Russian Aficionados

Brought together two friends with deep insights into Russia.

Russell Wee, director at Jean Yip Group, is one of the few Singaporeans I know who can converse in Russian. We visited Tan Wang Cheow at his new office.

I first met Wang Cheow nearly 25 years ago when he took instant coffee manufacturer Food Empire public. In the early 1990s, he created demand for coffee in traditionally tea-loving Russia. Today, it’s flagship brand MacCoffee dominates the market there with a 60% share, far ahead of Nestlé’s 20%.

Food Empire produces around 7 billion packs of instant coffee annually, with MacCoffee now sold in over 60 countries.