Spicing up a century with Lingham's

Be it in Malaysia, the royal households or elsewhere in the United Kingdom, the authentic sweet and spicy Lingham's Chilli Sauce has ignited the taste buds of millions and has found a special spot on every kitchen shelf.

Using purely natural ingredients, Lingham's great recipe makes it unique and stands out from the crowd, having spiced up the world for over a century, crossing.

It all began in Butterworth back then in 1908 when its founder of Indian descent, Lingham, started to venture out for a multi-use condiment.

When the worldly gentleman came up with the recipe, he didn’t quite realise how famous it would become one day.

Surviving two world wars, economic downturns and a new world order, the memories of Malaysia's homegrown brand, Lingham's with 100 years of tradition is still going strong.

Indeed an iconic brand, highlighted by its red and yellow label, Lingham's is very close to the hearts of Malaysians, especially the older generation born before Merdeka who witnessed the country's progress, prosper and arguably bonded people of all races.

It is a common contention that, once you have tasted Lingham’s, you would not want any other hot chili sauce.

A pure and genuine taste of a chilli sauce was what he dished out to delight the palates of his audience, made up mostly of British colonial expatriates in the state, back then.

The exotic flavoured sauce blossomed and became famous that it was regarded as one of the must-have-sauce in major local Hainanese restaurants serving western food such as the Coliseum Cafe, Hollywood Restaurant, Senai King, Eden Restaurant, The Ship and many more.

For the record, the first Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet in Malaysia located at Batu Road (now Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman), also used Lingham's chilli sauce.

The popular sauce was exported to Britain and the firepower of this spicy business does not stop there. It spread across the region and Europe like wild fire.

Despite the management having changed hands a couple of times, the humble spice saw fans longing for Lingham's in more than 25 countries, from the United Kingdom to Holland, Finland, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Brunei, Singapore, India, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait,

Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, and Maldives.

The first export destination was London, back in 1948 by Henry Waugh, the famous trading company during that period.

Bizarrely, Lingham's still is a solid brand in the British market till now. Following the success in both the local and foreign markets in the 70s, the then-management slowly expanded its product range to four other variations from the original Hot Sauce, to Extra Hot, Ginger, Garlic and SriRacha.

Managing director of the current Lingham & Sons (M) Sdn Bhd, Yeoh Jin Beng who took over the business in 2012, attributed its success to the brand's originality, quality, consistency, integrity and perseverance, which has enabled it to stand the test of time.

In an exclusive interview with Bernama, he said Lingham's longevity in history, way before competition stepped in, has somewhat strengthened its root in the country; deep and wide.

"If not because of the deep root and history that it has, I think Lingham's wouldn't be here today. The difference between the old food manufacturer and today's, is their thinking of sales.

"In the old days, people are thinking about how to survive. In order to be able to survive, the word integrity is there; the one that gives you the best product.

"We cook from the heart, not the pocket," he expressed passionately. By moving away from the profit-oriented intention to an integrity business has helped Lingham's deliver a great product without compromising the quality

although the price of its main star – chilli, is always on a swing, he explained.

General Manager Wendy Ng Wan Loo said although competition sprung like 'mushrooms after the rain' and created a stiff market, the increasing prices of raw materials were the biggest challenge to the company.

"Because of the legacy of the brand, we choose to stay true to the original recipe. And, because we use fresh ingredients, that is a challenge for us to be able to maintain the integrity of the brand and also to manage the cost.

"We don't just cut corners when times are tough," she maintained.

Yeoh said although the brand has been transporting more than 100 good years, the distinct taste of Lingham's chilli sauce had never ventured beyond its original recipe as its ingredients continued to be the juicy red chilli,

vinegar, sugar and salt.

Lingham's chilli sauce is Halal and free from genetically modified organisms, preservatives, gluten, colouring matter, artificial flavors, tomato puree and starch.

"People ask me what is Lingham's market share? I said zero because none in the market are original or almost natural. The rest (chilli sauce manufacturers) are not really chilli sauce as they added starch and colouring.

"This (Lingham's) is the real chilli sauce," he added.

Incidentally, Yeoh said Lingham's received a letter from grateful British soldiers who were merely following a proud tradition of packing the products in their rations that dated back to World War II, as well as, an appreciation letter from Buckingham Palace, complimenting Lingham's great sauce.

He pointed out that Lingham's chilli sauce bottle is now embossed with the brand name, a creative way to develop the sensational feeling of a traditional and iconic product.

Founder Lingham long sold his business to a Mr Ooi in 1945 so that he could return to his homeland, India.

Since taking over the 1978 incorporated Lingham & Sons (M) Sdn Bhd for the past four years, Yeoh said plenty of marketing activities have taken place aimed at creating more awareness for Lingham's, especially among the younger generation.

The company has collaborated with advertising and branding agency, Creative Republic, to advertise commercials on screens in cinemas across Malaysia.

After over 100 years, Lingham's got to be second to none.