By Abdul Hamid A Rahman
KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 (Bernama) -- From a decade-long career in pharmaceutical sales to kneading dough in a small shop in Balik Pulau, Penang, 48-year-old Chan Su Yin’s journey as the founder of Yin’s Sourdough Bakery & Cafe is a story of transformation, purpose and perseverance.
Raised in an education-driven household in Ipoh, Chan never imagined she would one day helm a bakery brand with multiple outlets across Penang and the Klang Valley.
Her father was a secondary school teacher while her mother conducted private tuition classes at home.
Chan’s early exposure to baking came not from school but from home.
“My mum used to bake pau and cakes and I would help her make kaya. I was just a school kid sitting on a high stool stirring the pot for hours,” she recalled her memories in an interview with Bernama recently.
After completing her Form Six, Chan pursued a biochemistry degree at Universiti Malaya and later joined the pharmaceutical industry.
She worked for 10 years in a company that supplied critical medical products, including COVID-19 vaccines.
“I began baking at night after work while I was in pharmaceutical sales, both to unwind and to provide healthy loaves for my children,” she said.
However, it was during a two-year stint in Portland, United States — where she followed her husband on an overseas engineering assignment — that her passion for baking resurfaced.
“When I discovered sourdough bread in Portland, I was captivated by its flavour and texture. I baked it daily and visited multiple bakeries to learn more.
“Driven by curiosity, I began experimenting with sourdough fermentation at home, exploring different flours and techniques. It was also in Portland that I first came across scientific studies suggesting sourdough could help stabilise blood sugar levels,” she said.
When she returned to Malaysia, she began applying what she had learned to help her diabetic mother.
“My mum had struggled to control her blood sugar level despite lifestyle changes and medication. After I taught her how to make sourdough, she started baking it regularly,” she shared.
Astonishingly, after a year of eating sourdough bread, her mother’s glucose readings stabilised —prompting even her doctor to take notice. That experience was the catalyst for Chan’s decision to explore baking more seriously.
“We opened a tiny bakery in Balik Pulau in 2013 with some savings. Initially, people were unfamiliar with the tangy taste of sourdough. One elderly man returned the bread, thinking it was spoiled,” she said with a smile.
Educating the public about sourdough became an uphill battle.
“We had to explain why it wasn’t as soft as commercial bread — it had no preservatives or softeners, and that was intentional,” she explained.
Over time, word of mouth spread and Yin’s Sourdough Bakery & Cafe started gaining a loyal following.
Chan and her team then focused on quality, using traditional techniques and health-conscious ingredients to differentiate their bread.
Support by government initiatives played a vital role in their growth. In 2020, Yin’s Sourdough secured matching grants under the Malaysia Co-Investment Fund (MyCIF) via a crowd-funding campaign organised by equity platform, Pitch Platforms Sdn Bhd (PitchIN).
“The PitchIN team guided us through the process, which made it much easier. Within a year, we successfully closed the round, just before the pandemic hit,” she said.
MyCIF which was established under 2019 Budget, was further boosted with RM40 million matching grant in Budget 2025 tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim last year.
Despite COVID-19, Chan said the business remained afloat and even rewarded its early shareholders with a 30 per cent return, thanks to the entry of a private equity firm in a subsequent fundraising round.
She said the bakery has now grown beyond just a commercial venture — it is now a platform for social mobility.
She hires staff from rural communities, especially Sabah, including some with no baking background.
“One of our head bakers in Kuala Lumpur is a Sabah boy who started with no skills after Form Five. Today, he leads our sourdough team in Kuala Lumpur,” she said proudly.
Yin’s Sourdough also collaborates with Kolej Komuniti Bayan Baru, offering internship placements for students pursuing pastry certifications.
“It’s our way of giving back and growing local talents,” she said.
The brand currently operates at 10 locations — six in Penang and four in Kuala Lumpur — with plans to open five more outlets this year, primarily in the Klang Valley.
Looking ahead, Yin’s Sourdough is moving into a new central kitchen to support its expansion.
The team is also in the midst of applying for halal and MeSTI certifications to enhance consumer confidence.
While there have been enquiries from Singapore and Indonesia, Chan preferred a slow and steady growth approach.
“We don’t want to grow too fast and compromise on quality,” she said.
Above all, it is the small, meaningful encounters that keep her going.
“It’s when a mother calls to ask for salt-free bread for her child with thyroid cancer, or when someone says our bread helped them feel better — that’s what motivates me most,” she added.
-- BERNAMA
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