Cover Benjamin Wong, the founder of Cook’s Gourmet Cookies (Photo: Cook’s Gourmet Cookies)
Benjamin Wong, the founder of Cook’s Gourmet Cookies (Photo: Cook’s Gourmet Cookies)
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Benjamin Wong walked away from a stable corporate salary to bake cookies in his HDB kitchen. Sixteen months on, the founder of Cook’s Gourmet Cookies is still refining a recipe that took half a decade to perfect—and building an online business that often sells out in minutes
When Benjamin Wong first stepped into the kitchen as a form of escape, he never imagined it would become the centre of his life. Sixteen months on, the chef-founder of home-based business Cook’s Gourmet Cookies still speaks about baking with the energy of someone who has rediscovered purpose. Previously, he was a full-time corporate professional earning a stable six-figure salary, but he recalls “falling into a rut” and feeling depressed because he “wasn’t doing what I wanted.” The kitchen became his sanctuary.
Wong has no formal culinary training. His wife, Ashlie Chin, tells Tatler that he taught himself to cook by watching YouTube videos, filming his own recipe videos, documenting visits with chef friends, and immersing himself in food content creation. His passion took many forms—from running burger pop-ups after the Covid-19 lockdown to a year-long private dining business serving Asian-style family meals. Wong would finish each meal with his chocolate chip cookie. “Everyone kept telling me, ‘The food is great, but you need to sell the cookie,’” he recalls.
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Above Wong’s signature gourmet cookies that started the home-based business Cook's Gourmet Cookies
Wong’s signature gourmet cookies that started the home-based business Cook's Gourmet Cookies
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The Cookie That Started It All
The cookie recipe itself was years in the making. A trip to New York, “the cookie capital,” set him down a rabbit hole of textures, ratios and techniques. “I couldn’t find a 10 out of 10,” he says. He wanted the depth of a soft, substantial cookie, the crisp edges of a classic baked version, and a chew all its own. It took half a decade to create the first version he felt proud enough to sell—and he continues refining it with every batch and piece of feedback.
Quality is non-negotiable. Cook’s Gourmet Cookies uses Lindt Excellence chocolate, and despite price increases of up to 75 per cent since launch, Wong refuses to compromise. “Nothing matches the quality,” he says.
Cook’s Gourmet Cookies began modestly, selling 10 to 20 boxes a week, encouraged by friends and diners who had tried the cookie as the final course in his private dining events. Soon, the cookies reached chefs such as Julien Royer of Odette and Guillaume Galliot of Caprice in Hong Kong.
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Above Benjamin Wong making his signature gourmet cookies
Above Wong (centre) and the team behind Cook’s Gourmet Cookies
Benjamin Wong making his signature gourmet cookies
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Memorable moments abound, too. The “Accident Box” saw 70 per cent and 85 per cent chocolate batches mixed up, resulting in indistinguishable cookies that delighted customers. The “salt incident” saw Wong apologise online for a slightly saltier batch, only to be defended by loyal fans. And then there were parents spotted eating their cookies in the lobby after collection. “They didn’t want to bring the boxes home,” he laughs. “Their kids would want to share.” Even the tagline, “Probably the best cookie you’ll ever have,” came from a private dining guest who insisted they use it.
All in the Family
Cook’s Gourmet Cookies uses runs simply: Wong and Chin, with help from his mother. Mondays are rest days; Tuesdays and Wednesdays are for planning and admin; Thursdays to Saturdays (and sometimes Sundays) are for baking. Wong handles the oven and consistency—“he’s the one who can tell if a cookie isn’t quite done,” Chin notes—while she manages packing, deliveries and collections.
Today, the business operates strictly on pre-orders, capped at roughly 80 boxes a day. New flavours are constantly tested, but only those meeting the original standard reach customers. For Christmas, they introduced two seasonal options: Blackout Peppermint, made with two types of chocolate, and White Choc Ginger Snap, a classic reimagined “the way I enjoy it,” Wong says.
Above Cook’s Gourmet Cookies uses only Lindt chocolate, ensuring flavour and quality are never compromised
Above With Cook’s Gourmet Cookies, Wong set out to craft cookies with crisp edges and chewy centre
Cook’s Gourmet Cookies uses only Lindt chocolate, ensuring flavour and quality are never compromised
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Scaling remains the biggest challenge. As a home-based business, Cook’s Gourmet Cookies uses faces limitations, including warning letters after attempted pop-ups. A physical shop is a possibility, but they are cautious. “Once you have a physical outlet, the game changes,” Wong says. “It becomes about managing people and margins.”
Burnout has been part of the journey. At the height of their popularity, they sold out in two minutes each week, often working 13-hour shifts with a single HDB oven. They eventually had to close orders in June and July to rest.
Yet the community around them continues to grow. Even neighbours, curious about the constant flow of bags up and down the corridor, have become supporters—even commissioning them for wedding favours. For customers struggling to secure a box, they offer a simple solution: message them. “If someone tells us they’ve been trying to order for a while, we try to make it happen,” Wong says.
Credits
Images: Cook’s Gourmet Cookies
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Dudi Aureus is the senior dining and travel editor at Tatler Singapore, covering the city’s most exciting restaurants, global travel trends, and the personalities shaping the culinary and lifestyle scenes. She also serves as co-jury chair for the Tatler Best awards in Singapore, celebrating the very best in hospitality. When she’s off duty, she can often be found at a favourite hole-in-the-wall Thai spot, savouring a perfectly balanced pad thai.
