BANGI: Outdoor activities are gaining traction among adventurous youths, who often travel in groups for expeditions, to get closer to nature while staying fit and healthy.
The strenuous activities often require a lot of energy. Thus, food must be readily available for consumption.
To make food preparation easy, Brahim’s, a renowned brand specialising in ready meals and ready-to-eat cooking sauces, launched its adventure meal packs to cater to this group of active individuals on Dec 20.
The food does not contain added preservatives, MSG and artificial colouring. It lasts up to 24 months when kept at room temperature.
Dewina Holdings Sdn Bhd group managing director Nur Fatin Ibrahim said the new products are the All Day Adventure Pack that come with a selection of chicken set or beef set and a one meal set.
“The items which include rice, boneless chicken or beef, need to be prepared by boiling it in water for seven to nine minutes or by using an innovative self-heating pad for 10 to 12 minutes with only 70ml of water,” she said.
The self-heating pad is sold separately by Brahim’s.
Fatin said if there was a microwave at any of the hotel room during one’s travel, it takes only two minutes to prepare the food.
She said Brahim’s has been a preferred choice for consumers on the go as the menu selections appeal to local tastes, and are affordable and halal.
Fatin said the adventure pack is priced at RM30 for a chicken set while a beef set costs RM33, one meal set (RM14) and self-heating pad (RM6).
“The set also comes with black glutinous rice dessert, instant drink packet and cutlery set,” she said.
Prior to the product launch, Fatin said Brahim’s organised a one-day mountain climbing trip to Gunung Nuang for 50 hikers.
“We received good feedback for the products. They really enjoyed savouring local favourites of nasi goreng kampung and daging masak hitam,” she said.
Fatin said with this great feedback, they decided to launch the products which will be sold at secondary schools’ cooperatives, outdoor shops, as well as travel agencies beginning January next year.
At the moment, the adventure pack is not available at supermarkets or hypermarkets.
“We are targeting a minimum of 10,000 sets to be sold next year,” she said.
She said the adventure meal sets were a result of two years of research and development by Brahim’s since 2015.
On the same day, the Brahim’s Shoppe was also opened at Dewina Food Industries Sdn Bhd in Bandar Baru Bangi.
“We are opening this shop for families to make bulk purchases for their camping or travelling. They will also enjoy a discount,” she said.
She said for the adventure pack, only registered agents will be eligible to purchase the items at a special price.
Dewina Trading Sdn Bhd sales and marketing manager Mohamad Fazil Othman said the outdoor shop and school’s cooperatives were a new distribution channel for them.
“We are targeting secondary schools’ cooperatives nationwide as the students are active in uniform bodies and co-curriculum activities,” he said.
He said Brahim’s products are easy to prepare. Except for water, they do not require additional ingredients.
The packaging is also durable and light for travelling during outdoor activities.
One of the hikers, who attended the launch, Muhammad Amir Mu’im Mat Isa, said the new products shorten their preparation time.
“A hiker needs to consider the terrain of the hills or mountain they want to hike. An expedition may consist of a group of 15 to 25 or more people depending on the terrain,” he said.
Amir said preparing food for hiking requires technique and experience.
“For example, one of the ways is to deep-fry the chicken, filter the oil and freeze it. One can reheat the item later,” Amir said.
Amir said freelancers might have ample time to prepare food but it might be tedious for workers with limited off-days.
His friend, Ezmir Shafiq found the self-heating pad to be very convenient as it is light and only requires water for heating.
“Furthermore, as the food is packed, the water will not come into contact with the ingredients inside the packaging, thus ensuring cleanliness of the food,” he said.
Ezmir said not having to wait for the water to boil also saves a lot of time for hikers.
“Usually, we will bring a portable gas stove. However, there is a danger when we keep it near the tent in the event of a leak,” he said.
During the event, there was a cooking demonstration for the new products.
Guests were impressed with the range of products, food preparation and tasty selection.
Present was Dewina Holdings Sdn Bhd director Datin Seri Dr Hiryati Abdullah.
Brahim’s Shoppe is open from 9am to 6pm from Monday to Saturday. It is closed during lunch hour from 12.30pm to 1.30pm and on Sunday and public holidays.