Singaporean's start-up delivers Asian ready meals in Britain

Entrepreneur Nick Singh has figured out what busy people in Britain want: ready-to-eat Asian meals delivered chilled, to be popped into the microwave, oven or air fryer.

- Tan Hsueh Yun Senior Correspondent

The 33-year-old Singaporean, who worked in investment banking in London and is based there, launched his startup, Eat Ping, in February. It now has some 500 subscribers and an annual recurring revenue of US$2 million (S$2.6 million).

He started it with £50,000 (S$85,400) from angel investors and later raised £300,000 more.

"Ready meals are part of the future," he says. "I think in 10 years, they will be the staple eating choice during the work week, the nuance being we as consumers don't want that industrial-grade slop.

"With a cloud kitchen-like concept, you can build something better and more consistent for customers."

Sixty per cent of his customers live in London, with people from the other parts of Britain making up the rest. They fall mainly into two groups: young professionals aged 24 to 40 who are focused on convenience but are also looking for quick and nutritious meals; and Asian expatriates who want a taste of home.

In a video call from London, Mr Singh says: "Funnily enough, when we started out, 65 per cent of our customers were Asian. Now, it's 43 per cent, which is great because it shows we have a high degree of penetration in the local market."

An emerging group appears to be young mothers who have just given birth and value convenience while settling into motherhood.

TECH-DRIVEN COMFORT FOOD

On eatping.com, customers can choose from 46 main course options such as Thai Green Curry Chicken, Air-Fried Gochujang Chicken, Sweet And Sour Prawn Tempura, Vietnamese Beef Stew, Simmered Tofu Masala and King Prawn Nasi Goreng. There are vegetarian and vegan options too, and the meals are halal, he says.

There are also protein shakes, juice shots, breakfast offerings such as Miso Banana Bread and Chicken Protein Buns or chicken bao, and snacks such as tea eggs, hummus and Singapore Chicken Satay.