Foodlab seeks to work with foodpreneurs
KUALA LUMPUR: Foodlab, a social enterprise that provides kitchen space with basic commercial equipment, seeks to work with foodpreneurs to create a presence for their brands in both offline and online spaces.
Co-founder Zahaby Zainuddin said the key proposition is the proactive role the company plays in helping foodpreneurs connect to business clients.
This includes supporting them in marketing, packaging and essential assistance in accounting, sales tracking and business registration.
“Foodlab targets new and micro food entrepreneurs aged 18 to 35. However, the company is also open to food entrepreneurs over 35 years old with the requirement that they employ youths as kitchen helpers.
“These include those who may have some experience such as home-cooked meal business operators, food stall operators or hawkers, as well as those who may have had exposure to culinary businesses, food service and food science,” he told the New Straits Times.
Zahaby the company offers competitive and affordable membership packages for foodpreneurs.
The types of passes include day pass, flexi pass and retail kitchen pass for foodpreneurs who wish to supply to Petronas Dagangan Bhd’s Kedai Mesra, and a virtual pass for foodpreneurs who wish to leverage food delivery services
to sell their products.
To date, 25 foodpreneurs have benefited from these since the company began operations in September last year.
Zahaby said Foodlab’s marketing arm aims to enable market access for foodpreneurs in the business-to-consumer and business-to-business segments.
He said upon joining the Social Enterprise Education Lab (SEEd.Lab), its mission was clear — to combat youth unemployment
and address the pain points of the community.
“When the pandemic hit, it strengthened our purpose, which became the drive for the team behind Foodlab. It was imperative that the business set-up was able to create employment and uplift the economy.”
Zahaby said one of the challenges for the team in the initial stage was the inability to get closer to the ground due to the Movement Control Order (MCO).
He said the team was not able to conduct extensive user research.
“After the launch of Foodlab, another round of Conditional MCO was implemented.
“The search for foodpreneurs also hit a roadblock. The team was not able to engage foodpreneurs as many were hesitant to scale their production during this period.”
He said Foodlab has plans to expand in the Klang Valley and across the country.