Founder & CEO, The Kettle Gourmet

Zac Chua

When you smell nasi lemak in a cinema, you know it’s time to pop.

Zac Chua turned a movie snack craving into The Kettle Gourmet, Singapore’s award-winning gourmet popcorn brand. In 2017, while studying at SMU and inspired by the aroma of nasi lemak, he launched his business with just less than $100 and buying a basic logo, setting up a one-page site, and handing out free samples at tech events. 

The biggest lesson Zac learned? People. Product. Process. Hiring passionate teammates, adapting flavours fast, and staying ahead of evolving consumer needs have been critical to scaling the business to over 20 staff across Singapore and Malaysia.

Today, The Kettle Gourmet shifts around 1,000–1,200 bags daily, stocked at 28 FairPrice Finest outlets, multiple online platforms, and B2B partners.