The contest – organized by Incubaker and Enterprise Singapore as part of FoodInnovate – an initiative to build Singapore into a leading food and nutrition hub in Asia – provides a platform for Singapore’s next generation of ‘snackpreneurs’.
Twenty semi-finalists went head to head to win the opportunity to receive a mentorship opportunity with big snack players and hopefully turn their idea into a commercial success.
Ten were selected to undergo a one-on-one mentoring process aimed to tweak their ideas and make taste improvements, while fine tuning production methodology to ensure consistency and shelf life. Considerations like packaging, marketing and commercial potential were thrown into the mix as well.
The finalists then presented their snacks to a panel of judges, comprising leaders and food scientists in the snack food industry and MasterChef Australia winner Adam Liaw.
The snacks were judged on four criteria – originality and creativity; taste and texture; scalability; and health and on trend-ability.
Collagen Puffs – aimed at the keto crowd – made from a single key ingredient: grass-fed beef tenderloins that are popped in nutrient-rich ghee and dusted in mineral-rich pink salt grabbed the Savory category’s top spot.
BRice Rice Puffs with Honey, Mango & Cashews – from which proceeds from sales go to a children’s home in Thailand – won the honors in the Sweet category.
The winners were presented with SG$10,000 and are each embarking on a journey to commercialize their snacks.
Top 10 finalists
- Annaliese Tan's Collagen Puffs
- Sweet & Spicy You Tiao Chips is a modern take on the classic fried dough fritter, created from a recipe handed down through the generations
- Nasi Lemak Popcorn ramps up the salty/sweet concept by combining coconut rice, spicy sambal and savory ikan bilis (dried anchovies) with caramel popcorn
- Cereal Prawn Kale Chips are a healthier alternative to potato chips, redolent with flavors of a local zichar (a Chinese hawker) dish
- Vegan Cheese-Flavoured Tempeh Chips were created by an organic tempeh producer.
- Sharan Thangave's BRice Rice Puffs with Honey, Mango & Cashews
- Hogula – Artisanal Asian Inspired Brittle was created as a healthier alternative to traditional nut brittle
- Sea Salt Pistachio Popcorn & Maca Granola combines coconut chips, roasted pistachios, toasted brown rice puffs and a combination of grains and seeds with maca (Peruvian ginseng), believed to boost immunity, energy levels and brain function
- Tom Yummy Cashew Mango Trail Mix is a lighter version of Thailand’s popular tom yum-flavored cashew nut snack
- Chocolate Chip Cookies boosted with ground cricket flour, which is high in protein, essential amino acids and minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium and vitamin B12.