Magnolia (Fraser and Neave brand) facts for kids
Magnolia is a well-known brand of dairy products. It is also called F&N Magnolia. A large company from Singapore named Fraser & Neave (F&N) owns this brand. You can find Magnolia products in Singapore and many other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. They are also sold in Asian supermarkets around the world.
History of Magnolia
How Magnolia Started
A company in Singapore called Cold Storage used to make a lot of ice. They were known as the Singapore Cold Storage Company. Because they were good at making ice and keeping things cold, they decided to start making ice cream. In 1923, they opened a small factory near the Harbourfront area. There, they made ice cream under the name "Paradise."
First Tropical Dairy Farm
In 1937, an Australian named Fred Heron, who worked for Cold Storage, started something special. He created the world's first dairy farm in a tropical place, in the Bukit Timah area of Singapore. This farm, called the Singapore Dairy Farm, aimed to produce fresh, pasteurised milk. Pasteurised milk is milk that has been heated to kill harmful germs, making it safe to drink.
The farm was located where the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve is today. It had about 800 cows! The fresh, pasteurised milk from this farm was put into pyramid-shaped cartons. This milk was then sold under the brand name Magnolia.
In the same year, Cold Storage made a deal with San Miguel Brewery. San Miguel already had a successful ice cream brand called Magnolia in the Philippines. Cold Storage Creameries Ltd. was then created. Cold Storage owned most of it, and San Miguel provided their knowledge for making ice cream. Because Cold Storage's ice cream became very popular, there was a disagreement later about who owned the Magnolia name in Singapore.
