1,000 brownie orders in an hour: Jeanette Aw gets scolded by home bakers for 'snatching' their business

It's no secret that local actress Jeanette Aw is an accomplished baker.

And the 41-year-old isn't a self-taught one; in fact, she completed patisserie courses from the international cooking school Le Cordon Bleu, spending a total of 18 months collectively to finish her studies — nine in Bangkok and another nine in Tokyo.

Apart from taking the time to share some of her recipes online, she also recently took orders for her Instagram-famous What The Fudge brownies, which were so popular that she received over 1,000 orders in an hour.

Her flourishing baking business, however, drew brickbats. Some home bakers are reportedly worried that Jeanette is threatening their livelihood and 'snatching business' from them.

Critics said: "She's already earning so much. Why not give other bakers a chance? She still wants to create desserts and 'snatch rice bowls' from others."

In a recent interview with Shin Min Daily News, Jeanette has hit back at the naysayers.

She said calmly: "This is the first time I'm hearing of this. Singapore has tens of thousands of F&B (food and beverage) outlets. There were many home businesses set up during the Covid-19 period, too. Why are (they) picking on me? Because I'm a celebrity?"

"Why don't these people focus on their business?"

The negativity isn't going to stop her, as she revealed her plans to set up a dessert shop in the future. She admitted that she's always wanted to own one, instead of managing one like an "outsider".

"I set all my work aside to get my culinary diploma so I can open my shop. What will people say about me then? I'm quite curious. The reason I'm baking during this time is because I'm free. In a month, I only spend a few days baking," she said.

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Jeanette also intends to continue baking because she's always "followed her heart" and it's something she enjoys doing. The words of encouragement from others empower her as well.

"To me, (the brownie orders) are the best form of feedback I can get. Making desserts has always been an enjoyable process, and when others love it, it's hard to describe that joy and satisfaction you get."

If you, like us, missed out on the opportunity to order the brownies, you'll probably have better luck trying to win at 4D because Jeanette ain't taking anymore orders in the near future.

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Apart from moving on to other desserts, she will also be taking a break from baking for a month as she's going to Malaysia at the end of September to start filming the horror-adventure drama The Ferryman — Legends Of Nanyang.

She also has other projects on the horizon and will be quite busy towards the end of the year. She's in discussion for a comedy in China but due to the pandemic, she said it's difficult to proceed with international collaborations at the moment — even her jobs in Japan have been pushed back.

bryanlim@asiaone.com