This month at TummyTroll Star Interviews we have Joyce Kwok, currently a second year Business & Administration student at Singapore Management University. Like any normal college student, Joyce is up to the neck with assignments, tests and projects in school. The busy Frolick girl also enjoys a myriad of hobbies ranging from photography to Thai kick-boxing, or muay thai. Sounds like a normal 19 year old’s life until we learn that Joyce has started a successful homemade granola business, Rolling Oat, since late last year. The humble Joyce rejects the label of being a young entrepreneur, but who would not be impressed by her delicious granola which has already been readily gaining a crowd of hungry fans?
TummyTroll learns about Joyce’s motivation behind Rolling Oat. We also pick up a thing or two about preparing nutritious yet delicious food from Joyce’s yummy home-cooked nibbles and baked goodies! Om nom nom.
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Hello Joyce! What inspired you to start Rolling Oat?
“It actually didn’t feel like a big decision neither was it something carefully thought out & through before starting it. It was just a little idea that popped up & got stuck in my head for the night. Was going around a few supermarkets & stores to get ingredients to try things out the very next morning.”
How do you go about preparing your wonderful goodies for Rolling Oat?
“Effort effort effort. Basically I do everything on my own from getting ingredients/materials from all over, the cooking & baking process, packaging to cleaning up the kitchen (my family’s really particular about keeping the house clean so I have to really mop up till no one will suspect that the granola came out from the kitchen every single time hahahaha)”
We rarely see such successful young food entrepreneurs – What spurs you?
“That’s surely toooo kind of you! I really don’t see myself as an entrepreneur cause I’ve no intentions of making money out of Rolling Oat (sadly I still receive some questionable looks) and I feel funny/weird when people ask me ‘How’s business?’ haha. It’s really just a little project to me & what keeps me going is that I just really enjoy doing it. Of course, I can’t be running on a deficit but my profit margin is very small due to the not-very-low cost & labor (in Singapore, I’d easily make much more with way less effort through giving tuitions) so if I’m considered an entrepreneur at this stage, I’m far from a successful one hahaha. But really, when customers drop me texts to say that they really love Rolling Oat’s granola & that it’s really good, I get so happy I feel that it’s all good ☺”
I’d seen your blog at joycekwok.blogspot.com! You’re really into healthy eating!
“One of the biggest misconception I get! Basically I just eat what I like ^^ It’s not that I eat healthy intentionally but that most of the food I like are considered healthy food from people who sees what i eat haha. For example, I reallyyyy can’t resist when you place some tofu in front of me but making me eat ice-cream is like forcing a veggie-hater to eat broccoli hahaha.”
Can we have a lucky look at the healthy goodies you prepare at home?
“Come to think of it, I’d say I’m a very very picky eater than a healthy eater. I dislike eating many foods that are liked by many/widely used by outside eateries making it very difficult for me to eat out = I enjoy preparing my own food. Of course, I believe a lot in eating healthy as a lifestyle cause it can prevent many sickness in the long run! But thanks to my taste buds I do it very naturally and I really enjoy it ^^
Pictures taken off Joyce’s personal blog:
A simple salad of {Red Cabbage, Arugula, Button Mushrooms, Blueberries}
Joyce makes these melting pockets of {Blueberry Toasties} seem so fun to prepare!
Not into the soft white bread made with refined flour commonly found in Singapore’s bakeries? Joyce makes her own with {Cranberry & Green Raisin Bread}, hand-kneaded and lovingly cut into little clouds of joy.
“My Salad: Baked some honey coated pumpkin to mushy perfection + Tofu + Pea Sprouts”
Did we forget to mention that Joyce loves having quaint little picnics as well?
{Grilled Eggplant stuffed with Chilli Mint Tofu}
Okay wow that was a whole lot of food porn. How about your favourite cuisine (ie Italian/Japanese)?
“No specific cuisine but I like simple food & vegetarian best ^^”
While looking through Joyce’s personal blog, TummyTroll saw this simple vegetarian sandwich recipe which looks absolutely amazing! Not to mention how lovely the photography is. All captions directly lifted off her blog post here: http://joycekwok.blogspot.sg/2012/06/little-quick-meal-preparation-for.html
Soft, Non-toasted Slices with Honey Spread
Spread #2: Unsweetened Yogurt
Organic Baby Spinach & Cucumber
Cross Section
What is your favourite Singaporean hawker food?
“Yong Tau Foo & Popiah! & my boyfriend just introduced me to the Indian Chicken Tikka (super tough spiced grilled chicken breast) which is awesomeee~”
What is the most exotic food you’d tried in your lifetime?
“According to my parents and a photograph, we once tried a big fat fried caterpillar in Australia when i was 4.”
Last but not least, any tips for other budding food entrepreneurs?
“Looks like I’d need lots of ‘em & hopefully be able to venture into something bigger one day! Hahaha oh but for me personally, it’s much easier to put in my all into something I enjoy cause no matter how much hard work is required, I just get tired physically but I won’t complain mentally. & we should follow our dreams when we’re young since we have the least to lose ☺”
Unfortunately, Joyce is not for sale! Damn. :< But luckily we can still get a piece of her at Rolling Oat :)
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With this we wish Joyce all the best in school and out! It was great fun interviewing the bubbly and candid Joyce for this entry. Coincidentally I was munching on a pack of Rolling Oat’s Original Cranberry Crunch while I was typing this and it’d be a shame not to share these fantastic granola with our readers:
Order a pack of Rolling Oat at https://www.facebook.com/rollingoat.page or rollingoat@gmail.com! Another Peanut Butter flavour is also for sale. Granola bars of Chocolate, Apricot and Cranberry flavours are available upon request. For non-Singaporean readers, don’t fret… Perhaps Joyce might be willing to ship her wonderful goodies overseas for you! Disclaimer: This is by no means any paid advertorial for Rolling Oats. The granola was just too damn good to pass. I guarantee! Keep rolling people :D
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