Championing the desserts sector in Singapore

Sweet courses will always be part of the dining experience, be it a store-bought doughnut or a chocolate soufflé to end a luxurious meal. While depicted as sinful, some desserts are going the healthy route too, to an extent, to meet different consumer demands. 

Because the desserts sector is highly competitive, it thrives on innovation, says Sharon Tay, who is curator of Momolato Pte Ltd. Fortunately, makers like her have the Desserts Association Singapore (DAS) to support them. Ms Tay tells us more in this interview.   

What is the role of Desserts Association Singapore?

The food and beverage industry plays a vital role in Singapore’s economy, and desserts remain one of the most vibrant and thriving sectors in Singapore. The Desserts Association Singapore is founded to provide a conduit for people to connect, support, and share the extraordinary experience of everything desserts. The founding members of the Desserts Association Singapore come from all walks of the desserts industry – from desserts manufacturing, café / restaurant owners to ingredients and machinery suppliers.

We would like to and will be the quintessential voice for Singapore’s desserts sector.

Sharon Tay, curator, Momolato Pte Ltd

So far, what has the Association been able to accomplish for consumers and stakeholders?

Competition in the desserts industry is immense. Consumers welcome new ideas happily, and they are always excited to try the next new thing. There is always something new being explored / opened every other day. We see competition within the desserts industry as a key driver to more innovations.

We will be organising sharing sessions as well as courses and seminars to facilitate the flow of information and to see how technology and new innovations can propel players within the desserts industry further.

One of the major and pressing issues faced by desserts entrepreneurs (and in general F&B entrepreneurs) is the availability of resources. This is especially true with regards to human resources. Learning how to work with what we have, and to work efficiently will be something on everyone’s mind. 

With consumers turning to healthy products, can this be accomplished in desserts / sweets?

Absolutely. We noticed in recent years that consumers consider health to be a key factor when choosing desserts.

The desserts makers in Singapore have responded by making either interesting appealing flavours or healthier options that take into consideration allergens (lactose, gluten, etc) or both.

What are your hopes for the desserts sector with DAS's participation in the Equip&Dine Asia and SEAsiaCafeExpo?

The DAS was formed with clear strategy and strong directions to be the ultimate voice of the desserts industry in Singapore. We are jointly organising the country’s first-ever Singapore Gelato Championship to promote gelato culture via the Equip&Dine Asia andSEAsiaCafeExpo platform.

We intend to organise frozen and non-frozen desserts competitions in Singapore in an effort to both spread the word on desserts and establish benchmarks for quality in the country.