6 Years of Hey! Chips - A Dream to Make Food Simpler

Hey! Chips fam, it’s hard to believe that Hey! Chips has been around for six years already. Time has flown by, and looking back at how it all started feels surreal. When Hayden and I launched this venture on our own, we never imagined we would come this far. Back in 2018, we were just two nature lovers with a dream to make food simpler.

Why We Started Hey! Chips

Our journey was a personal mission for us, to change the way packaged foods are presented in the market. We’ve always believed that good food doesn’t need to be complicated. It shouldn’t come with long ingredient lists full of chemicals that nobody can pronounce. We wanted to offer something different—food that is honest, great-tasting, and made with real ingredients, without cutting corners. 

Due to the seasonality and variability of natural raw materials from the farms, being a simple snack is not as simple as you may think. It takes extreme care to source the right raw material and get every batch to perfection. We have to embrace nature and deal with challenging factors that any food makers should have to. 

The Early Days

When we launched Hey! Chips, we rolled out a lot of events, introducing our story to as many people as we could by sharing our chips. In 2018, we were practically everywhere, from small pop-up markets to larger food fairs to nature trips. It was exhausting for the pioneering team but the passion is REAL! 

Sticking to Our Values Despite Challenges

As the years go by, we learned more about the realities of running a business, one thing became clear: sticking to our values wasn’t going to be cheap. We refused to cut costs and raise prices in the past 6 years. Instead, we focused on optimising our business and fine-tuning our processes. It wasn’t easy, but we knew it was the right thing to do to keep our product comparable with the ultra-processed snacks in the market. Margins are thin but we are determined to carry on the fight. 

From the Pandemic to Globalisation

When Covid hit, like so many small businesses, we had all our previous work undone. Events, our main avenue for connecting with customers, were no longer viable. We started driving our digital channels and launched gift boxes. It was a tough time, but it also taught us how to be adaptable.

By 2022, we launched a globalisation campaign, running trade shows all over the world. It was a huge undertaking, but the results were worth it. Today, we’re proud to say that Hey! Chips are available in over 12 countries. We’ve had the chance to share our healthy, honest snacks with people all around the world, and we’re incredibly grateful for the warm reception we’ve received.

2023: A Big Leap into Modern Trade

Most recently, we decided it is time to take a plunge into the local modern trade, retailing our products into larger supermarket chains like Cold Storage and FairPrice Finest. It was a major shift in our business model as we were used to selling our chips in more niche spaces, and we weren’t sure how the broader market would respond. But to our delight, we ended up being one of the top-selling brands in the healthy snack category in both supermarkets! 

This achievement wasn’t just a win for us—it was a sign of something bigger. It showed us that the mindset of Singaporean consumers has evolved during the years Hey! Chips has been around. More and more people are seeking out genuine ingredients in their foods. It’s heartening to see this shift in healthy conscious snacking, and we’re proud to be a part of it.

Looking Forward

As we celebrate our six-year journey, Hayden and I are filled with gratitude. We’ve grown so much as a company and as individuals, and we owe that growth to our customers, our team, and our partners who believed in us from the very beginning. We’re deeply passionate about healthy snacking for all ages, and it’s heartening to see our company grow in the midst of turbulent economic changes.

But we’re not stopping here. We’re looking forward to building even closer bonds with our customers, and creating new, innovative snacks that are true to our values. The world of snacking is changing, and we want to lead a healthy snack revolution that will not only satisfy cravings but also make a positive impact on people’s lives.

Here’s to many more years of Hey! Chips and to a healthier, more honest way of snacking!