But perhaps Modern Provision’s most defining feature is its ambition to create its own circular economy. Premium items are either retailed on its website or funnelled to Tribal, Slate or Ebb & Flow’s high-end offerings, such as Sommer and Willow. Less prized items might be repurposed as ready-to-eat packs. Fresh ingredients about to expire can be fermented, made into stock or blended into smoothies – the sky’s the limit.
On his thought process, Lim said: “Traditional grocers buy tons of fruit and vegetables that sit on their shelves. If nobody buys them, they go to waste. You have to be a little bit more innovative. Can I use the vegetables across the restaurants, once they start to wilt? Can I make them into juices, gelatos or other concepts around these products to ensure that they don’t go to waste?”
Lim cites the example of the steamboat sets, which debuted ahead of the Chinese New Year. “We brought in wagyu from two farms in Japan’s Tochigi and Iwate prefectures to create shabu shabu bundles. The ribeye went to Tribal, which we sold as smoky rib [part of the Sample Beef menu]. The brisket, we created a Japanese beef curry, a ready-to-eat meal. Brisket is a tough cut, but we braise it, make it tender, and then sell it as a curry.
“We’ve also done that with chicken. Same thing, we turned it into herbal chicken soup. Some of them are still in R&D stage, like a milk gelato that we’re launching.” The gelato, which is made from cow’s milk from the Kakiki Farm in Iwate, has a longer shelf life. “Other inventory that are going to expire, we turn them into a ponzu for hot pot sets.”
CHAMPIONING AFFORDABILITY
By leveraging his F&B ecosystem, Lim can afford to buy in bulk but still keep costs manageable for consumers. At the time of writing, prices range from S$2.40 (US$1.77) for a 100g bundle of organic leek to S$350 for a 3.5kg wild-caught Spanish mackerel.
