Serving up tips for success in F&B

(From left) Emcee Myrra Baity with panelists Lim, Nor Arieni and Syed Muhammad Adam.

THE fourth iteration of Kuali’s Bake and Make sparked important discussions on “Business Sustainability and Continuity” for food and beverage (F&B) businesses.

Broadcast live from Star Media Group’s Cybertorium at Menara Star in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, the hybrid webinar saw F&B startups explore aspects of effective business management with well-known industry players.

Bake & Make 4.0 highlighted how F&B businesses could traverse and thrive through an unpredictable industry landscape, especially due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Anchor Food Professionals Foodservice Southeast Asia general manager Jack Tan launched the seminar by explaining the challenges F&B enterprises, and businesses in general, faced today.

“The pandemic has proven that it is not enough to know how to start a business; driving business sustainability and continuity are just as essential,” he said.

The first segment of the programme hosted a discussion between an established bakery, an eatery and a culinary school executive on sustaining business operations, particularly with regard to supplier relations and trend adoption.

Gula Cakery founder and chief executive officer Nor Arieni Adriena Mohd Ritzal, who transformed her home-based bakery into a multi-outlet dessert empire, spoke on the importance of maintaining good organisational practices and rapport with suppliers.

“As a baker, it is crucial to know your product inside out: where ingredients come from, key measurements, shelf life, storage and the various ways they can be utilised to minimise costs.

“We also need suppliers to ensure smooth business operations, since good communication with our wholesalers ensures ready stock and high-quality products,” she added.

Joining Nor Arieni on the panel were Pasta Panas business development head Syed Muhammad Adam Syed Zainal Abidin and Academy of Pastry Arts Malaysia (APCA) executive pastry chef Lim Chen Keng.

On adopting upcoming trends, Syed Muhammad Adam said variety was at the heart of consistent quality control when jumping on the culinary bandwagon.

“Over time, customers develop different palates — we’ve even created different variations of the same pasta to accommodate evolving taste buds,” he added.

Lim said that identifying specific consumer trends, alongside effective creative thinking, goes a long way in sustaining a business when pursuing market swings.

“You have to identify what attracts your customers: you could consider localising your product by creating a comfort food for Malay-sians, or design a totally new hybrid dessert,” Lim advised.

Part two of Bake & Make 4.0 shifted gear towards brand value, marketing and expansion, inviting a new set of panellists on stage to take part in the discussion.

On boosting brand image, celebrity chef and entrepreneur Sherson Lian said he appreciated social media as a marketing tool but stressed that greater attention had to be given to the product.

“We’re living in a time where putting our products online is incredibly easy and accessible, to the point where it has become overdone.

“There is nothing wrong with spending money on advertisements, but social media has begun blurring the lines between what’s actually important and what’s not.

“The transaction itself should be an organic process, done willingly. Your product must first speak for itself,” Lian asserted.

Youth Ventures chief executive officer Hanif Marzuki Mohd Saupi said understanding one’s initial intention for starting a business was a helpful exercise when considering upscaling strategies.

“It’s important to reflect on why you started – in some cases, upscaling isn’t necessary when you are only serving your local community.”

Finally, Pop Meals chief executive officer Jonathan Weins emphasised the importance of bringing the focus back to customers and understanding their needs.

“Understanding where your consumers are is helpful in terms of replicating your service and finding a system that allows you to serve the same experience across the board,” he said.

The event ended with a cooking demonstration by Lian, who prepared a macaroni-and-cheese dish with smoked duck.