Su Ean of HealthySu Kitchen shares her story, her brand, and why her products are the perfect mainstay for any kitchen. With health on the horizon, 2023 is slated to be a wholesome and happy year indeed!
We speak to Su Ean of HealthySu Kitchen about why she started her brand, what drives it forward, and why she thinks we can all stand to eat healthier!
Tell us about yourself and why you were inspired to start HeathySu Kitchen!
I’m from Subang Jaya and Kuala Lumpur, where I went to school and college, graduated with a Bachelors’s Degree in Business Management, and worked a full-time job. I was living life to the fullest, a very happy-go-lucky person with nothing to worry about in life. I loved traveling every year and visiting different parts of the world was my dream. But, only a year after I started to work, I was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer at the age of 24. My world was turned completely upside down. I quit my job and underwent surgery and chemotherapy to regain my health.
As much as cancer has taken away from me, it has also paid me back in life lessons that pushed me to grow and re-examine my life. I have discovered ways of leading a more meaningful and fulfilling life. After my cancer diagnosis, I found happiness in helping others. I found my passion for cooking. It brings me joy when people are able to enjoy and experience real healthy food.
The knowledge and experiences I’ve gained and the ability to help and educate others about bettering their health have been very fulfilling and rewarding. Live fully and with purpose and intention ❤️
Related: Gluten Free Cookies To Make Your Halloween Healthier
What’s your top-selling product, and which is your personal favourite? Why?
My strawberry cashew butter is our best seller. It’s made with only 2 ingredients with no sugar added! It’s like strawberry jam, but buttery. It’s naturally sweet and a little tart, which makes it everyone’s favourite!
I don’t have any personal favourites, to be honest! I love all of them 🙂
What’s the difference between HealthySu Kitchen products and those widely available in the market?
We try to come up with different flavours that aren’t in the market, such as our Strawberry Cashew Butter, Cashew Coconut Butter, and Orange Cashew Butter. We’re definitely going to create more flavours in the future.
Also, I’d like to add that our nut butters are always freshly made upon order, so we usually take a certain amount of pre-orders before starting production. We definitely have many regular customers because they know that our products are always freshly made, compared to those in supermarkets that have been on the shelves for some time. And most importantly, our products are made without sugar or other sweeteners. We try to make them as baby-friendly as possible!
Lastly, we roast our nuts at very low temperatures and stone-grind them, which creates minimal friction! This allows the temperature of the nuts to be maintained at low levels throughout, preserving most of the nutrients.
What’s one thing you hope your customers will take away from encountering or trying your products?
I hope that they will be able to enjoy good and honest food. And most importantly, achieving a healthy body through an appropriate diet!
What’s your favourite way to use your products?
The possibilities are endless! Here are some of our favourite ways to enjoy them: spread on toasted bread or sourdough, drizzled on your pancakes or waffles, spooned into your morning smoothie, in oatmeal or yogurt, with an apple or a banana, or eaten straight out of the jar! You can also add them to your baked goods or turn them into salad dressings!
Share with us the nicest thing someone has ever said about HealthySu Kitchen products!
There are too many! One of the feedbacks about our strawberry butter was that “It brings nut butter to a whole new level, it gives a pinch of this berry sourness that totally complements the texture of the nut butter”. Another said, “I should’ve bought more, it’s so good!”. And yet another said, “Thank you for making such healthy nut butters. My baby loves it”. It definitely makes my day knowing that people enjoy the butters I make!
Why do you think it’s important for Malaysians to adopt healthier eating habits? How do you hope HealthySu Kitchen can make a difference?
Over time, when you make healthy decisions about food, you are at a lower risk for many types of diseases. You will have more energy, feel better, and may even find yourself in a better mood on a daily basis.
I believe in the power of food as medicine, because what you eat and drink really matters. No refined sugar, no artificial flavors, colours, preservatives, GMOs, and hidden ingredients. Better food means better living.
How do you create a balance between your work and your personal life?
I think there is no ‘perfect’ work-life balance. The phrase can mean different things to every individual. For me, it means ensuring I have proper time management and planning my schedule accordingly. And I always make sure that I get my self-care routine in weekly.
Tell us about some challenges you faced when you first started your brand! How did you overcome them?
It was when orders started pouring in that I realised I did not have the capability to fulfill all of them. I was using my own home blender, and it would constantly get overheated. I would have to wait a few hours to continue again. That’s when I decided to invest in a bigger machine, with the help of my parents who are my biggest supporters and investors!
How did the pandemic impact your brand? Do you think the local Malaysian community helped to keep microbrands alive with the trending #sapotlokal hashtags?
Let’s be honest. The pandemic has been hard on all of us. But my brand was started because of the pandemic. And it has been growing ever since, which I’m entirely grateful for. The community really did help a lot and was pretty supportive!!
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