Through a series of pivots, The Plattering Co. overcame challenges and successfully scaled up
For many years, catering in Singapore largely continued to function, focusing on food trays and stainless steel warmers rather than presentation or experience.
Then came The Plattering Companywhich bills itself as the city-state’s first artisanal bespoke catering service. Founded by long-time friends Yasmin Sim, Pearl Chan and Jessica Lim, the trio creates grazing tables, floral arrangements and immersive food displays that prioritize presentation as well as taste.
Ironically, catering wasn’t even the initial focus. Pivoting from other businesses led the trio here, and it appears the gamble paid off. Currently, they serve more than 100,000 people annually.
We spoke to Yasmin and Jessica from The Plattering Co. about how their business came to be and how it’s reshaping Singapore’s catering scene.
unexpected start
The journey to becoming a premium catering brand serving more than 100,000 people a year started with something much simpler: a home juicer.
In 2014, at the height of the juice cleanse trend, Yasmin and Pearl began experimenting with cold-pressed juices. At first, I shared it with family and friends, but orders soon started increasing. Jessica later joined the duo and helped with operational management.
As demand grew, they officially established a cold-pressed juice business. juice upwe soon outgrew our home setup and moved into an office space. Within a year they had outgrown their size, expanding from a small unit in Marine Parade to a factory in Mandai.
Beyond direct-to-consumer sales, the trio has even secured B2B deals, including retail inventory at an airport chain.
However, the speed of growth has exceeded financial plans. Utility bills have risen, overhead costs have ballooned, and large recurring orders haven’t come in as consistently as expected.
“We didn’t calculate the numbers properly,” Yasmin admitted, noting that the company was prepared to cut its losses if the situation did not improve.
But a turning point came in 2018. A regular customer asked if we could provide food, specifically banana walnut muffins, along with his breakfast juice. “Yes,” said Pearl, who loved experimenting in the kitchen despite having no formal food and beverage training.
She carefully arranged the muffins and drinks in a wooden box, paired them with a chalkboard display, and sent them along with the juice. “Unexpectedly, the client immediately fell in love with the muffins and the whole presentation,” Yasmin recalls.
Those same customers soon began requesting more elaborate items, such as salmon platters, cheese platters, and stylized grazing spreads. According to the trio, Yasmin agreed to give it a try at a time when such carefully selected platters were still relatively new to Singapore’s catering scene.
I’m a person who never gives up on requests. If someone asks me for something, I never say no. I just say, “Okay, I’ll let you do it.”
Yasmin Sim, co-founder of The Plattering.
There was no business plan, no pitch deck, no formal strategy. The founders simply responded to demand and continued to improve their product. In March 2018, that approach led to the launch of The Plattering Co.
They grew rapidly, but almost overnight everything stopped.
For The Plattering Co., the pearl aesthetic quickly became a brand signature. Wooden planks replaced stainless steel trays, fresh flowers softened the atmosphere at the tables, colors were deliberately chosen, and food was not only presented but styled.
Some of the brand’s now iconic concepts began with personal moments, like the donut wall inspired by Pearl’s wedding. During the event, she decorated the pegs with donuts, turning them into both decorations and interactive treats for guests.
The team has since adapted similar concepts for clients, including a pretzel pipe wall, nasi lemak bar, and taco bar, bringing creativity and interactivity to any event.
Meanwhile, Yasmin and Jessica focused on operations and finance. By 2019, the growing brand had moved into a 1,000 sq ft shophouse on Cavan Road and carved out a niche in artisan catering. We also gradually started building a team to support our day-to-day operations.
But just one year later, COVID-19 brought corporate buffet catering to a halt as orders were canceled en masse overnight. The source of income that supported them disappeared almost instantly.
Yasmin even came up with the idea of selling toilet paper just to generate cash flow. The stress was immeasurable, and the possibility of the store closing again hit the three of them.
Still, the team was determined to push forward for the sake of their employees’ rice bowls. Ideas were flying around and the team came together to brainstorm ideas.
They quickly pivoted. Some of the new products they introduced included breakfast boxes and bento boxes with premium decorations. Each was accompanied by a heartfelt greeting card to the customer as a show of support during the pandemic.
When dietary restrictions limited gatherings to four to five people, the company redesigned its menu into small plates for six to eight people and pivoted aggressively toward B2C.
In 2021, the trio also launched creatively styled gift baskets under a new brand. wise man and gift. Rather than traditional celebratory baskets, these were curated food experiences packaged with the same bespoke aesthetic as The Plattering Company. “At one point we were a bespoke gift business,” Yasmin recalls.
The pivot helped the business not only survive, but thrive. By 2022, annual revenue had nearly quadrupled compared to pre-COVID-19 levels. In the same year, the founders sold Juix Up and moved to a 2,000 sq ft central kitchen in Bedok to meet the growing demands of their catering and gift business.
Since then, The Plattering Co. has served more than 100,000 people a year through catering setups and delivery orders. The pandemic nearly shut down the company for a second time, but ultimately forced it to reinvent itself to accelerate growth.
In 2024, the founders made another strategic decision. It also sold its Basket brand and consolidated resources to focus on its core catering identity.
Expand your business vertically and build complementary divisions
In the same year, the founders realized that they had reached a pivotal stage in their growth process.
Recognizing that expanding our business requires deeper operational expertise and structured leadership, we have made the strategic decision to bring a Managing Director with 13 years of extensive experience in food systems and enterprise-wide business transformation to our Board of Directors to drive our next phase of expansion.
Currently, The Plattering Company operates from approximately 11,000 square feet of premises, including a halal and non-halal central kitchen, floral operations, and warehouse facilities. The team is 35-36 people, about 30% in the kitchen, and the customer base is roughly three-fifths B2B and two-fifths B2C.
Recognizing that The Plating Co. occupied a luxury segment and often catered to large occasions, the founders expanded the business into multiple divisions to reach a wider audience.
Launched a sister brand Catawaw By 2024, serving Halal and mass markets, singapore food service We provide white label and OEM food services.
another arm, wildflower art companywhile managing flower styling for weddings and events. Kaizen supply chain He oversees the operations of the company’s brands and provides supply chain logistics services to other companies in the industry.
However, scaling a visually-driven brand comes with its own challenges. Maintaining consistency of execution, especially replicating Pearl’s intricate handcrafted setups, becomes increasingly difficult as large orders are placed.
As such, the team conducted thorough training sessions for staff to ensure the setup complied with The Plattering Co. standards, while automating internal operations to help streamline order flow and delivery planning.
We are also looking at AI-assisted processes to ensure structure and standardization even when founders are not physically present.
All of this gives your team time to work on the setup instead.
From the type of flowers to the size of the platter to the color of the tablecloth, every setup requires careful planning.
Jessica pointed out that catering is often underestimated for the intensity of its work. Cutlery, holders, tables and plants need to be packed. Coordination of delivery. Full setup. demolishing; washing—all done within a tight schedule. Premium pricing reflects not only the food, but also the workers behind it.
“The greatest sense of accomplishment comes when guests stop and take photos after each setup and before their meal,” Jessica said.
Operationally, staffing remains one of the biggest challenges. Hiring the right people and aligning kitchen, logistics, and office teams around shared values is a constant work in progress.
Yasmin stressed that even the washer or the driver needs to understand the importance of providing the final experience to the customer. In this regard, the trio strives to maintain a strong work ethic among their team members while maintaining a strong sense of meaning in the workplace.
What’s next for The Plattering Company?
Despite suffering losses in 2020, The Plattering Company had built up enough reserves to weather the storm.
Looking back, Yasmin attributes their survival not to perfection, but to adaptability and a clear brand direction.
The co-founder emphasized the importance of humility despite success. She believes in continuous growth and emphasizes, “If you’re not growing, you’re actually dead.”
With that philosophy in mind, we expanded our kitchen even when sales were steady. He also learned not to get sentimental about ventures that were no longer aligned and made difficult decisions, such as selling off both important and distracting businesses.
Above all, she advocates staying authentic. “Trust your beliefs. Trust your values. When you allow outside influences to overturn your beliefs, you lose clarity and direction.”
The Plating Co. came close to closing twice. Instead, in 2014, we evolved from a home juicer to a premium artisan catering brand serving over 100,000 people a year.
Looking to the future, the trio plans to continue to be ‘trendsetters’ and stay at the forefront of their craft. The company is also willing to expand into overseas markets if the opportunity arises.