OUR STORY
We specialise in fine food products from Portugal and other parts of Europe.
Merchant Brothers Pte Ltd was established in Singapore in April 2020 by José Rodrigues and Ray Poh as a trading company that specialises in fine food products from Portugal and other parts of Europe. The company was set up in partnership with the Rodrigues family that operates Sabores Alentejanos, a Macau distri butor that sources, markets and distributes European foodstuff throughout Macau, Hong Kong and China. With this knowledge of fine food products, Merchant Brothers aims to bring the Singapore palate on a gastronomical voyage to discover the taste of Portugal and more.
José had long shared his love for the Portuguese culture and tradition and often lamented the lack of Portuguese food products in the Asia region. His knowledge and passion for nature and agriculture led to his frequent trips back to his family’s hometown in the rural Alentejo region of Portugal. In 2015, he set up Casa do Porco Preto, a traditional Portuguese cuisine restaurant in the heritage area of Barra in Macau. With the understanding that good food stems from utlilising quality ingredients, José created one of the top Portuguese restaurants in Macau with the products he individually sourced and curated.
With this knowledge of fine food products, Merchant Brothers aims to bring the Singapore palate on a gastronomical voyage to discover the taste of Portugal and more.
Ray founded Merchant Brothers together with José after a 5-year stint in the casino gaming industry. He previously managed Weike Gaming Technology, a casino gaming machine manufacturer based in Singapore, as its Chief Operating Officer. In his foray into the gaming world, Ray also served as the former Vice President of Business Development for HKEX-listed Success Dragon International Holdings, specialising in casino gaming operations in Asia.
After leaving the industry, he embarked on a journey to explore food which led him towards setting up Artisan Green in 2017, an indoor hydroponics farm in Kallang, and subsequently Merchant Brothers in 2020, a food distribution company specialising in fine food products.
With this knowledge of fine food products, Merchant Brothers aims to bring the Singapore palate on a gastronomical voyage to discover the taste of Portugal and more.