Time-Tested Bakes and Cakes from Butter Studio

Dedicated to honouring traditional home bakes with her grandmother’s recipes and love for baking, Shannon Lua, owner of Butter Studio, eventually decided to kick-start her bakery.  From a takeaway outlet at Changi Airport, Butter Studio has since expanded, boosting four outlets in Singapore. As its name suggests, it is a specialised bakery, providing you with the best of sweet treats. 

From the get-go, we wanted to be inclusive and accessible to the local community.

Shannon Lua, Owner of Butter Studio

Being an inclusive and community-centric brand were values Shannon held dear to her heart. While attaining a Halal certification can be a costly and lengthy process, Shannon made sure her bakery received the Halal certification for the Muslim community to enjoy delicious homemade bakes with peace of mind. Furthermore, Butter Studio believes in an inclusive culture that does not discriminate against marginalised communities and also employ special needs workers.

The journey to a sweet beginning

It’s always about family, about inspiring, celebrations, and honouring time-tested recipes.

Shannon grew up in a family of very avid and passionate home bakers. At a young age, she was exposed to the aroma of sweet-smelling bakes, and thoroughly enjoyed the weekly buzzes of baking in the kitchen where she frequently participated. Memories of the memorable moments in the kitchen eventually prompted Shanon to kickstart her own bakery business. 

However, making the jump from corporate marketing to F&B was a concerning decision for Shannon’s family. As with the advice of most traditional Asian parents, Shannon was encouraged to “stay on her path”.

She shared, ”Of course, there was a lot of convincing (to do), it’s also a test to see if we can convince our family that it’s not just a fly by night idea (nor) an impulsive decision.” However, the passion and seriousness of Shannon triumphed over those concerns and her family soon became her biggest cheerleaders. 

Starting out at the bakery was not a walk in the park for Shannon. Unlike the present where one could easily turn to Facebook or Instagram to promote products, Shannon had to get the word out organically. “Getting the word out there was just participating at flea markets and farm markets over the weekends. We literally had to go door-to-door of our friends and relatives, giving them samples to try out,” shared Shannon. Although strenuous, it was truly a humbling and fulfilling journey. 

Adapting to the new normal

While COVID-19 has caused disruptions to Shannon’s bakery with the cancellation of social gatherings and celebrations, she stuck through it. Shannon shared, “It’s been really challenging. Celebrations were cancelled, people were encouraged not to head out. As a team, we had to regroup and rethink how we should renavigate these uncharted waters.” 

Hence, anticipating the changing need of her customers, Shannon and her team seized the opportunity and came up with stay home fun kits to keep families entertained during the lockdown period, as well as a vaccination themed collection of bakes. It is truly all about making the best out of every situation. 

Butter Studio’s sweet signatures

Traditional homemade bakes with a modern twist is what Butter Studio does best. 

First up on the menu is Butter Studio’s signature Tarts ($6.90). Handcrafted and individually hand moulded into each mould, these tarts come with a buttery, cookie tart base perfect for anyone. Alongside its generous filling boosting rich and decadent flavours, truly a match made in heaven.

They are perfect for gifting and come in a delightful assortment of flavours – Sea Salt Nutella, Lemon Meringue, Belgium Chocolate and Speculoos Cream Cheese. Available as Signature Tarts ($26/4 pieces) online. 

Loaf cakes are a timeless classic, your perfect companion any time of the day. Butter studio provides plentiful loaf cake flavours to suit different taste buds, adding a modernized twist to your nostalgic treats. These loaf cakes are freshly baked every day in small batches, achieving decadent flavours with quality ingredients. 

For tangy lovers out there, Butter Studio’s Lemon Drizzle Loaf is for you ($23.90). Its rustic tangy lemon infused cake topped with beautiful hand-piped drizzle is a refreshing, citrusy treat to your day. Next up is its Strawberry Lemon Loaf ($23.90). A fragrant lemon-infused butter cake with strawberry puree topped with strawberry lemon icing, baked to perfection and a crowd-pleaser. Not forgetting Butter Studio’s classic Nutella Marble Loaf ($25.90), which boasts delicious hazelnut Nutella goodness with its fragrant marble cake, topped with chopped Sicilian pistachios. Truly bakes that won’t fail to impress.

Last but not least, featuring Butter Studio’s whimsical designed Cakelets. They are cute, petit 3-inch cakes, perfect for your cosy intimate celebrations. Take your pick from the wide variety of designs and flavours – Unicorn (22.90), Caramel Shots ($18.90), Donutella ($18.90) and Chocolate Indulgence ($20.90) and more. Their cakes are moist and tender, with each bite bursting with sweet sparks. Each cake is topped off with light and silky smooth buttercream which will melt deliciously in your mouth. You no longer need excuses if you want to devour a ‘whole cake’ yourself.

Chasing passion

Shannon’s unwavering perseverance and hard work have led Butter Studio to become what it is today. Whilst her journey has not been easy, her family has been her greatest pillar of strength and her biggest supporter. Her word of advice to others? “Don’t be afraid of hard work because the hours will pay off.” She adds, “There will be noises, there will be objections but at the end of the day, it’s finding that purpose and having that hunger to want to succeed and do better.”