Baking with Heart: The Journey of Bakers Beyond
The smell of cookies wafting through the office was the first sign that something exciting was in the air.
In 2015, a group of mothers gathered in the kitchen of Café Beyond – a small space in our office – sleeves rolled up, ovens warming. They weren’t trained bakers. Many had never earned a steady income before. But they came together with one shared hope: to create something of their own.
At the time, our corporate partner GIC used to buy cookies from commercial vendors as festive gifts for families we supported. That year, we decided to try something different. What if the cookies were baked by the community for the community?
Their first big project was preparing 120 gift baskets for Ramadan. Each basket held four jars of cookies. That meant baking and packing more than 14,000 cookies over nine days. The women coordinated the entire effort. Assigning roles, planning the timeline, and applying lessons they’d picked up from earlier training sessions. They even completed the Basic Food Hygiene course so everything would be in compliance with food safety regulations. It was a leap of faith, but the women were undaunted and took up the challenge, embarking on a baking journey that was both amazing and rewarding.
Before starting, the 10 women gathered around the kitchen table for a short prayer, not just to seek blessings for the work, but to ask for patience, in case tempers flared or mistakes happened. It wasn’t just about baking. It was an opportunity. One they didn’t want to waste.
The group soon called themselves Bakers Beyond. And the cookies weren’t just sweet and delicious – they were the fruits of their labour and relationship. Some mothers began to earn enough to contribute to household expenses. One shared how she finally paid her bills on time. Another said, “I brought my children to Kuala Lumpur for a holiday. It was our first ever.”
As orders grew, so did the group’s confidence. They outgrew the café kitchen and began renting professional spaces at Samsui Kitchen and Agape Village. New orders rolled in for Christmas cookies and Chinese New Year treats. With every project, the women took on more leadership responsibilities. They started managing orders themselves, calculating wages based on hours worked, and making sure everyone had a fair share.
In one memorable moment, the mothers were preparing pineapple tarts for Chinese New Year. They wondered aloud if Chinese families made them differently. This simple question led to a collaborative session with Seng Teck, a professional chef from Hong Kong. He shared his method; they shared theirs. Together, they developed a recipe that incorporated the best of both traditions.
That spirit of giving extended beyond their kitchens. In 2016, the group travelled to Batam to cook for 200 villagers. They brought not only food, but also a donation of refurbished computers for two children. “We didn’t want to seem atas,” said Rusnah, one of the leaders. “We just wanted to be neighbours spending time together.”
As the group evolved, so did their dream of having a space of their own. In 2019, that dream took shape. With help from Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Design & Environment, the women co-designed a training studio in Whampoa. They used a scale model to test their ideas deciding where ovens should go, how tables could be arranged, how the space could feel welcoming. By October that year, the studio opened its doors, just in time to prepare 12 mothers for a new round of festive orders.
Resilience in Uncertain Times
Then the pandemic hit.
During the COVID-19 restrictions, baking projects came to a halt. Without access to shared kitchens, the women couldn’t gather as they used to. But the spirit of Bakers Beyond didn’t subside. A few of the mothers, who had some basic sewing skills, began exploring alternative options for productive work and sparked a new idea.
What began as a small idea grew quickly. With support from volunteers – including sewing machine sponsorships and training – the women started Sew Can We, a community-led sewing initiative. They began by making masks, which were urgently needed at the time. Orders came in steadily, and the encouraging response gave the group new momentum. Mothers started teaching each other basic sewing skills from their homes, proving once again that when one door closes, the community finds ways to open another.
Bakers Beyond Today
Since 2020, Bakers Beyond has continued to evolve. Today, it’s a space where 18 mothers come together – some newly joined, others with years of experience – to bake, learn, and lead.
Seven members now take on their own baking orders independently. Others have stepped up as trainers, mentoring newer bakers in everything from ingredient sourcing to packaging and quality control. The bakers manage their schedules, plan daily targets, and work as a team to meet deadlines. They’ve discovered that what may have been overwhelming when faced alone becomes possible when they pull together.
For some, this is a stepping stone; a place to build confidence and generate income while managing caregiving responsibilities, making full-time work out of reach. For others, it’s a longer-term space of purpose, community, and pride. Regardless of how long they stay, each mother leaves her mark and makes space for the next to enter. New members are welcomed not just into a programme, but into a community.
This is the journey of Bakers Beyond. A story still in the making.