It all started from an idea to stop surplus fruits from going to waste, but it has now grown into Penang’s best-known food brands.
Founder Datuk Alias Ali created his own home-made honey-infused pickled fruit recipe in 1985, and started selling them in night markets and roadside stalls. Now Jeruk Madu Pak Ali has grown from a mere 3-person business to more than 100 employees in 4 production plants with 50 own retail stores.
Strong demand for his pickled fruits led to rapid production expansion, and the obtaining of MeSTI food safety certification followed by halal certification.
The first factory was built in 2008 and has since expanded into 4 adjoining production plants covering a combined 142,000 sq ft. These facilities have a combined production of 300 tonnes of pickled fruits per month but this is still unable to keep pace with rising demand. According to company in-house market research, local demand has reached 549 tonnes per month. Currently, the company is not even considering exports despite strong overseas enquiries.
To meet growing demand, the company has acquired 18 acres of land near Kubang Ulu, Seberang Perai Tengah in Penang for a proposed smart factory which it targets for completion by 2035. This facility will meet both local and international demand. It receives overwhelming export enquiries coming from countries like Singapore, Brunei and the Middle East.
Mohd Shahrul, PR representative from the company mentioned that it continues to combine modern food technology with years of research while preserving the traditional flavours customers have come to expect. Jeruk Madu Pak Ali is among 10 traditional trades featured in Penang Global Tourism’s traditional trades campaign this year, organised in collaboration with Penang Heritage Trust.
