In Malaysia’s competitive food and beverage sector, most dessert brands focus on indulgence. But Cream & Culture, founded by Su Mei, is disrupting the landscape with a different proposition: gut-friendly, kefir-based ice cream.
What is Kefir?
Kefir is a fermented milk drink made using a natural starter known as kefir grains. Often referred to as milk kefir, this traditional beverage, with roots in the Middle East, has been steadily gaining global popularity.
Built on personal experience, family knowledge, and experimentation, the brand has launched with a clear mission which is to make fermented dairy more accessible, enjoyable, and beneficial to mainstream consumers.
Su Mei’s journey into the world of fermentation didn’t start in a food lab. It started at home during her secondary school years. Her mother was battling chronic fatigue and severe eczema, struggling with energy and basic mobility. Even climbing stairs left her breathless, and the condition of her hands forced her to wear gloves while doing housework.
In search of healing, the family turned to kefir, introduced by Su Mei’s grandmother. What began as a daily supplement quickly became a cornerstone of their household.
“We didn’t know it back then, but supporting gut health would become a key part of her recovery,” Su Mei recalled.
The transformation was not only physical for her mother but also educational for the rest of the family. Su Mei started to learn more about the science and benefits of fermented foods. At first, she admitted, the taste and smell of kefir was funky, but as time passed, so did their perception. Curiosity took hold, leading to a deeper appreciation of its potential.
Stories from the wider community reinforced this belief. “I’ve heard stories from people who suffered decades of chronic constipation, some even requiring hospitalisation who finally found relief through regular kefir intake. That made me realise kefir wasn’t just a passing trend.”
From Home Remedy to Ice Cream Innovation
The leap from traditional kefir beverage to ice cream might seem unconventional, but for Su Mei, it was a natural evolution. Her family business, MyKefirWorld, had long been exploring multiple applications of kefir from cheese and bread, to body care and eco-enzyme household products.
“We’ve always focused on innovating beyond the beverage itself,” Su Mei said. “So naturally, transforming kefir into a dessert was the next step.”
The concept of Cream & Culture was born from that foundation. The vision? Reimagine kefir as a premium dessert that retains its probiotic qualities while appealing to the everyday consumer. Ice cream, with its universal appeal, provided the ideal medium.
Educating a Market Still New to Kefir
Despite the growing interest in gut health globally, the Malaysian public remains largely unfamiliar with kefir, let alone kefir-based ice cream. This presented Su Mei with her biggest hurdle which is consumer education.
“We’re still on the journey of bridging that gap, explaining what kefir is, how it’s different from yogurt, and why it matters for your health, and that was the hardest part,” she said.
Cream & Culture had to not only introduce a product but also build understanding and trust in a fermented, live-culture base that behaves very differently from traditional dairy products.
Formulating the ice cream presented another layer of complexity. Unlike standard recipes, kefir is an active, living culture. Its acidity, tang, and texture interact with sugar, fat, and stabilizers in unexpected ways.
“I had zero background in ice cream making, so it took a lot of self-learning,” Su Mei admitted.
Every flavour required trial and error, not just to achieve a pleasant taste, but to preserve the viability of the probiotic cultures while ensuring shelf stability.
Designing Flavours for Health and Taste
The team behind Cream & Culture began with flavours that felt familiar: Classic Vanilla, Double Chocolate, and White Peach Oolong. But even these required extensive balancing of tangy and sweet notes, all while preserving kefir’s natural integrity.
“We developed everything from scratch, and feedback from customers played a huge role in finalizing what stayed on the menu,” Su Mei said.
To address varying consumer preferences, Cream & Culture introduced a “Kefir Level” scale on all product labels. Level 1 for subtle tang, Level 3 for those who prefer a stronger fermented kick, such as in the brand’s Original flavour.
This system helps customers make informed choices without compromising on flavour or function.
Collaborating to Build, Not Compete
Entrepreneurship, Su Mei explained, can be isolating. For her, the support of F&B partners and collaborators was instrumental to bringing the Cream & Culture vision to life.
“I wouldn’t have done this if I had to do it alone,” she said. “Drawing from each other’s experiences, refining ideas that made the difference.”
This collaborative spirit extended into all parts of the business: product testing, branding, supplier sourcing, and even retail strategy. By working closely with those who shared a passion for innovation and health-focused products, Cream & Culture was able to fast-track its market readiness and avoid common pitfalls.
What makes Cream & Culture a category-defining brand is not just its product format but its timing. Consumer awareness around gut health, microbiome diversity, and probiotic nutrition has grown significantly, particularly post-pandemic.
According to Su Mei, kefir’s unique properties make it well-suited for this wave of wellness-driven choices. Unlike yogurt, kefir contains a broader range of live bacteria and yeasts often 50+ strains and is naturally lower in lactose due to the fermentation process.
“Many people who are sensitive to dairy are surprised they can tolerate our ice cream.
“It’s a treat that doesn’t leave them bloated or uncomfortable. That kind of feedback really affirms what kefir can do,” she said.
Beyond being lactose-friendly, kefir helps with digestion, reduces inflammation, and supports a balanced immune system. Cream & Culture’s value proposition is clear: dessert with benefits.
Launching the First Flagship Store in Kota Damansara
Cream & Culture’s first retail shop opened in Kota Damansara, selected after scouting multiple potential locations. The goal was to give customers a space to experience the brand’s culture literally. Visitors can view fermentation jars, sample rotating flavours, ask questions, and engage directly with the process behind the product.
The response from the community has been promising. Many first-time visitors had never heard of kefir or assumed it tasted unpleasant. But tasting kefir in ice cream form quickly changed that perception.
Su Mei is clear-eyed about Cream & Culture’s roadmap: expand retail presence, introduce new flavours, and increase accessibility. But growth will not come at the expense of product quality or cultural values.
“I want us to be a household name while staying true to what makes us different,” she said. This includes maintaining clean labels, functional ingredients, and honest communication about how the products are made.
Product diversification is also on the horizon. Seasonal and more complex flavours are in development, as is potential integration into other product lines possibly even outside the dessert category. The bigger goal? Making gut health products mainstream, starting with ice cream.
Advice for Entrepreneurs in Niche Markets
Despite her achievements, Su Mei has faced her share of self-doubt, often grappling with imposter syndrome. She reflects on the journey with pride, noting that the brand successfully launched 18 flavours, an accomplishment built entirely through self-learning and support from the community.
Her philosophy centres on owning a niche, educating customers, and focusing on the right audience rather than trying to appeal to everyone. She also embraces the uncertainty that comes with innovation, believing that feeling lost is a natural part of creating something new and that clarity comes with progress.
If given the chance to start over, she wouldn’t change a thing. Every challenge, she says, has helped shape the brand into what it is today.
Cream & Culture’s Broader Impact
By transforming kefir into something both familiar and functional, Cream & Culture is doing more than selling dessert, it is redefining the way consumers view the relationship between food, health, and indulgence. What was once considered a niche health product has been reimagined into a treat that feels accessible, exciting, and relevant to modern lifestyles.
With its flagship store in Kota Damansara serving as a community hub, the brand has cultivated a loyal and steadily growing customer base. Here, first-time visitors often arrive curious about kefir and leave as converts, drawn in by the brand’s blend of creamy textures, bold flavours, and tangible wellness benefits. The space has become more than just a dessert outlet it is a place where conversations about gut health, nutrition, and mindful eating naturally occur over spoonfuls of indulgence.
Positioned at the intersection of wellness, innovation, and local entrepreneurship, Cream & Culture occupies a unique space in Malaysia’s competitive dessert market. In an industry often driven by fleeting trends, its products stand out for being both crave-worthy and consciously made. Each flavour is crafted with an attention to detail that reflects the brand’s ethos: health-forward without sacrificing taste.
Su Mei’s journey also reflects a broader shift in consumer preferences, where authenticity and transparency hold more value than mass appeal. By focusing on education and customer connection, she has turned what began as a humble family remedy into a scalable, future-forward business.
The success of Cream & Culture suggests that Malaysia and potentially the wider Southeast Asian region is ready to embrace desserts that not only satisfy the palate but also support long-term wellness.
Shahriena Shukri is a journalist covering business and economic news in Malaysia, providing insights on market trends, corporate developments, and financial policies. More about Shahriena Shukri.
