WHEN Eddie Tan, 32, graduated from Culinary Studies, he was good at fine dining, not baking.
But his business (Instagram: @caketella) started to see success and Tan is now well known for his alcohol infused bakery products.
“Everything is difficult at first, but if your dream is big enough, nothing should hold you back,†said Tan, whose company is doing well even after nine years.
The increase in the number of casual bakers who have become bakery entrepreneurs is commendable because it is not easy to start a business from scratch.
Puteri Nur Alia started out by making cupcakes for friends.
Most home bakers are usually fueled by passion alone rather than knowledge of the industry.
Puteri Nur Alia Shafiqah Megat Azhar, 24, (Instagram: @aliaandhercakes) has started baking cupcakes for friends.
They kept asking and she complied, managing to earn up to RM1,000 a month, a significant amount for a student.
After completing her SPM, she pursued professional certification from a pastry school.
She now owns a party cake personalization business.
Nur Ain Saila started her bakery business by pure coincidence when she inherited a hand mixer at a time when there was a shortage of bread.
“I wanted to be a baker from an early age.
“When I was 12, I used to help my aunt bake cookies. From there, I realized my dream was to bake.
However, not all home bakers go to baking school; some stumble upon the homemade pastry.
This was the case with Nur Ain Saila Mohd Suhaimi, 35, who started her bakery business (Instagram: @ Rotee.KL) when she inherited a used blender after her family business closed for the pandemic.
“During that time there was a shortage of bread,†she recalls.
Ee, marketing manager of Rotee.KL, which now offers not only bread but also pastries.
“I started cooking because family and friends asked me if we could use the blender to bake bread for sale in our neighborhood.
“We received good feedback after that and Rotee.KL was born. “
In partnership with an experienced baker, Mohamad Nazrein Adnan, and marketing director Ee Hui Ting, Rotee.KL now offers not only bread but also pastries.
Basics for home bakers
Seeing the increase in the number of bakery entrepreneurs, Anchor Food Professionals has partnered with Kuali to develop an online learning platform called ‘Start Up’ to guide bakers through the process of opening their own. bakery business and equip them with the basics to become commercial.
Launched in November, the modules will include a repository of knowledge necessary for successful home bakers, covering topics ranging from baking science to entrepreneurial skills.
Not only that, Anchor and Kuali have created a baker list called “The Batter Place†to feature bakers – no platform cost – in the Kuali app.
Equipped with geolocation codes that recommend bakers within 40 km of a user’s smartphone, The Batter Place connects bakers with customers in their neighborhood.
Download the Kuali app today to try it out.
