Seventy-eight years ago, today’s Vitasoy was born in wartime. As the war broke out, many people fled to Hong Kong to seek refuge. But they suffered from diseases due to the lack of nutrition. Vitasoy created its first product, soy milk, as a budget substitute for milk.
“Vita” represents vitamin, an essential element for health, which was also considered an advanced concept in the 1940s.
From the moment it was created, Vitasoy’s story is closely tied to Hong Kong society’s development and changes. Its local Hong Kong taste is unique and irreplaceable as it bears the memory of the older generation. More than nostalgia, it’s a heritage of Hong Kong, especially in today’s world.
Today, Vitasoy is known for its soy milk as well as the “addictive” lemon tea. But many people don’t know that Vitasoy also produced soda drinks at one time.
In the beginning, Vitasoy experienced a hard time opening the local market which was dominated by various soda drinks, such as Coca Cola and Schweppes Cream Soda. People at the time preferred sparkling water.
In the 1980s, Vitasoy produced and promoted its own soda drinks in four flavors: cola, cream, orange, and lemon. However, confronted with fierce competitions with multinationals Coca Cola, Pepsi and Schweppes, its production was suspended at around 2000.
Imitating other brands’ signature taste is not the best option to react to competitions, Vitasoy soon developed an original taste based on a special drink from Hong Kong: Lemon Tea.
Lemon Tea received huge success because it subtly balanced the bitter and astringent taste of tea with sugar and created the unique taste of Vita Lemon Tea.
What are the other stories behind Vitasoy development over the decades? How is its past related to Hong Kong society?
Let’s see how Vitasoy’s story unfolds:
Drink memory 