'It's nothing anyone saw coming': Brownie specialist Dr Kitchen hangs up apron after 4 years, owner plans on relocating

It's been four years since husband-and-wife duo Hafid and Nadia set up their home-based business, Dr Kitchen, during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

And while it's been doing well, they've decided to hang up their aprons. 

Nadia made the announcement in an emotional Instagram post on May 17. 

"It’s nothing anyone saw coming, even Dr Kitchen herself. But life is as such that when it throws you a curve ball, you just have to take it and learn to juggle it the best that you can," she wrote. 

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She apologised to all the customers she had to turn down because of the closure. 

"The fact that you ordered way in advance really speaks volumes of your support for us."

She also expressed her appreciation to every customer who has shown them love since day one. 

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who had given Dr Kitchen the belief and support since the initial days of making cream puffs from her home kitchen to a fully operational kitchen and opportunities to even operate from Takashimaya," she said. 

Nadia revealed that she will be relocating to Amsterdam to reunite with Hafid.

"With all your love and prayers, who knows that one day there will be a Dr Kitchen Amsterdam chapter?" she said. 

In the comments, fans of Dr Kitchen's bakes expressed their sadness over the closure. 

Some reminisced about their trips down to Dr Kitchen's kitchen to pick up their orders. 

Others shared how their family and friends loved the couple's bakes. 

AsiaOne has reached out to Nadia and Hafid for more details. 

Business born out of the pandemic 

Dr Kitchen started out as a home-based business in July 2020, right in the midst of Covid-19 and the Circuit Breaker period. 

While they're known for their black brownies, which are made with 70-per-cent dark chocolate, their first few bakes were durian and vanilla cream puffs. 

As they grew in popularity, they expanded their menu, had pop-up booths and even started catering for events. 

Over the years, demand for their bakes increased so much that their tiny home kitchen could no longer accommodate the high number of orders. 

So, the couple decided to move to 20 Siglap Drive in May 2022, where they opened a takeaway shop and central kitchen. 

In January last year, they expanded again to have a second kitchen at North Bridge Road to make it more convenient for their customers living in the north and west to pick up their orders.

However, this was eventually shuttered a few months later in October. 

ALSO READ: Madu Bakery, which started as home-based business, announces closure; last day on June 2

melissateo@asiaone.com