This year, she has made 20 per cent more revenue from mandarin orange sales alone, compared with last Chinese New Year.
More than half of the sales come from pre-orders from neighbourhoods like Sengkang, Bishan and Choa Chu Kang. Over the years, the WhatsApp groups she has set up for these neighborhoods are now thousands of people strong.
“(This is) partly because the cost of living has increased, so embracing ugly or surplus food no longer becomes just because of sustainability reasons, but also because it’s very practical,” she said.
Mandarin oranges that did not manage to get sold at her Mandai shop are used in other ways, such as making them into fruit marmalades.
“These marmalades are (then) either sold in (our) store, or … we incorporate into our salad dressings and we serve them in our cafe,” she added.
