A dream was born back in January 2011, a vision of providing the highest quality service at the most cost-effective pricing. A dream of serving a select few, no matter the company size but where food quality, taste, value and service mattered. Till this day, Nosh Cuisine has kept this belief alive, the belief that by providing the freshest products and most personalized services, it can offer its customers a total-food solutions management system.
With this framework in place, Nosh Cuisine has grown from strength to strength, servicing not only in-house clients but also dishing out gastronomical fare to external institutions and corporations. It prepares more than 10,000 meals each day with its institutional and events catering brand Nosh Kitchen, Peranakan takeout brand Baba Belly and modern retail dining concepts FYI and Village Nasi Lemak under its sister company Delish Food Concepts. Nosh Cuisine’s catering arm prides itself on giving customers the best and most refreshing service experience.
Despite having established a competitive presence in the institutional and retail food industry in Singapore, Nosh Cuisine continues to strive and meet the fast-changing expectations of its consumers and environment by serving major clients such as Singapore Airlines, Marina Bay Sands, SingHealth, Bloomberg, SEA Ltd, Netflix and many more.
As Nosh Cuisine constantly strives to achieve excellence in all aspects of their business, they are also pivoting into other business segments to create additional revenue streams to stay abreast of their competition such as cloud kitchens, food manufacturing or internationalizing their various brands. Their aspiration has always been to continuously develop innovative offerings and services to grow their market presence.
Despite its relentless epicurean pursuit, Nosh Cuisine holds the steadfast belief that it will only achieve greatness if its employees are equally successful. That is exactly the reason why it has been actively partnering with NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) on the Career Conversion Program (CCP). Previously known as the Place-and-Train Program or Professional Conversion Program, the CCP is a conversion program targeted at mid-career switchers.
The CCP proved to be critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. For Singaporeans working in industries struggling to shake off the effects of the slowdown in the economy, they were left with no choice but to seek a career change in search of some much-needed stability. In more ways than one, the CCP has helped both the organisation and individual to embrace this change.
From a psychological angle, the CCP initiative has encouraged individuals to step out of their comfort zone. For many, it was their chance to unlearn and relearn new knowledge and skills pertaining to a new job role. This approach also facilitates a more seamless integration into their new company and promotes diversity and inclusion within the organisation.
More importantly, from a financial angle, the CCP provides the necessary funding for these candidates to undergo skills conversion and move into new occupations or sectors that have good prospects and opportunities for progression. These trainees undergo structured on-the-job training programs to facilitate a more seamless transition into their new role.
The partnership between e2i and Nosh Cuisine started way back when the company was founded in 2011. As the fledging company was still finding its feet in the industry, e2i provided much needed support for its recruitment and placement matters. Throughout the years, that relationship flourished, and Nosh Cuisine continues to actively engage with e2i on its various initiatives, one of which is the CCP. The collaboration was made that much easier due to the professionalism of the officers at e2i, who were always so supportive and helpful towards any queries and follow ups.
One of the beneficiaries of the CCP in Nosh Cuisine is Arthur Sieow. Sieow joined the company as a Senior R&D Chef in October 2021 and has since completed 6 months under the program.
Sieow is no stranger to the food and beverage industry. Craving for a change in environment for that much needed motivation, Sieow traded the comforts of his previous role in NTUC Foodfare for the challenging new role of Senior R&D Chef in Nosh Cuisine, where he is tasked with conjuring up new and innovative dishes that will continue to excite the palates of customers.
His friends and family members assured him that it was a good career move as it represents a good stepping stone for future progression, which is one of the key factors in any job from Sieow’s point of view.
When crafting the onboarding plan for any new employee, Nosh Cuisine shared that the human resource team would typically sit down with the relevant department heads, supervisors and managers to design a bespoke training plan that is tailored for that individual. In Sieow’s case, it was no different.
As part of his onboarding, Sieow had to undergo a course on workplace safety, which is an element that is commonly overlooked, often to the detriment of both the employee and the company. Sieow is now more aware of the importance of safety at the workplace and the evacuation protocols during an emergency. Armed with better knowledge and awareness of safety, he is now better equipped to identify and prevent any workplace hazards.
Sieow regards Mr Sam as a key mentor in his Nosh Cuisine journey. Mr Sam, who is the business operations manager, went beyond the call of duty to guide and nurture Sieow in his new role. The intrinsic knowledge imparted by Mr Sam compliments the new skillsets picked up by Sieow through the wide-ranging array of courses in his onboarding. The dedication of Mr Sam truly epitomises the spirit of the CCP.
Reflecting on the CCP collaboration with e2i, Nosh Cuisine truly feels that both the company and its new hires have benefited exceedingly from the initiative. At its core, the CCP has helped to address labour shortages and turnover which remains a constant challenge for the food and beverage industry. Additionally, the program has helped Nosh Cuisine uncover a couple of talents that have proved to be essential to the organisation’s sustainability, vitality and growth.
Sieow is just one of the many success stories through the collaborations between e2i and its partners. Like many companies before Nosh Cuisine, you might find yourself navigating the never-ending manpower challenges alone and struggling to find a viable solution. If the story of Sieow and Nosh Cuisine has inspired you, reach out to the trusted team at e2i, and embark on your journey towards transforming your manpower challenges.
Learn more about e2i’s business solutions at www.e2i.com.sg/businesses
Learn more about Nosh Kitchen at www.noshkitchen.com.sg/
