
Other companies may do team building exercises like paintball or golf, but the aunties in the office will cook big pots of great food, fire up some gas stoves and lay out some amazing spreads in our meeting rooms.
Saba. What motivates you Peter?
P.T. Australia is a multicultural society but I feel that our pockets of culture are still segregated. Despite the prevalence of Asian Australians, there is a severe lack of representation of the people and culture in the mainstream media. Nowadays we are able to reach people through the internet with videos, podcasts or just simple blogs and it would be great to show that there’s more to Thai food than just red, curry, green, curry & padthai. Or that Vietnamese food is not just Phở and Bánh mì. Wouldn’t it be awesome if your Aussie BBQ became synonymous with Gai Yang or Bún Thịt Nướng? I want your average person on the street to know about Foi Thong or Bún Riêu. And also to know how to make it
Saba. Bún Riêu yummy!!
Crab Bún Riêu made by yours truly.
Saba. Tell me a bit about your business?
P.T. The business started out as a supermarket in the Western suburbs of Sydney serving the Asian communities there. Over time there was a demand for genuine Thai Jasmine rice and as a result the business started an import branch. This import branch was called “BKK Australia” and was the first company to import Thai Jasmine Rice “Lion Brand” which is of course our flagship brand. However over time our products diversified and BKK Australia product range now boast over a 1000 Asian foods. Every product is tasted and tested by our staff which makes for interesting conversations at the office. Our staff are particular and food obsessed and there’ll often be arguments which are the best or most authentic products that we bring in. Other companies may do team building exercises like paintball or golf, but the aunties in the office will cook big pots of great food, fire up some gas stoves and lay out some amazing spreads in our meeting rooms. One of my favourite things is to come back to my desk sometimes to find a surprise noodle bowl at my computer.
Always a nice surprise to find a bowl of noodles on the desk!
Saba. What sort of products/services do you provide?
P.T. We are an import and distributor of fine Asian food products distributing to retailers nationally.
Maesri Curry Paste
Saba. What are your most popular products / services?
Lion Brand Jasmin Rice
Lion Brand Glutinous Rice
P.T. Of course Lion Brand Thai Jasmine rice is our number one seller.
But we also sell glutinous rice, broken rice, rice paper and dried rice noodles
(bún tươi is particularly good) under the Lion Brand umbrella.
Besides that we are also exclusive distributors of Maesri Curry Pastes which are very popular and widely available. You can find them in Woolworths nationally. This is a favourite of mine and I cook with the green curry paste almost every week.
Lion Brand Rice Paper
Saba. What are your hopes for the business in the future?
P.T. Of course we wish to see our business grow and expand. But more than that, I want Lion Brand to represent a point where people can connect and learn more about Asian food and culture in Australia
Saba. Where can people find your product/services?
P.T. The majority of our products can easily be found in your local Asian grocery and some select brands in major national chains (Woolworths, Aldi, Costco).
For businesses looking for a specialist Asian wholesale food supplier they can contact our office by phone on +61296320072 or email us at enquiry@bkk.com.au
Made with Lion Brand bún tươi (dried rice noodles)
Saba. Any special offers for my readers today?
P.T. The first five readers to comment on your next blog posts at the
and leave the hashtag #SheepXLion will receive a free gift pack!
(*open to Australian residents only, remember to include email address)
There you go peoples! A look beyond the brand that is Lion Brand Rice.
My next post on Lion Brand Blog will be on 14.09.18 so make sure you get over there and have a read and leave a comment for your chance at receiving one of those five gift packs.
To see the full range of BBK products head over to their website http://www.bkkaustralia.com.au/
You can also find them on Instagram @bkk_Australia or Facebook @BKKAus
BEYOND THE BRAND – Lion Brand Rice
Informative interview Saba, thanks and I’ll now try sourcing my ingredients through BKK products as there is a real passion there. Can’t wait for your next post and I’ll be heading to the Lion Brand website for this.
Thanks for the interview Saba! That was heaps of fun!🦁 🍚
Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is a really well written article.
I will make sure to bookmark it and come back to read
more of your useful information. Thanks for the post. I will certainly comeback.