SUBANG JAYA, April 19 – They say that it is better to give than to receive. Where Sugar and I’s celebratory confectionery is concerned, however, perhaps it is equally blessed to receive as it is to give.
After all, who wouldn’t light up at a Box of Happiness, filled with freshly made bomboloni with flavours as varied as Maple Candied Walnut and Raspberry Cheese?
Sugar and I is the brainchild of siblings Syed Mohd Ilyas, 32, and Sharifah Nur Ilisa, 29. Neither began their careers in the food industry; Ilyas had a corporate engineering job while Ilisa studied finance and econometrics.
But we all know that sometimes it’s not the straightest line from where we start to where we end up, especially when it comes to chasing our dreams.
The name Sugar and I is both a nod to how the siblings started – a home-based business focused on custom made bakes, such as wedding cakes, birthday cakes and other types of decorated cake where fondant (of which sugar is a main ingredient) was key – as well as something more personal.
Ilyas explains, “We were thinking of a sweet name having the initials Sugar and I, since it is the initials of Sharifah Nur Ilisa and also Sister and I. We thought it was a cute name that represents who we are and how we love to experiment with sugar.”
But where does their signature bombolone (singular; bomboloni is the plural form) come in?
As with many F&B (food and beverage) businesses that came of age during the pandemic, the deleterious effects of Covid-19 meant there were no celebrations and therefore no orders for custom made cakes.
Sugar and I had to pivot fast and turn adversity to their advantage.
Ilyas recalls, “During that time, our customers who had already booked in advance started to ask for refunds. We started experimenting on a few items and identified that the market loved our bomboloni and cream puffs. So we started sending it to influencers and learnt a bit more about digital marketing.”
Online sales were always a big part of Sugar and I’s business strategy. Ilyas notes, “We started from our home kitchen and sold items via word of mouth and Instagram. From there we have expanded and opened up three stores, in SS14 Subang Jaya, LaLaport Kl and Midvalley. During the pandemic, we partnered up with StoreHub, AirAsia and Grab which helped us grow our business.”
Today, Sugar and I’s bomboloni are the keystone of their business. Therefore revamping their Italian style filled doughnuts has been crucial to keep regulars excited about their offerings.
New bombolone creations include biscuit/cookie based flavours such as Monster Oreo and Lotus Biscoff as well as standards such as Strawberry Jam and Vanilla Custard. For something more sophisticated, there are the La Vie En Rose and Java Coffee Chip bomboloni.
Their Banana Milk, inspired by pengat pisang, features mashed banana purée mixed with cream cheese. This bombolone is then topped with sliced fresh bananas and a smattering of brown sugar that is torched to caramelise it, not unlike crème brulée.
Another major product that came onto its own during the pandemic is Sugar and I’s cream puffs.
These Japanese style choux pastry puffs – immediately recognisable thanks to their crunchy, cracker like surface (in fact, cream puffs are called Choux au Craquelin in French) – are filled with a rich yet delicate vanilla bean custard.
Then there are their cheesecakes, made with “a secret recipe from French chef Stephane,” Ilyas shares. These belong to the Basque burnt cheesecake variety, with flavours including Nutella, salted caramel, blueberry and classic vanilla.
For the holy month of Ramadan, Ilyas says, “We are reintroducing our best selling cookies – the OG Belgian Chocolate Chip and White Chocolate Macadamia.”
Which basically means Sugar and I more than lives up to their name: they will have a treat that would suit every sweet tooth.
Their guiding principle, Ilyas shares, “is when a person consumes our product, we want to see them smile. We truly believe in wanting to make the world a happier place by introducing delicious desserts that can be enjoyed by everyone.”
This goes a long way in explaining their catchy tagline “Celebrate Happiness” which goes beyond a focus on food and extends their philosophy to something bigger. It’s really about celebrating life.
Ilyas says “Our motto was born when we realised the joy it brought to our parents when we baked brownies for them. That feeling that we got from a simple act of kindness was the main reason for Sugar and I’s mission of making people happy either by consuming our goods or simply by giving it as a gift to a loved one.”
(Again: it is equally blessed to receive as it is to give.)
Even by turning obstacles into opportunities, the siblings still had a steep learning curve as new entrepreneurs. Illyas says, “Some of the challenges that we faced when opening in malls were the restrictions that were in place. In a mall, you can’t close on public holidays.”
A few rapid adjustments were required: “First thing we did was to open up our central kitchen, in order to operate seven days a week. Aside from that, we had to do lots of internal training for our staff to ensure they were able to perform their required tasks.”
There were a few early wins, despite these difficulties. Ilyas says, “We were blessed that we had prior digital marketing experience and we were already online before the pandemic hit. We engaged with as many influencers as possible and further expanded our knowledge in Facebook and Instagram paid marketing by joining short courses.”
Packaging plays a big role in marketing as well, Ilyas observes, as does collaborations. Sugar and I’s current partnership is with Kit Kat Malaysia; they created two new limited edition bombolone flavours for Ramadan: dark chocolate and matcha.
He shares, “For every purchase of our Kit Kat set, we will donate RM1 per box sold to Rumah Raudhatul AlFaeez which was burned down. We felt that Ramadan is the time to give back and #RezekiDikongsiBersama was the ideal campaign for us. Giving back is the best way to achieve happiness and this is why this campaign means a lot to us, as it’s aligned with our mission to help make the world a happier place.”
Achieving that worthy mission is a journey of a thousand steps. A little kindness and a little joy with every step. And if one were to give – or receive – a Box of Happiness filled with colourful bomboloni along the way, well, that would make the journey just a little bit sweeter, wouldn’t it?
Sugar and I
110, Jalan SS14/1, SS 14, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor
Open daily 11am-7pm
(Also at Mitsui Lalaport KL and Mid Valley Megamall)
Tel: 011-1142-2597
