At Sugarsmith, macarons aren’t just dainty French confections anymore, they’re transformed into miniature works of art. Hand-piped and meticulously crafted, the brand’s confections feature cute character designs and inventive flavours, captivating both children and adults alike.
Sugarsmith also happens to be the first and only macaron bakery in Singapore officially licensed by Sanrio, allowing it to craft macarons shaped like Hello Kitty, Kuromi, and other beloved characters—a sweet bonus atop an already irresistible range.
But it all began as a passion project. We spoke with the brand’s founder, 25-year-old Adriana Zheng, about how her love for baking grew into a full-fledged business.
It started as a hobby
Adriana’s love affair with macarons began right after her A Level examination. Always one to challenge herself, she decided to bake one of the most notoriously difficult pastries for fun.
To her surprise, her very first batch of the basic, round macarons turned out well. Soon, she was experimenting with more complex shapes, researching techniques, and creating intricate designs with unique flavours, quickly becoming hooked on the craft.
While Adriana honed her baking skills as a hobby, she pursued a degree in Life Sciences at NUS. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, her boyfriend suggested she start selling her creations online via Carousell and Instagram—a move that would mark the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey.
Sales immediately took off, and Adriana was earning a few thousand dollars a month. She fulfilled as many as 600 macarons monthly, with prices starting at S$4 a piece.
Adriana’s ability to replicate designs with precision had also made her creations popular for custom requests.
Still, balancing baking with university life wasn’t sustainable, and Adriana decided to put her side hustle on pause. She eventually completed university and went on to work, in her words, an “unfulfilling year” in pharmaceutical sales, which led her to quit her job at 24 and rethink her career path.
With encouragement from her boyfriend, she decided to give her macaron business a proper shot—this time with bigger ambitions.
She returned to home baking from Apr to Jul 2024, before securing a central kitchen and officially incorporating Sugarsmith.
Winning over Sanrio
Having already mastered intricately piped characters, Adriana, as well as her partner, who is also a co-founder of the business, noticed a growing demand for Sanrio-themed macarons from customers.
With Sanrio’s strong brand presence in Singapore—the brand had even sparked a frenzy for limited-edition plushies at McDonald’s in the early 2000s—it seemed natural to seek official approval to craft their own licensed Sanrio macarons.
But securing Sanrio’s approval was no easy feat. The couple had to submit photos, prove their consistency, and wait six long months before finally receiving the licensing green light. Adriana also spent countless hours perfecting proportions, colours, and details to meet Sanrio’s exacting standards.
“The quality of each piece is held to an extremely high standard—not just Sanrio’s, but ours too. Because everything is hand-piped without moulds or machines, our team members need to be exceptionally skilled,” she explained.
It took another few months before product and marketing approvals came through, and by June 2025, the brand launched its licensed Sanrio macarons.
At the same time, Adriana, together with her boyfriend, opened a pop-up stall at Takashimaya Food Hall, expanding their offerings beyond their own original designs while providing the public with a spot to admire their creations in person.
Pulling all-nighters to keep up with demand
Since opening the pop up stall, Sugarsmith’s offerings have been a hit. In its first week alone, the macaron shop sold around 400 pieces daily, often selling out by 3PM. Adriana recalled pulling all-nighters just to keep up with demand.
Though the pop-up ended just two days ago, its run at Takashimaya Food Hall was such a success that Sugarsmith ranked among the top performers at Takashimaya’s Food Fiesta 2025. To keep up with the growing demand, they have since expanded their commercial kitchen to boost production capacity.
Apart from this, Adriana shared that the brand’s growth also came from investing in proper marketing to strengthen their online presence and attract more customers—alongside word-of-mouth praise for their high-quality, adorable macarons.
“Many customers, on Google Reviews, tell us they’re worth every very cent—if not more,” she said. A scan of the reviews by Vulcan Post shows that many praise the craftsmanship and the taste of the offerings, which are also larger than typical macarons.
However, some reviewers noted that the price point is on the steep side. Classic designs start from S$4 per macaron, while more intricate or Sanrio-themed creations can cost up to S$7.50 each. By comparison, world-famous Pierre Herme Paris offers macarons from S$4, and Annabella Patisserie, Singapore’s largest macaron supplier, starts at S$2.50 for plain macarons.
Sugarsmith wants to prove that its macarons are beyond just cute
For Adriana and her co-founder, growth has always started with mastering their craft and ensuring quality before scaling. “Baking macarons is a science,” she said.
Testing the market early gave the business confidence, while starting lean and “scaling smart” allowed it to grow sustainably.
Looking ahead, Sugarsmith is focused on showcasing its intricately hand-crafted macarons to even more people.
Following its pop-up at Takashimaya, the brand will soon appear at Tampines and Jewel Changi Airport, introducing both its signature designs and Sanrio creations to new audiences.
Our dream is to showcase our macarons to the world—and to prove that they’re not just cute, but truly delicious too.
Featured Image Credit: Sugarsmith
