In Malaysia, the term ‘Sapu-lah’ may mean ‘To sweep’, ‘To spread’ or ‘To whack everything and finish it all’. That was the source of inspiration for the name of this homemade artisanal spread ‘Sapu-lah’ that has garnered fame and won the hearts of many Malaysians through their stomach.
What is Sapu-lah Spread?
Sapulah Spread is a homemade artisanal spread business and they make garlic butter spread that is both tasty and versatile. Their spread is perfect for pastas, seafood or even just on toast and their spreads contain no preservatives or artificial coloring.
The Birth of Sapu-lah Spread
Behind Sapulah is Amelia Sia and Lee Xin Yi who both graduated from the same art and communication college and now having a full time job. Amelia is a motion graphic designer, while Xin Yi works in an advertising agency. They became close friends and now business partners.
Their Eureka-moment came about during a camping trip when they had to pack food to cook outdoors and needed various seasoning as they avoided instant food with little nutritional value. As they were loaded with a great deal of items to carry to the campsite, the wonderful solution of carrying garlic & herb butter only to cook has eased the burden and reduced the need for other flavours. After making their own garlic & herb spread, both Amelia and Xin Yi decided to turn the idea into a business! They started experiment at the beginning of year 2015 and launched SAPULAH brand in August 2015.
Sapu-ing The Journey
Both Amelia and Xin Yi have achieved a great deal despite their age and were even nominated for the DIGIwwwow competition. Despite being such a young business, they managed to earn themselves a spot in the Top 5, which further validates their idea and business proposition. “It’s a start to prepare us for our goals in the near future and we learnt a lot about startups and e commerce business during the programme.” Sapu-lah tells TallyPress.
They find immense reward in communicating with their customers especially when the duo obtains positive feedback and compliments from customers who eventually become regular and frequent buyers.
They currently only have Garlic and Herbs flavor but are still trying out new flavors that able to suit finnicky Malaysian taste buds. Their aim is to make cooking easier and faster without having to compromise on flavour! The Red Cherry @ POP store by Jaya One is the sole distributor and the pair are looking into collaboration with other cafés.
Amelia and Xin Yi are determined to expand the business by adding more flavours that would entice and capture hearts beyond garlic lovers. This duo may have won some over but will continue to spread the love to all Malaysians, one jar at a time.
Don’t give up. Never try, never know.
— Sapu-lah Spread
Get your Sapu-lah Spread at www.facebook.com/sapulahspread, www.instagram.com/sapulahspread or find it at The Red Cherry, Pop by Jaya One, The School, 72A, Jalan Universiti, Petaling Jaya.
