\n Lach\u00e9r Patisserie\u2014an online Malaysian patisserie specialising in French desserts and bringing you the convenience of enjoying these desserts right from the comfort of your home! Yins, Seng Kian, and Chef Pang are the esteemed co-owners of this patisserie in the township of\u00a0Kota Damansara.
\nDirector Kian, the easygoing chap in charge of the operational side of things; Marketing Director Yins, the beauty-with-brains lady boss; and Chef Pang, the humble father of two, have got a charm of their own, which makes getting to know them a lot more irresistible!
\nPlus, many of our followers on social media often have questions about the brand, so hey presto! We\u2019ve got the bosses to squeeze us in for a short Q&A sesh! Let\u2019s hear what they have to say about life as business owners.
\n1. Why did you start Lach\u00e9r Patisserie? Was it always a dream of yours to open a patisserie?
\nKian: Chef Pang and I always planned to have a dessert-related business even though we didn\u2019t know what kind of desserts we intended to sell at the time. That\u2019s why at the very beginning of our planning, there was no patisserie in our name, just Lach\u00e9r. And fun fact, Chef Pang and I used to talk about opening an F&B business in secondary school! Around 2018, the 3 of us wanted a change of direction in our careers and somehow, our paths crossed. And we started coming up with ideas to see what kind of business we could start.
\nYins: I\u2019ve always loved desserts ever since I was young. The first time I visited Paris, I was impressed by their pastries because I had never had desserts like that before! I actually never thought of having an F&B business until I talked to Kian. When we were exploring ideas, we did not think of French pastry at first, but every idea before that just didn’t feel right until it reached a point where I thought to myself, \u201cWhy not open a patisserie?\u201d Because Kian and I were always so impressed by Parisian desserts and Chef has the skill! I knew this was the right one.
\nChef Pang: When they talked to me about making this business happen, I knew it was the right time for me to go back to Malaysia. Of course, I had this worry, \u201cWhat if it doesn\u2019t survive?\u201d because I had a family to think about. But I decided to give it a shot.
\n2. How did Lach\u00e9r Patisserie start?
\nKian: We started in a very small kitchen (400+ sqft) in 2019 with very limited capital. We started everything online via our website and social media. We offered (and still do) only delivery and pickup, and started expanding in 2020. Many times, our kitchen was too small to handle the number of orders we were getting. Because of low storage capacity, limited equipment, and a short number of staff, to name a few, we had to look for a bigger kitchen.
\n3. Do you guys have an investor or are you self-financed?
\nYins: Self-financed by all 3 of us.
\n4. How did you come up with the name \u2018Lach\u00e9r’?
\nKian: We wrote down multiple French words and combined them until we got a nice and simple one\u2014Lach\u00e9r. Doesn\u2019t really have much meaning to it.
\n5. How did you know each other?
\nKian: 3 of us are from the same hometown\u2014Segamat, Johor. Chef Pang and I knew each other since we were kids.
\n6. How did you choose to become partners? What is your dynamic?
\nChef Pang: It\u2019s more like fate, I\u2019d say. It was like our paths were meant to cross and we were meant to work together. We did not analyse much of what working together would be like. It just felt right. We work really well together too! Before proceeding with anything, there\u2019s always solid communication\u2014nothing was held back, and effective planning.
\nYins: We were confident in each other, our values aligned and we respect each other. Even though I\u2019m much younger than them, we see each other as equals.
\n7. What motivated you guys to start a business?
\nKian: We\u2019re customers too. We have wants and needs, just like everyone else. And there may be people out there who want the same things as we do too. But since we couldn\u2019t find what we wanted in the market, why not create and sell them ourselves right? So that\u2019s what we did. In a way, we wanted to serve ourselves! (laughs)
\n8. How was life before starting this business?
\nYins: It changed a lot. My previous job required me to travel often. I never stayed in Malaysia for more than 3 months. When I was back, I had more free time and used the time to travel around to other countries (for leisure). After starting this business, I work almost every day. I actually didn\u2019t expect to have the kind of lifestyle I have now, and it really is different from my life before.
\n9. Where were you trained?
\nChef Pang: I learnt all my pastry skills from working experience after dropping out of high school. I did not graduate from pastry school. I worked at bakeries before moving to Singapore and meeting my mentor. Singapore was where I was introduced to the world of French pastry. My mentor taught me most of\u00a0my French pastry skills which required years of practice and patience.
\n10.\u00a0Is what you studied in university and your previous working experience completely different from what you are doing now?
\nYins: Yup, I\u2019ve got a Maths degree which has no relation to the F&B field, and I started a small online business shortly before my graduation.
\nKian: Mine\u2019s a degree in Multimedia Design and I worked as a web designer previously.
\n11. How does your previous experience benefit you now?
\nYins:\u00a0It benefits me a lot\u2014from my travel experiences to the frustration of not having a proper system in my previous online business. I think everything in life will somehow be connected to the point you are in life right now.
\nKian: Chef Pang and I previously invested in an F&B business.\u00a0That was my first time stepping into this sector and it wasn\u2019t a good outcome. I have learned so much from\u00a0that painful experience and therefore, I wanted to manage\u00a0a business by myself.
\n12. What is something you know now that you didn’t know then?
\nKian: A lot. Among them is a deeper understanding of the pastry field. Not only taste-wise, but every technique behind a pastry, and how every combination of textures and flavours affect each other.
\n13. Do you guys argue a lot?
\nYins: I don\u2019t think we have argued before, but we have had moments where our opinions differed. We\u2019re human. We don\u2019t and won\u2019t always see eye to eye, but we always easily come to a conclusion that all 3 of us agree on. Lach\u00e9r is a blend of all 3 of our personalities, and the mutual decision that blossoms out of our differing opinions perfectly describes our personalities combined.
\n14. How do you come up with flavour ideas and how long does it take?
\nChef Pang: We try to focus on the flavours we don\u2019t have on the menu. Sometimes, we come out with a completely new flavour combination that we want to introduce to our customers.\u00a0Either way, we always try to make every new product stand out in its own way. So, they cannot be too similar. Every R&D is a long process. The taste, flavour, and design must be approved by all three of us.
\n15. Was it easy starting this business? What was the biggest hardship?
\nYins: Not at all. We did not have any finances. When we first opened and uploaded pictures on our social media, we were flooded with support from our family and friends. But after a month, it became pretty quiet. At the same time, we realised that many Malaysians\u00a0were not familiar with French desserts. Yes, we were concerned about sales, but at the\u00a0time, we were still experimenting with ways to market Lach\u00e9r. Looking back now, we were rather chill. As time went by, we knew what wasn\u2019t working, and what was. It took a lot of trial and error. It was a slow and steady ride, but we let time work its magic. Eventually, we figured out our marketing direction and path, and we started gaining customers.
\nKian: When the pandemic hit, everything ran at a faster pace. There were a lot of things we improved within the shortest amount of time because orders started coming in. Things such as the website, the back-end system, arrangement of drivers, etc. When you handle 10 orders, you don\u2019t see the problem. But when you handle 30 orders, problems arise. And we have to solve them as soon as possible while still having to work on many other things at the same time. I remember having to pre-plan the morning deliveries every day until midnight and then wake up early in the morning to go to work.
\nChef Pang: At the start of Lach\u00e9r\u2019s journey, we did not have all the machinery and tools we wanted to create the desserts because we had low finances. The air-conditioner we had was not strong enough to make the room cold (which made it harder to work with chocolate), and we did not have a dough sheeter to make tarts. I hand-rolled all the dough. A lot of adjustments had to be made. Back then, I made the cakes while Kian and Yins helped with the washing, cleaning, and measuring of ingredients while still working on managing and marketing Lach\u00e9r. We all worked until 10pm on most days. We couldn\u2019t get sick, and hardly ever took off days.
\n16. How do you guys balance work and life?
\nAll: We don\u2019t! (all laughs)
\nYins: It was never balanced\u2014even up till now! But the good news is that we are changing this lifestyle because we know it cannot be like this forever. It is definitely an unhealthy lifestyle, but I guess it is an unavoidable stage, especially during the first few years of starting\u00a0a business.
\n17. What is next for Lach\u00e9r? Will you have new outlets, or delivery to other states?
\nKian: What\u2019s coming next is Lach\u00e9r moving to a bigger kitchen! We\u2019ve been dealing with the kitchen renovation for months now and hopefully, we’ll be able to move in within the next 2 months. The new kitchen will definitely open up many new possibilities for us, so stay tuned!
\n18. Would you open for dine-in soon?
\nChef Pang: We don\u2019t think so because dining in is really different from our current operations. Currently, we will still focus on delivery and pickup to bring more convenience to Malaysians. One of the main challenges when it comes to having dining-in services is preserving the quality of the cakes because our cakes have a very short shelf-life.
\n19. Why are your cakes so expensive?
\nKian: It depends on which market you are putting our brand in. Our price range is definitely above the traditional bakery. I believe one of the reasons for this is because most of our ingredients are imported and the quality we choose has a higher price range as well. In every R&D process, we always have to find a balance between giving premium tastes while still controlling the prices so that they won\u2019t be too high.
\n20. How did you deal with the recent inflation?
\nChef Pang: I think many of us got the impact. We have been through this price adjustment from suppliers more than 3 times since MCO. We try to hold the price by ordering more stock or by partially absorbing them. But sometimes, the adjustment percentage is really high which is why we have to increase our prices.
\n21. What do you think about self-improvement books? Are there any that have helped you? Are you currently reading any books?
\nYins: Yes! Some of the books I\u2019ve read are, \u2018Ali Baba\u2019, \u2018The 4-Hour Work Week\u2019, and \u2018#Girl Boss.’ I\u2019m currently reading \u2018The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.’
\nChef Pang: I read a lot of books by pastry chefs so that I can keep up with the pastry world and get inspired. At the same time, I learn a lot of new things which are very valuable to me as a pastry chef.
\nKian: I am more of a movie\/TV show person. I enjoy learning about a company\u2019s story which is why I enjoy \u2018The Founder\u2019, \u2018The Social Network\u2019, \u2018The Dropout\u2019, \u2018We Work,\u2019 etc. It\u2019s very valuable and I learned a lot.
\n22. Best advice for anyone wanting to start a business?
\nYins: Be authentic and trust yourself. Insist on what you want and keep persisting until you see the results you want. Your gut knows best!
\nKian: Do what you know with a plan and focus on what you\u2019re good at. Most importantly, persevere!
\nChef Pang: Like Nike says, \u2018Just do it!\u2019 Everyone feels like they are not ready, but if you don\u2019t start, you won\u2019t know. At the same time, don\u2019t start too early without first having any experience or knowledge of what you plan to do. Take the risk, but be wise at the same time!
\n23. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
\nChef Pang: Resting more, and spending time with family.
\nYins:\u00a0Didn’t think of this yet, maybe travelling around?
\n24. Happiest memory with each other.
\nYins: At our first shop, when there were only the 3 of us working. We were working super closely with each other! Even though I am\u00a0not the one who bakes, I assisted Chef (Pang) a lot at that time! (laughs)
\nChef Pang: I remember when the sales were just coming in. We used to get only 5-10 sales and we celebrated that achievement like it was the best thing to ever happen to us!
\nKian: A lot of good memories back there, where the office and kitchen were just one step away. Technically our office back then was just a table with a few chairs. (laughs)
\n25. Describe each other\u2019s personalities in one word.
\nYins: They are both chill and easygoing guys!
\nChef Pang: Yins is thoughtful, and Kian is patient.
\nKian:\u00a0This is hard. I’d say, Chef is reliable, Yins is creative.
\n26. What was the most difficult\/challenging thing to learn?
\nKian: Management. I think managing a team and dealing with people is challenging because we\u2019re all different.
\nYins: It\u2019s also important to find a balance in everything we do.
\nChef Pang: I would say the R&D process because we need to take many things into consideration.
\n27. What is your favourite dessert?
\nYins:\u00a0It changes from time to time. My current favourite is our latest seasonal\u00a0flavour\u2014Black Forest!
\nChef Pang: Tarte Tatin!
\nKian: Our next creation! (all laughs)
\n28. Were your parents supportive of you?
\nYins: My parents weren\u2019t as supportive but they\u00a0didn’t\u00a0stop me.
\nKian: Mine were always supportive as long as I wasn\u2019t doing anything illegal. (laughs)
\nChef Pang: My mom was worried and kept nagging at me when I decided to quit my job in Singapore and start a business in KL, but it didn\u2019t really affect me much.
\n29. Do you see yourself as a stricter chef or stricter father?
\nChef Pang: Stricter chef, definitely!
\n30. Finish the sentence: Pastry in the future looks like…
\nChef Pang: More varieties! There\u2019s so much you can do with flavours and textures. And there are many creative people out there. I see pastry becoming even more diverse!<\/p>\n
There you have it!
\nHaving come this far in just 3 years goes to show how hard work, dedication, discipline, teamwork, and respect can take you to great heights. It\u2019s not easy running a business while still juggling other tasks, but I can confidently say, as an employee, that they do a phenomenal job in finding a balance between managing a business and preserving the well-being of the team\u2014some of the greatest qualities a leader should have. Always involved, yet always on the go, Yins, Kian, and Chef Pang are changing the French dessert scene in Malaysia!
\nRead more on the chef here: Meet The Chef Behind Our Cakes <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Lach\u00e9r Patisserie\u2014an online Malaysian patisserie specialising in French desserts and bringing you the convenience of enjoying these desserts right from the comfort of your home! Yins, Seng Kian, and Chef Pang are the esteemed co-owners of this patisserie in the township of\u00a0Kota Damansara. Director Kian, the easygoing chap in charge of the operational side of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1243,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1242","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-snacks"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1242"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1242\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanabaking.snipsglow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}