PETALING JAYA: Sometimes even the best laid plans can be derailed, leading one down a path they never considered before.
Such was the case for Ann Gie Leong, 29, an aspiring chef who gave up lucrative job offers in Singapore, to rush home to be with family in Malaysia.
Speaking to FMT, the self-described introvert revealed that before she launched her online business called Hummingbird & Mallows Gelato, she was on track to becoming a professional chef in Singapore.
“I’ve always had a passion for the culinary arts,” she said, “but it wasn’t really supported by my family at first.”
An avid fan of cooking and food shows, Leong dreamed of becoming a chef despite her family’s apprehension.
Indeed, upon graduating, she already had job offers from a number of Singaporean hotels. But that promising start came to a screeching halt.
“On Chinese New Year in 2020, I found out that my sister had stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma.”
Then came more tragic news. That same year, Ann Gie’s mother was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.
“It was very scary,” recalled Leong. “The doctor was saying the prognosis was very poor. So, my first thought was to come back home first. My job could wait. I had to come home.”
Turning caregiver to two sick family members was physically and mentally exhausting, and to cope with her deepening sadness, she began to make gelato.
“I needed something to keep me going,” she said, adding that it had always been her private fantasy to own a gelato shop someday.
As the Covid-19 pandemic kept everyone at home, she decided to turn her love for gelato into a sustainable business.
“I saw an opportunity here because I saw there were not many gelato shops here in KL and not many small online businesses selling gelato,” she said.
However, dealing with the business side of things was particularly scary for her, she said, as she was more a ‘cooking’ person and less a business-minded one.
But her family stood by her as they could see how passionate she was about her new online business.
More importantly, before passing away in 2021, her late mother gave Leong her blessing. “I think she was proud of me,” said Leong, tearing up. “I think she saw the sacrifices I had to make.”
With family and friends cheering her on, she took the leap of faith. And given that her gelato business is doing well today, her efforts have clearly paid off.
The unusual flavours she offers actually makes sense in context. “Because I come from a pastry background, we do make a lot of flavour combinations in our desserts.”
“The flavours I have, they can be very different to my customers, but once you get to understand the combinations, you will actually enjoy them.”
She does joke that despite the unorthodox flavours she plays around with, she will never petai – ever!
In general, there are about nine flavours available throughout the year, with about four seasonal flavours.
Inspiration for flavours comes from any and many sources. “I had a very close friend whose mum loves ginger and she was like, ‘Can you do something with it?’”
Gifted a packet of ginger from her, Leong left it idle in the fridge for a bit. One experiment later, the top favourite, Okinawan Sweet Potato & Candied Ginger, was born.
And what of Leong’s future plans? “I’m looking forward to a physical store. Hopefully, it’s happening soon.”
As for now, Leong looks to focus on growing her little online business, creating gelatos which can brighten anyone’s darkest days.
Check out Hummingbird & Mallows Gelato on Instagram.