There’s a saying that goes, “It’s never too late to go after your dream” and this is apparent in Mr. Zulkiflee Mawan as he had made a decision to switch his career path after working as a banker for over 25 years, to become a baker!
Banker2baker: A successful career switch that allowed this M’sian to open his own bakery in London!
After working for over 25 years in the banking industry, Mr. Zulkiflee decided to take a career break and accompany his wife for her doctoral studies in Wales. Speaking to Wau Post, he shared that venturing into the culinary (baking) world was never really a high priority, given that he only has limited skills in baking and cake decorations.
Source: Provided to Wau Post
“I was in search of a capital-light venture and that’s where banker2baker was created”, he said.
He added that a home-based business allowed him to operate with a smaller modal and the rise of online platforms had certainly become the bridge that helps him connect to his customers without actually needing a physical store.
Pivoting into a different approach, standing out among the rest
When he first started his business 8 years ago, at the age of 50, Mr. Zulkiflee revealed that he had zero knowledge with regards to baking and cake decorating. He then travelled widely to acquire the necessary skill sets where he realised that there were already plenty of established and season bakers around, making it harder for him to venture into the industry.
Source: Provided to Wau Post
“Reflecting on this, Banker2baker shifted its strategy – focusing on bespoke wedding cakes where the market was less saturated”, he said.
Very quickly, his business started picking up but as the pandemic hit, the wedding and event industry was impacted severely forcing him to come up with a new strategy to stay afloat. He then revised Banker2baker’s marketing strategy to produce mini cakes for birthday events and family gatherings, which kept his business afloat.
“Whatever your dream, we aim to please”
When asked about his most memorable order, Mr. Zulkiflee shared that he was given the opportunity to bake a cake for YAM Tun Dr. Mahathir’s 93rd birthday. As he recalls the day he received the message, he said that he was expected to deliver the cake by 4pm, meaning he only had 8 hours to figure out the design for the cake, as well as allocating time to, bake, frost, create the sugar flower bunga raya, and paint Tun M’s portrait, not forgetting the viral sandal from Bata Malaysia as well.
Source: Provided to Wau Post
“On top of that, we had other pending orders, but instead of declining the opportunity, we decided to divide and conquer”, he said, sharing that it was an honor to be able to put a smile on Tun’s face on his special day.
Looking ahead, Mr. Zulkiflee aims to establish more cake boutiques in the future, but for now he remains content emphasising that he is focusing more on the quality of his cakes.
Source: Provided to Wau Post
Ending the interview, he shared that Banker2baker is all for creating lasting memories for their clients. He remains confident in his cake artistry will stand the test of time.
Congratulations on your new cafe opening! here’s to a great and bright future for Banker2baker!
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Also read: M’sian couple quit their jobs to run business selling ‘Rahmah’ desserts at RM1
