The "Temp Project" That Became a 14-Year Pastry Business
Xiao-Ly Koh, Chef & Founder, Xiao By Crustz
06-Oct-25 10:00

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What started 14 years ago as a temporary home baking project has grown into Xiao by Crustz, a 7-figure patisserie. For founder Xiao-Ly Koh, the journey has been a constant balancing act between her identity as a chef and the demands of being an entrepreneur.
Chef and Founder Xiao-Ly Koh joins us to share her story. She discusses her mission to introduce modern French pastry to Malaysians, the strategic pivots she made along the way (from customised cakes to a rotating menu), and her journey from a home kitchen to a bustling 60-seater cafe with ambitions to hit RM10 million in revenue.
We discuss:
The 14-year journey from a home baker to a seven-figure business.
The balancing act: navigating the tension between being a chef and an entrepreneur.
The rotating menu strategy and the story behind her hero product, the "Kaya Toast."
The evolution from a home business to a full-scale retail store.
Her ambitious goal to reach RM10 million in revenue by expanding into new products.
For F&B founders and aspiring chefs, this is a deep dive into the realities of building a sustainable artisanal brand in a competitive market.
Produced by: Roshan Kanesan
Presented by: Roshan Kanesan
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Categories: Women in Business, SME, entrepreneurs, sponsored content
Tags: patisserie, artisanal business, F&B Business, entrepreneurship, sme malaysia,