Cover Co-founder and CEO of Ebb & Flow Lim Kian Chun
Co-founder and CEO of Ebb & Flow Lim Kian Chun
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The CEO and co-founder of the group behind Willow and Tigerlily Patisserie shares more about what it takes to be in the industry
Even before turning 35, Lim Kian Chun, chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of Ebb & Flow Group, has already made his mark in the local dining scene. His name may not ring a bell but you have probably heard of or even dined at one of his many dining concepts.
Founded in 2016, the local food and beverage group has successfully launched multiple successful F&B concepts around the island, including one-Michelin-starred Willow, cafe and bakery Tigerlily Patisserie, and heritage kopitiam Chin Mee Chin—and it’s all thanks to the young entrepreneur and his team.
Lim’s success has been a long time coming. His interest in business started at a young age—he started buying and selling the trendy millennial-favourite T-mobile Sidekick smartphones at 16. By that age, he had already learnt many valuable lessons as an entrepreneur through facing and overcoming many issues from inventory risk to customer service.
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Above CEO and co-founder of Ebb & Flow Group Lim Kian Chun
CEO and co-founder of Ebb & Flow Group Lim Kian Chun
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Overcoming obstacles
Despite graduating with a Bachelor of Laws at King’s College London, he decided to put aside his interest in law and follow his passion for business. He proceeded to set up Singapore-based venture capitalist firm Cerana Capital in 2016. There, he focused on early-stage investments in Southeast Asian start-ups. When Cerana began attaining several F&B investments, Lim decided to go all out and tackle the F&B sector. By consolidating these investments, he founded what is now known as Ebb & Flow Group.
But the success of his various dining concepts wasn’t just due to sheer luck.
“It’s been an incredibly hard journey overall. The amount of stress you deal with can be numbing,” the entrepreneur says. During these times of shortcomings, Lim gives himself time for self-reflection and “not being afraid to humble myself and ask for help [while also] not being afraid to apologise for things I’ve done wrong”.
Looking back at his experience in the industry, Lim shares how he and his company can relate to the Chinese Farmer parable.
This Taoist parable follows a poor Chinese farmer who lost a horse. When his neighbours came around to say: “That’s too bad”, the farmer replied: “Maybe”. Shortly after, his horse returned and brought another horse with him. When his neighbours congratulated him on his fortune, he replied, again, with: “Maybe”.
The ancient Chinese Farmer parable teaches the relationship between suffering and well-being. It reminds us not to judge the outcome of an event quickly—looking back, obstacles can into opportunities.
Lim explains how the company had to shut down and pivot three concepts in the past five years. “Each time it felt as if the world was ending, especially during our early days as a company. Now, most of the people involved in those concepts are key members of Ebb & Flow who are driving us forward,” he adds.
Of course, nothing good comes without a challenge. Lim takes on a mindset of “perpetual curiosity and learning” to prepare himself for bigger challenges ahead.
Keeping up with the ebb and flow of Singapore’s dining scene
In this ever-changing dining scene, Lim has noticed how Singapore’s diners have become increasingly discerning about the food they consume. “There is a growing desire to learn more about the provenance of our food and the numerous people and processes that are involved in getting it onto your plate,” he explains.
As a result, Lim consistently introduces new concepts and reworks supply chains to satisfy changing consumer needs. For example, the brand now partners only with producers who follow an ethos of ethical farming. These producers will soon even be featured in the group's upcoming concept, slated to open at Mondrian Singapore Duxton later this year.
Despite the need to constantly evolve, Lim also believes in the importance of keeping local traditions alive and reminding ourselves of our roots. For instance, instead of modernising Chin Mee Chin, a heritage coffee shop with close to 100 years of history, he chose to keep the concept as authentic as possible by retaining its original interiors and furniture. Apart from its design, Lim also decided to keep 80 to 90 per cent of Chin Mee Chin’s menu.
Looking ahead, Lim hopes that the industry can “find a way to get back to our roots in a cost-effective way”. This means using good produce to present “simply cooked” meals, through forward-thinking methods such as zero-waste or nose-to-tail approaches in the kitchen.
Whatever it be, Lim is definitely in it for the long haul.
Amanda Goh was the former senior writer for Tatler Singapore.
