From “Kopi” to Food Waste: How a Malaysian barista found his way to capturing Singapore’s food sustainability scene

Here is Kopi at the most recent Sustainability Festival 2024 at Hillion Mall (Image: An)

Known to his followers as “Kopi”, which directly translates to coffee in Malay, this former barista turned marketing enthusiast, didn’t set out to tackle food waste when he joined UglyFood. What started as a quest to learn about marketing evolved into a journey through Singapore’s food sustainability landscape, one “ugly” apple at a time. 

When Kopi, or more formerly known as Lim Jia Yi first crossed the border from Malaysia to Singapore, he wasn’t expecting his career path to cross paths with food waste. The 29-year-old Marketing Executive of UglyFood, who had spent over five years working as a barista, was more interested in learning the ins and outs of marketing. 

“I’ve always liked food photography, but food sustainability? That wasn’t really on my radar,” Kopi admits, laughing. He leans back in his chair, reflecting on the unexpected twists his career has taken. 

Kopi’s food photography via Instagram. (image: kopiiiiii)

A coffee lover’s entry into food marketing 

Initially embarking on a technical path, studying electrical and electronic engineering, one would expect that he would have taken up a job related to it. However, Kopi’s first job wasn’t even remotely close to the engineering profession or even about marketing and food sustainability. 

Instead, he spent years behind the counter of cafes in Malaysia, pulling espresso shots and perfecting latte art. As a self-proclaimed foodie, Kopi says he’s always been passionate about food, but his professional relationship with it began with something so mundane —wiping tables and pulling espressos. 

Kopi’s early days as a barista back in 2018 (image: kopiiiiii)

“My first job was as a barista, and I ended up doing that for more than five years,” Kopi shares. “At that time, I thought my life would revolve around cafes and maybe opening one myself.”

But even as he dreamt of opening a cafe, his curiosity for marketing grew.

When everyone believed it was over for UglyFood, a beacon of hope in the form of Tang Yi Jie, the current director of UglyFood emerged. As the company edged on the brink of bankruptcy, Yi Jie's timely intervention would not only save UglyFood but also mark a pivotal moment in Kopi's journey towards food sustainability.

"My boss (cafe where he was working at) had a prior connection with Augustin, UglyFood's previous director," recalls Kopi. "At a crucial juncture, while he was travelling overseas, he received news about UglyFood's closure due to financial constraints." This seemingly random encounter would set the stage for a change for the better in the company’s history and more importantly, provide a backdrop for Kopi to develop and shine as a marketing enthusiast.  

“I thought I was joining to learn more about marketing, honestly,” he says. “I didn’t realise I’d be learning so much about food waste and sustainability along the way.”

Putting “Ugly” in UglyFoods

UglyFood isn’t a typical fresh produce supplier like your NTUC or your Sheng Shiong’s. Instead, the company’s mission is to fight food waste by rescuing fruits and vegetables that don’t meet aesthetic standards. In Singapore, where consumers are used to shiny apples and perfectly round tomatoes, “ugly” produce often goes unsold, contributing to significant food wastage.

“When I first joined, I didn’t know much about ugly food or even how much food gets wasted in Singapore,” Kopi confesses. “I knew there was waste, but I didn’t realise the scale.”

Most of the time, the “ugly” in UglyFoods comes from transportation damages due to inefficient or poor SOPs while handling the food. (Image: An)

Even if there is a slight blemish, most buyers won't consider purchasing the vegetable. But at UglyFoods, it's different. (Image: An)

According to the Singapore Food Agency, the country generates around 800,000 tonnes of food waste each year, much of which could have been avoided. UglyFood targets this wastage by rescuing aesthetically imperfect but still nutritious fruits and vegetables that would otherwise be discarded. Kopi’s role in the company is to bring awareness to this mission, using his newfound love for marketing to push forward UglyFood’s sustainability efforts.

Total volume of food waste generated in Singapore from 2013 to 2022 according to Statista. (Image: statista.com)

“A lot of people don’t realise how much food is wasted just because it doesn’t look perfect,” Kopi explains. “The fruits and vegetables we sell might have a bruise here or there, or maybe they’re a bit oddly shaped, but they taste the same.”

As someone who had spent years perfecting the look of coffee drinks, from creamy latte art to sleek espresso shots, Kopi had to adjust his mindset when he joined UglyFood.

In the world of coffee, appearances are everything, but in the fresh produce industry, aesthetic perfection is often overrated.

Kopi recalls being surprised by how much perfectly edible food goes to waste simply because it doesn’t meet visual standards.

“Before I joined UglyFood, I didn’t realise how much of our food gets thrown away just because it looks ‘ugly,’” he says. “There’s a lot of focus on perfect appearances, but we’re trying to change that mindset.”

Drawing parallels between his past and present work, Kopi sees similarities in how resources are often undervalued. "In coffee-making, an espresso shot extracts only about 30% of the nutrients from coffee beans, leaving 70% in the grounds that usually get thrown away," he explains. “I’ve seen people use coffee grounds to make all sorts of things—furniture, soap, even skincare products,” he says. “The same way we’re trying to reduce waste in coffee, UglyFood is trying to reduce waste in produce.” He adds,  "It's the same mindset we're trying to change with produce – looking beyond surface appearances to see the real value."

Marketing UglyFoods to a Sceptical Audience

Kopi’s marketing role at UglyFood has been both exciting and challenging. Singapore, with its stringent food regulations and competitive market, isn’t the easiest place to sell imperfect produce. Many Singaporeans are used to pristine fruits and vegetables, and the concept of buying “ugly” produce is still relatively new.

“One of the biggest challenges is educating people,” Kopi explains. “There’s a misconception that ugly produce is low quality when in reality, it’s just as good as what you’d find in a supermarket. It just looks a bit different.”

To address this, Kopi and his team have focused heavily on social media, creating content that highlights the benefits of ugly produce and debunks myths about food safety and quality. They’ve also incorporated a comic style into their marketing, using humour and light-hearted messaging to appeal to a younger, more environmentally conscious audience.

“We use a lot of comics in our marketing because it’s relatable and easy to digest,” Kopi says. “Sustainability is a serious issue, but we try to keep the messaging light so that people don’t feel overwhelmed or guilty.”

Just one of the multiple comic series’ present on UglyFood’s social media pages. (Image: UglyFood)

Despite the challenges, Kopi believes that the tide is slowly turning. He’s seen more Singaporeans embracing ugly produce and becoming more conscious of the need to reduce food waste.

“We still have a long way to go, but I think people are starting to understand the importance of sustainability,” he says.

One of the reasons Kopi believes UglyFood’s mission is so important is the cultural difference in how food waste is viewed across different countries. He points out that in regions like Australia and the U.S., sustainability efforts in the food industry are more advanced, whereas in Asia, cultural norms and education around food waste are still developing.

Bridging the cultural gap beyond Singapore

“In some countries, sustainability is already a big focus, but in Asia, we’re still catching up,” Kopi says. “There’s a lot of cultural factors at play, especially when it comes to how we value food.”

As a Malaysian working in Singapore, Kopi is particularly sensitive to these cultural differences. He notes that in both Malaysia and Singapore, there’s a strong emphasis on food as a symbol of prosperity and success, which can sometimes lead to waste.

“There’s a lot of focus on abundance—on having a lot of food, even if we don’t eat all of it,” Kopi explains. “But that’s where we need to shift our mindset. It’s not about how much food we have, but how we manage it.”

Kopi’s role in pushing for food sustainability

As UglyFood continues to grow, Kopi is optimistic about the company’s future. He believes that as more people become aware of the importance of reducing food waste, the demand for ugly produce will increase. But beyond the commercial side of things, Kopi is passionate about the broader impact UglyFood can have on Singapore’s sustainability efforts.

“I think UglyFood is doing something really important,” he says.

“We’re not just selling fruits and vegetables—we’re changing the way people think about food.”

"I wouldn't say I'm very in-depth understanding of this whole industry. I'm still learning," he admits. "Compared to my boss, the way we see things is still different. He's got 10 years experience in this industry, maybe just joining 1 year, 2 years, so for me it's very different."

This learning mindset extends to how he believes sustainability awareness should be promoted: "Sometimes I think if you force it might even turn for another way around. I have some people that if you force them they don't want to do it. If you don't force them they still listen. 

Kopi packing Dragon Fruits from UglyFoods for customers at the Food Sustainability Festival 2024 (Image: An)

For Kopi, the journey into food sustainability has been a learning process, and he admits that he’s still figuring things out as he goes. But that’s part of what makes the work exciting.

“I’m not an expert in sustainability—I’m still learning every day,” Kopi says. “But I think that’s what makes it interesting. There’s always something new to discover.

What more can a coffee bean do? 

Kopi says that there is plenty of edited content yet to be released... The reason? Simply because he is lazy.  (Image: twohungryghosts)

All in all, Kopi is also embarking on his own journey. His Instagram account, "twohungryghosts," is a showcase of his creative skills and his love for food. Named after the Chinese Ghost Festival, the account is a playful nod to his and his partner’s culinary adventures. 

“I like the name more, twohungryghosts,” he shares. “From my experience, always say, the 7th month, hungry ghosts come out already. Then, I was thinking, twohungryghosts is a very good name… Because it’s 2 people - me and my girlfriend.” 

But for now, even though Kopi may have started his career perfecting latte art, he’s now focused on perfecting something much more important: reducing food waste and changing the way we think about food, one ugly vegetable at a time.