KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 — Overnight oats can be such a boon for the time starved but health conscious. Its very name suggests all the work is done the evening prior; all one has to do is grab a jar out of the fridge the next morning, pour it into a bowl then grab a spoon.
It can get a tad monotonous, however. For fans of Spread Cheers, a homegrown maker of alcohol-infused jams, one way to level up this breakfast staple would be with a dollop of Mixed Berries Bathed in Brandy jam.
Fruity, complex, subtly sweet — it’s a very adult taste for a more worldly and refined breakfast. Who would have thought?
For Spread Cheers founder Richard Soo, who had studied law before starting an event management company with his sisters, making alcohol-infused artisanal jams is both a creative pursuit as well as a way to explore something different.
Happily married with two teenage children, the 54-year-old entrepreneur shares, “Although entirely unrelated to what I studied in college, business has proven to be a true passion of mine; I’ve come to find with these experiences that a 9-to-5 office job is simply not for me.”
It was during a work trip to Tasmania that Soo first discovered alcohol-infused jams. He recalls, “By adding liquor to jam, the depth and complexity of flavours are considerably enhanced. I remember burning a hole in my wallet buying as many as I could to bring home to KL — they were that good.”
Once home, Soo and his family eagerly paired the alcohol-infused jams with roast chicken; a dish that soon became their new comfort food. The only problem was the exorbitant cost of the boozy preserves, not to mention the fact they were not readily available locally.
“Because of the pandemic, we could not travel,” Soo says. “That meant no replenishment for our favourite novelty spread. With the lockdowns, my work in event management came to a screeching halt. At this point, new online businesses were all the rage and our alcoholic jams were the first to come to mind.”
So began the journey of this “accidental” entrepreneur who is now spreading festive cheer all year round with his sophisticated and flavourful alcohol-infused fruit jams. After researching online, Soo and his wife came up with their own recipes that use more fruits and less sugar with no preservatives.
He says, “Although a little runnier compared to off-the-shelf brands (because we use less pectin, a thickening agent), our jams comprise cooked down, pure fruit and high-quality liquor. I personally believe that a good liquor is key to acquiring the best taste — cheaper liquors just aren’t as satisfying.”
Every jar of their alcohol-infused jams is painstakingly made by hand, Soo says. “We cut the rinds of lemons and oranges and soak them in whiskey. Our jams are cooked in small batches, hand stirred and manually bottled.”
Spread Cheers was first launched in 2021, right after Chinese New Year. Soo began only with two fruit based jams and debuted them on Facebook. It was a careful move, designed to test the waters before expanding if response proved encouraging.
He recalls, “We were really fortunate to have the support of our friends and family, who bought them as gifts during Chinese New Year. The business grew as more and more people tried them out.”
The operations, as per many a lean start-up, were very bootstrapped. Soo says, “We started with a small budget, buying only what we needed and used whatever resources we had at hand. For one, we had a small collection of liquor sitting untouched at home and so decided to make use of them in our first few batches of jams.”
Bootstrapping also means roping in whoever is at hand and who can help. Or as they might say, the family that works together, grows together. Part of the learning curve meant adjusting accordingly — to accommodate and harness each other’s strength. Patience is key.
Soo says, “My wife would assist with the finer detailed work such as order tracking while I manage the entire cooking process. Our son assisted in labelling and packing. Our young daughter has amazing photography skills; all photos and videos are entirely taken and edited by her.”
The Drunken Bacon Jam series has been a favourite with customers. Soo shares, “For our Drunken Bacon Jam with Irish Stout, I wanted to achieve the savoury flavour of the smoked bacon, caramelised by the malt with spices adding a different dimension.”
Based on feedback, Soo adjusted the recipe to give the texture more texture while making it more spreadable too. He adds, “Making these jams is a time consuming process — onions, shallots and garlic are all hand minced; the bacon is sorted to ensure the fat and lean meat are of the right ratio; also the bacon is fried until crispy before we mix everything together.”
The extra effort seems to have paid off; today the Drunken Bacon Jam with Irish Stout flavour tops the list of their best-selling jams. To further capitalise on this demand, Soo has since added two new flavours — Hot Bacon Jam in Irish Stout and Whiskey-soaked Cranberries in Bacon Jam to the range.
Soo is also expanding the range of their offerings using the jams as a base for frozen cooked dishes. He says, “Our Guinness Pulled Pork, which my wife cooks with our Rum-soaked Raisins in Apple Jam, is quite popular. We have had customers saying that it is even better than what they tasted overseas!”
There are myriad ways to enjoy these luxurious preserves. Besides the overnight oats mentioned earlier, the Mixed Berries Bathed in Brandy jam could easily be one of the layers in a fruity trifle.
Need a filling for a festive tart? Try the Luscious Plums in Mulled Wine. Salmon cooked with Crushed Pineapple in Whiskey Infused Marmalade has both tang and sweetness.
Naturally, given all the fruits that form the base of their artisanal jams, one major struggle, particularly at the height of the pandemic, was procuring a consistent supply of fruits. Sourcing other materials such as glass jars can be an unexpected headache too
Soo explains, “We had two options: to scour high and low online, or stock up. After many trials, we managed to get in touch with reliable suppliers and partners who have supported us since then.”
Another challenge Soo faced was securing a reliable delivery service “which will not only deliver on time at an affordable rate but also, deliver our glass bottles of jams whole. Despite the many layers of bubble wrap and cushioning, we have had broken bottles being sent to our customers which we have had to replace at our own loss.”
Fast forward a year and the jam business is more well established. Their limited edition Fragrant Peaches Stewed in Bourbon has been a hit with customers looking for something different this Chinese New Year, both festive yet deeply flavourful.
What remains is the age-old conundrum of juggling time and priorities. It’s a balancing act, Soo acknowledges. He adds, “We are fortunate that our children are very supportive and help in whatever way they can.”
Now that’s something truly worth celebrating and cheering about — a booming business and a new happy family tradition.
Spread Cheers
