LADA, the 100% pure Sarawak pepper brand crafted by Elsie Tze, is a must-try for anyone looking to enhance the flavour of their meals. Elsie's passion for offering the highest quality Sarawak pepper available in West Malaysia has led her on a quest to source the finest pepper directly from farmers in rural areas of Sarawak.
Elsie's journey began when she moved to Penang in 1997 and noticed that most pepper brands in West Malaysia had been mixed with other varieties or peppers from different countries, diluting the true taste of Sarawak pepper. As someone who grew up in Sarawak and knew the unique taste of pure Sarawak pepper, Elsie was determined to find the best product when she visits her hometown again.
Hence, every time Elsie returns to Sarawak, she personally checks the crops, ensuring they meet her strict standards of quality. If the harvest does not meet her expectations, she moves on to the next source until she finds only the best for her brand LADA. This commitment to quality and authenticity is what sets Elsie's Sarawak pepper apart from the rest.
100% PURE
Once the Sarawak Pepper is purchased in its pure-form, meaning it has been soaked, steamed, dried, and packed by the farmers themselves, Elsie hand-carries these products back to Penang. She ensures that the Sarawak peppers are not tempered with in any way, and are not mixed with any other product of lower quality.
Initially purchased for her own personal consumption, Elsie began to see an opportunity to grow a business out of it when her acquaintances and friends started requesting more purchases of the Sarawak pepper from her.
Beginning the Sarawak Pepper business wasn’t all that easy, however, as dealing with the farmers in rural Sarawak posed a challenge for Elsie. As she shares, “These natives, mostly Dayaks, they are very shy people. They are not used to dealing with outsiders”. Thus, Elsie had to gain their trust while sourcing out the best peppers for her brand LADA.
Selling the product itself also proved to be a challenge as there are a lot of competitors who also claim to be 100% Sarawak Pepper. Even so, Elsie's LADA brand stands out for its unique taste, smell, and colour. Her Sarawak Pepper is kept 100% pure, and while cheaper competitors may have good demand, Elsie guarantees that using only a little of her pure product achieves the desired taste, flavour, and punch. Thus, using her pepper not only improves the aroma of one's dish and cooking, but it is also value for money.
FUELLED BY SUPPORT
Elsie’s dedication to providing the finest 100% pure Sarawak Pepper to her customers is fuelled by their positive feedback and satisfaction. She takes great pride in ensuring that her customers are delighted with the quality of her product, and the joy it brings to their meals. Her unwavering passion and commitment to delivering only the best has not gone unnoticed as loyal customers have been returning for more, and their unwavering support has propelled her to reach newer heights, wishing to spread the love for Sarawak Pepper to more people.
In acknowledging the support of her customers, she attributes her success to the unwavering support of her mother and friends. During the MCO period, when she was unable to travel to Sarawak frequently, her mother helped her a lot. Her friends and family played a significant role in spreading the word about her brand, which led to increased demand for her exceptional product. Elsie is grateful for their support and acknowledges their contributions to her thriving business.
ANGEL COMMUNITY
Angel Community is a community center that empowers and supports people from various backgrounds, including the OKU community, single parents, young entrepreneurs, and women entrepreneurs. The center provides a platform for these groups to showcase their homemade products, helping them reach a broader audience and grow their businesses.
“Angel has helped me introduce the pepper to a wider market, because before Angel, I was selling just in online platform”. With the help of Angel Community, customers who want to see and feel the product can easily access it. Elsie credits Jazz, one of the co-founders of Angel Community, for recommending LADA to their customer base. Additionally, the catering services provided by Angel Community have also been beneficial to Elsie's business, as she uses Sarawak white pepper in some of the dishes she caters, such as Bang Kuang Char (vegetarian version of the Nyonya Jiu Hu Char) and Korean Glass Noodle (Korean Japchae).
MOVING FORWARD
Elsie's plans to expand her market reach beyond Penang are taking shape with a recent partnership with a platform that sources products from Penang and brings them to Kuala Lumpur. She hopes to eventually expand into overseas markets.
As a small business owner, Elsie advises others to plan, strategize and know their product well to convince customers about its value. "Do not give up – when you believe in your product, you will be able to do your best to promote it, and to get people to accept it,” she says. Her success with Angel Community and other partnerships are a testament to her dedication and hard work.
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Come and join us to support Elsie by booking an event space with or order catering services from Angel Community!
Contact us at +60163560805.
Are you a homemade seller and in need of support? Register to be one of the Angel Community’s homemade seller at https://angelcomm.wixsite.com/care/seller
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