The Plattering Co. almost closed twice. Now, it serves 100K visitors/yr.

Via a collection of pivots, The Plattering Co. navigated challenges & scaled efficiently

For years, catering in Singapore had largely remained purposeful, targeted on trays of meals and stainless-steel heaters moderately than presentation or expertise.

Then got here The Plattering Co., which payments itself because the city-state’s first artisanal bespoke caterer. Based by long-time buddies Yasmin Sim, Pearl Chan, and Jessica Lim, the trio crafts grazing tables, floral preparations, and immersive meals shows that prioritise presentation as a lot as style.

Paradoxically, catering wasn’t even their unique focus—a pivot from their different enterprise led the trio right here, and the gamble appears to have paid off: immediately, they serve over 100,000 folks a 12 months.

We spoke to Yasmin and Jessica of The Plattering Co. about how the enterprise happened and the way it’s reshaped Singapore’s catering scene.

An sudden begin

The journey to changing into a premium catering model serving over 100 thousand folks a 12 months started with one thing far less complicated: a house juicer.

In 2014, on the top of the juice cleanse development, Yasmin and Pearl began experimenting with cold-pressed juices. They first shared them with household and buddies, however orders quickly began to choose up. Jessica later joined the duo to assist handle operations.

As demand grew, they formally established their cold-pressed juice enterprise as Juix Up, shortly outgrowing their house setup and shifting into an workplace house. Inside a 12 months, that they had outgrown that too, increasing operations from a small unit in Marine Parade to a manufacturing unit in Mandai.

Past direct-to-consumer gross sales, the trio even secured B2B offers, together with a retail stocking at an airport chain.

Nevertheless, the velocity of progress outpaced their monetary planning. Overheads ballooned whereas utilities climbed, and large recurring orders didn’t are available as constantly as that they had hoped.

“We didn’t do our numbers correctly,” Yasmin admitted, noting they have been mentally ready to chop losses if issues didn’t enhance.

However a turning level quickly got here in 2018, when an everyday buyer requested if they may present meals—particularly, banana walnut muffins—to go together with their breakfast juices. Pearl, who liked experimenting within the kitchen regardless of having no formal F&B coaching, mentioned sure.

She rigorously plated the muffins and drinks in a crate, paired them with a chalkboard show and despatched them together with the juices. “Unexpectedly, the shopper instantly fell in love with the muffins and the entire presentation,” Yasmin recalled.

The identical shopper quickly started requesting extra elaborate choices—salmon platters, cheese boards, and styled grazing spreads. At a time when such curated platters have been nonetheless comparatively novel in Singapore’s catering scene, in response to the trio, Yasmin agreed to present it a attempt.

I’m an individual who by no means provides up on a request. If somebody asks for one thing I’ll by no means say no, I’ll simply say, ‘okay, let me let me let me attempt to do it for you.’

Yasmin Sim, co-founder of The Plattering Co.

There was no marketing strategy, no pitch deck, no formal technique. The founders merely responded to demand, refining their choices as they went. In Mar 2018, that strategy led to the launch of The Plattering Co.

They grew quick, however every thing got here to a halt nearly in a single day

For The Plattering Co., Pearl’s eye for aesthetics shortly grew to become the model’s signature. Picket boards changed stainless-steel trays, contemporary florals softened tablescapes, and colors have been deliberately curated—meals wasn’t simply served, it was styled.

Among the model’s now-iconic ideas started in private moments, just like the doughnut wall, impressed by Pearl’s marriage ceremony. In the course of the occasion, she displayed doughnuts on pegs, turning them into each an ornamental function and an interactive deal with for visitors.

The crew has since tailored related ideas for shoppers, together with the Pretzel Pipe Wall, nasi lemak bar, and taco bar, bringing creativity and interactivity to each occasion.

In the meantime, Yasmin and Jessica targeted on operations and funds. By 2019, the rising model had moved right into a 1,000 sq ft shophouse at Cavan Highway, carving out a distinct segment in artisanal catering. In addition they started progressively constructing a crew to assist day-to-day operations.

However every thing got here to a halt only a 12 months later, when COVID-19 worn out company buffet catering in a single day, with orders cancelled en masse. The income stream that sustained them vanished nearly immediately.

Yasmin even floated the concept of promoting rest room paper—something, simply to generate money movement. The stress was immense, and one other look into the potential for closing down hit the trio.

Nonetheless, the crew determined to push ahead for the sake of their workers’ rice bowls. Concepts have been thrown round, and the crew got here collectively to brainstorm for concepts.

They pivoted shortly. Among the new choices they launched included premium adorned breakfast packing containers and bento packing containers. Every got here with heartfelt greeting playing cards to shoppers as a present of assist within the midst of the pandemic. 

When eating restrictions capped gatherings at 4 to 5 folks, additionally they redesigned menus into smaller six-to-eight-person platters, leaning into B2C aggressively.

In 2021, the trio additionally launched creatively styled present hampers beneath a brand new model, Sage and Items. Slightly than standard festive baskets, these have been curated meals experiences packaged with the identical bespoke aesthetic as The Plattering Co. “For a interval, we grew to become a bespoke gifting enterprise,” Yasmin recalled.

The pivots helped the enterprise not simply survive however thrive. By 2022, annual income had almost quadrupled in contrast with pre-COVID ranges. That very same 12 months, the founders offered off Juix Up and moved right into a 2,000 sq ft central kitchen in Bedok to fulfill rising demand for his or her catering and gifting companies.

Since then, The Plattering Co. has served greater than 100,000 folks yearly throughout catering setups and drop-off orders. The pandemic, which almost shut them down for a second time, in the end compelled the reinvention that accelerated their progress.

In 2024, the founders made one other strategic resolution: they divested the hamper model as nicely, consolidating assets to focus squarely on their core catering identification.

Scaling the enterprise vertically & constructing complementary arms

The identical 12 months, the founders recognised that that they had reached a pivotal stage of their progress journey.

Conscious that scaling the enterprise would require deeper operational experience and structured management, they made the strategic resolution to deliver on board a Managing Director with 13 years of in depth expertise in meals methods and enterprise-scale enterprise transformation to drive the following part of enlargement.

At the moment, The Plattering Co. operates throughout roughly 11,000 sq ft, together with halal and non-halal central kitchens, floral operations, and warehouse amenities. The crew numbers 35 to 36 folks, with round 30% within the kitchen, and their buyer base is break up roughly three-fifths B2B and two-fifths B2C.

Acknowledging that The Plattering Co. occupies a premium section, usually catering to huge events, the founders have expanded the enterprise into a number of arms to achieve a wider demographic.

They launched sister model Caterwow to serve the halal and the mass market in 2024, alongside Singapore Meals Providers to offer white-label and OEM meals providers.

One other arm, Wildflower ArtCo., manages floral styling for weddings and occasions, whereas Kaizen Provide Chain oversees the operations of the corporate’s manufacturers and gives provide chain logistics providers to business friends.

Nevertheless, scaling a visually pushed model additionally presents its personal challenges. Sustaining consistency in execution, particularly replicating Pearl’s intricate handmade setups, grows more and more troublesome with giant volumes of orders.

As such, the crew has applied thorough coaching classes for workers to ensure that set-ups are consistent with The Plattering Co.’s requirements, whereas automating inner operations helps to streamline order flows and supply planning.

They’re additionally exploring AI-assisted processes to make sure construction and standardisation even when founders usually are not bodily current.

All these unencumber time for his or her crew to work on set-ups as an alternative.

Each setup includes meticulous planning—from the kind of flowers chosen to the scale of platters and color of tablecloths.

Catering, Jessica identified, is usually under-appreciated in its operational depth. It requires packing cutlery, holders, tables, crops; coordinating supply; full setup; tear-down; washing—all inside tight timelines. The premium pricing displays not simply the meals, however the labour choreography behind it.

“The best sense of feat after every setup comes when visitors cease to take photographs earlier than they eat,” Jessica mentioned.

Operationally, manpower stays one of many greatest challenges. Hiring the fitting match and aligning kitchen, logistics, and workplace groups round shared values is all the time a piece in progress.

Yasmin emphasised that even washers and drivers should perceive their significance in delivering the ultimate expertise to shoppers. On this regard, the trio ensures that they keep a robust work ethic amongst their crew members whereas sustaining a robust sense of that means within the office.

What’s subsequent for The Plattering Co.

Regardless of struggling losses in 2020, The Plattering Co. had constructed sufficient reserves to climate the storm. 

Trying again, Yasmin attributes their survival to not perfection however to adaptability and to readability of the model’s path.

The co-founder burdened the significance of humility no matter success. She believes in steady progress, emphasising that “When you’re not rising, you’re really dying.” 

That philosophy drove them to increase kitchens even when gross sales have been steady. It additionally drove troublesome selections—like promoting off each the juice and hamper companies—moderately than being sentimental about ventures that now not aligned.

Above all, she advocates staying genuine. “Belief your beliefs. Belief your values. Once you enable exterior affect to override your conviction, you lose readability and path.”

The Plattering Co almost closed twice. As a substitute, it developed from a house juicer in 2014 to a premium artisanal catering model serving over 100,000 folks yearly.

Trying forward, the trio plans to proceed being a “trendsetter” and being on the forefront of their craft. They’d even be open to increasing to abroad markets if the chance arises.

• Discover out extra about The Plattering Co right here.
• Learn different articles we’ve written on Singaporean companies right here.