Regardless of scoring straight As in junior school (JC), Jody Ang wished to take a while off earlier than college to discover her pursuits.
Having all the time been drawn to sweets and baking, she purchased her first oven throughout the break and spent numerous hours experimenting within the kitchen, quickly uncovering a pure aptitude for it.
In 2011, at simply 21 years outdated, Jody launched Grin Affair, a café that will have been the primary in Singapore to introduce jar truffles, setting her enterprise aside from the wave of latest cafés rising on the time.
Two years later, she handed the enterprise over to her brother to deal with her college research. But even after returning to high school in 2013, baking remained prime of thoughts.
Therefore, after graduating in 2018, she returned to entrepreneurship as soon as once more with Of us and Tales—a enterprise that, like her first, continues to flourish.
Of us and Tales’ early days
Of us and Tales is greatest identified for its cookies—soft-baked with evenly crisp edges and irresistibly chewy centres.
Nevertheless it didn’t begin out that approach. The model’s early days had been centred round a really completely different product: handmade granola bars, crafted with a powerful emphasis on pure components.
The inspiration got here from Jody’s college trade in Europe, the place she travelled extensively together with her then-boyfriend (now husband). Surrounded by contemporary native produce, the couple immersed themselves in cooking, going so far as shopping for a meals processor to make their very own nut butter and baking granola from scratch.
Whereas this expertise planted the early seeds for the enterprise, the granola bars sadly didn’t take off in Singapore’s market.
Therefore, they pivoted to cookies in 2018—an thought sparked by Jody’s companion’s love for the candy deal with.
Sustaining their deal with well being, Of us and Tales’ cookies are baked utilizing pure components free from chemical compounds and components, and crafted with premium elements like chocolate couvertures and browned butter.
Along with its soft-baked cookies, the model additionally gives different desserts equivalent to brownies and sablé cookies (French butter cookies). All of its choices are baked and bought on the identical day to ensure freshness.
Going viral one yr in
Jody initially launched Of us and Tales as an internet enterprise, promoting her cookies from a central kitchen. To develop her consumer base, she pitched her cookies as wedding ceremony door items at venues like CHIJMES, serving to the model achieve early traction.
After a couple of yr of regular progress, Of us and Tales went viral when influencer Cheryl Wee tried the enterprise’s choices. The surge in demand prompted Jody to open her first bodily outlet in 2019 underneath an HDB block at Stirling Street.
From then on, the enterprise has continued to develop, relocating a number of occasions through the years on account of varied elements. At present, Of us and Tales is predicated at Anchorpoint.
Through the years, Jody has dealt with nearly each side of the enterprise, from baking to even advertising and marketing, although she has now handed every day operations to her trusted workforce.
“Baking and cooking isn’t rocket science, however operating a enterprise is—it has so many transferring components,” she stated.
Maintaining with demand & rising prices
Coming from a non-F&B background, Jody has pressed on with Of us and Tales as a result of she beloved the craft. However the journey hasn’t been with out challenges.
Occasional hiccups, equivalent to printing errors, may be particularly tough because the model handles many customized orders tailor-made for gifting.
Particular events, like Christmas, can carry overwhelming demand. Throughout her first festive season, the bakery ran out of its signature six-cookie containers and needed to improvise by upgrading prospects to premium three-cookie containers, guaranteeing no compromise on presentation.
As well as, world financial headwinds have impacted the enterprise, with provide chain disruptions—partly pushed by ongoing world conflicts—pushing up the price of key components equivalent to dairy, flour, and eggs.
In 2023, Jody additionally felt the warmth of the worldwide chocolate scarcity, which additional added to rising prices. At one level, the scarcity was so extreme that she even needed to resort to sourcing chocolate from Amazon simply to fulfil vacation orders.
To cushion the blow, she launched a slight worth improve to assist the enterprise keep sustainable amid mounting ingredient prices.
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Regardless of these challenges, Of us and Tales has continued to carry out effectively.
Throughout peak intervals, Jody claimed that the enterprise sells over 10,000 baked items a month, with its highest single-day report exceeding 1,500.
Trying forward, she hopes to develop additional into the heartlands, bringing her handcrafted treats to a wider viewers.
And for aspiring F&B entrepreneurs, Jody gives this piece of recommendation:
When you’ve got the posh to check out one thing and you’ve got a bit of cash saved up already, then go for it—however actually do it. Simply begin with small steps like baking at house and achieve suggestions in regards to the meals from family and friends.
- Discover out extra about Of us and Tales right here.
- Learn different articles we’ve written on Singaporean companies right here.
Featured Picture Credit score: Of us and Tales/ Ms Wong by way of Google Opinions
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