Sweet Spot
Food Culture Singapore founder John Cheng on how the e-commerce platform seeks to help local brands increase their reach to the world
Born of a need to ride out the pandemic, Food Culture Singapore is the brainchild of John Cheng, the third‑generation owner of sugar manufacturer Cheng Yew Heng, and director of Singapore’s first food incubator Innovate 360. He tells us more about it.
How did Food Culture Singapore come about?
Cheng Yew Heng’s products for the retail market, such as the Jewels Rock Sugar Sticks, are in travel retail, so we had to pivot when Covid‑19 hit. But instead of creating an e‑commerce platform selling only Jewels products, we decided to help the start‑ups under Innovate 360, which are facing the same issues—and we started Food Culture Singapore last year, officially launching it on National Day this year.
More than just an e‑commerce platform, Food Culture Singapore is catered not only to start‑ups, but also heritage brands. We are focused on premium food gifts, grocery and crafts. So far we have about 33 brands and more than 100 SKUS (stock‑keeping units, which refer to separate products). We hope to increase this number to 100 brands within the next year.
How are you helping Singapore food brands increase their reach?
We have three main pillars: to help brands go digital with one‑stop solution from payment to last‑mile delivery, and even product photography and digital marketing; connect with consumers online through brand stories and offline through experiential pop‑ups; and go global by helping them improve their offerings and connecting them with overseas distributors. We also want to help Singaporeans discover local brands and know more about their heritage and innovation. The platform is also for those who want to know more about Singapore through our interesting food culture.
Where do you hope to take Food Culture Singapore?
We want to be recognised as the go‑to platform for Singapore brands, and for people to discover all the interesting products that we have. But at the same time, the long‑term plan is to expand beyond Singapore to create different food cultures around the world.