Actor Shawn Thia starts own pineapple tart brand, he got the recipe from his mum's close friend

We’re less than two weeks to Chinese New Year. If you still have not stocked up on pineapple tarts, there’s a new brand called Sneaky Little Tarts started by actor Shawn Thia, 28, and his brother-in-law. 

But you have to be quick to buy. Though Sneaky Little Tarts was launched on Monday (Jan 29), more than half of the limited 200 boxes available have already been snapped up. According to Shawn, the customers are a mix of his friends, fans and the public.

The handmade pineapple tarts, which come in an acrylic box with a fun, retro-looking fuchsia sleeve, are priced at S$38 (US$28) for 24 pieces and only available for purchase online. 

If there’s continued demand, Shawn told 8days.sg that he “might consider increasing his production”.

SELLING PINEAPPLE TARTS FOR... HIMSELF

If you’re wondering why the actor is selling pineapple tarts (and only pineapple tarts), Shawn said he loves the festive treat and only eats the ones made by his mum’s close friend, whom he calls “Auntie Jasmine”. 

She uses her own family recipe to make the tarts, but according to Shawn, her treats were sorely missed after she “retired” from baking them around seven years ago because it was “backbreaking work”. 

Last Chinese New Year, Shawn and his brother-in-law decided to buy her recipe for a token sum and produce it themselves for public sale. 

They invested less than S$10,000 combined to start the business, with Auntie Jasmine coming on board as their advisor. “It’s pretty much just an excuse to mass-make the pineapple tarts so that I can eat them forever. I’m not actually interested in F&B,” Shawn joked.

He has also set aside 20 boxes of pineapple tarts, and plans to demolish at least five boxes himself.

“Previously, when Auntie Jasmine used to make them, it would not be an issue for me to finish one bottle (with more than 30 tarts) in one sitting. I would gain weight every Chinese New Year, but it was worth it,” he quipped.

THE TARTS ARE CUTE AND PETITE

According to Shawn, the “fun-sized” balls, which are around three-quarters of the size of an average pineapple tart, comprise “buttery pastry that melts in your mouth” and a filling that is a “nice balance of sweet and tart”. 

He prefers closed pineapple tarts instead of open-faced ones, so that he can enjoy more of the pastry. “If I eat one, the next thing I know the whole box is gone. The tarts are very sneaky, that’s why I call them Sneaky Little Tarts,” he explained.

His fiancee, actress Xenia Tan, is a fan of the tarts too. “She’s like me – when she likes to eat something, she cannot stop, so I have to limit her pineapple tart intake,” laughed Shawn.

WANTED TO MAKE THE TARTS THEMSELVES

Shawn, along with his brother-in-law who runs an ad agency and used to own several defunct F&B businesses (he declines to name them), are pretty hands-on with their business.

They handle most aspects from some R&D to packaging design and even do some of the deliveries themselves. They considered making the tarts too, but eventually engaged a central kitchen and staff instead as the two guys were “not productive enough”.

It was a good call in hindsight as Shawn divulged that the R&D process was “long and painstaking”. Even though they had Auntie Jasmine’s recipe and help, it still took the central kitchen more than half a year to replicate the taste of her tarts.

“The recipe was just so hard to crack, and we just didn’t know why. We had to send it for a few rounds of R&D and only managed to nail the taste about a month ago. This is why we launched our pineapple tarts so late,” explained Shawn. The tarts, he said, are “99 per cent” similar to Auntie Jasmine’s.

Shawn agreed that the price, at S$38 a box, is “on the mid-high side” but he insisted he didn’t want to compromise on the quality and taste. 

“We use premium butter and fillings sourced from a supplier and don’t skimp on them. Honestly, our profit margin is not high,” he said, before quickly adding: “But then again, I’m not a businessman, I just want to eat pineapple tarts and I’m doing this for the experience. I’m okay as long as I don’t lose too much money!”

Order from www.sneakylittletarts.com. More info on Instagram.

This story was originally published in 8Days.