She Sells Seashells: Singapore’s first madeleine and financier bakery

Rachel Goh, 37, never thought baking would be in the cards for her. It was pure coincidence (and fortune) that she picked up baking as a hobby during her one-year break, right after she resigned from her job as a sales and marketing executive. 

Today, she is the lady boss behind Singapore’s first speciality madeleine and financier bakery, She Sells Seashells.

After working for seven years in the marketing industry, Rachel decided it was the right time to take a step back, reevaluate her career prospects and figure out what direction she wanted to go in next.

“I just couldn’t see myself working in an office anymore,” she admits.

It has been five fruitful years since She Sells Seashells first began in 2019, right before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. From a small and humble home-based business, it’s now a brick-and-mortar space at Hillview.

Leaving her job mid-career

Rachel had been in marketing for more than a decade, ever since she graduated from the Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS) in Mass Communications when she was 20. 

But — realising that marketing wasn’t her cup of tea — she yearned to leave the corporate lifestyle.

“I dreaded going to work,” she says, sheepishly. “The job wasn’t feeding my soul.” 

Rachel’s husband had also encouraged her to take a break from corporate life and explore other different passions instead.

“It was unexpected,” Rachel says with a smile. “I was just baking for fun at first, but after a lot of trial and error, I decided to start a home-baking business.”

Discovering a love for baking

Prior to her one-year break in 2018, Rachel would bake madeleines and cakes for her friends and family when she had the time, but had never thought about becoming a full-time baker.  

But it was only during her sabbatical that Rachel uncovered a true, hidden passion for the craft.

“I had more time to experiment,” she explains. “I found that it deepened my interest in baking and I enjoyed creating something from scratch.” 

And from the get-go, Rachel was determined to specialise in madeleines — a nostalgic treat that held sentimental meaning for her. 

“I have a soft spot for it in my heart,” she says, wistfully. “My mom used to buy it for me when I was a child.” 

Rachel explains that it was her mother’s way of showing love and care — by sharing treats she enjoyed with her children. 

“Sometimes she’d bring back traditional pastries or western snacks,” she recalls. “It was a very ‘mummy’ thing of her to do.”

But madeleines were the pastries that she remembered most, as Rachel remembered being fascinated by its gorgeous seashell shapes. It was also then that she got the inspiration to recreate her own variations. 

Despite having no culinary background, Rachel dedicated her time to perfecting her madeleine recipe. She would follow online tutorials religiously, test out different ingredient ratios and spin her creative twist on the pastry. 

“I didn’t like how madeleines would get sticky after leaving it out for some time in the open,” she says. “I adjusted the recipe through trial and error to eliminate any stickiness.” 

Rachel creates recipes according to her personal preferences, as well as new and unique flavours that would suit the Singaporean palate, such as the chilli crab madeleine (S$3.90) — in tribute to our local-favourite dish. 

“I’m constantly thinking about flavour pairings,” Rachel adds. “Sometimes, I’d create flavours according to what I’m craving.” 

She also noticed that most Singaporeans were health-conscious, so she ensures her bakes are less sweet and their natural, aromatic flavours shine through.

She adds: “We make all our fillings in-house to control the amount of sugar added.” 

Later on, she also introduced financiers to the menu, which she describes as a “close cousin of madeleines”.

Starting a home-based business

Over the break, Rachel picked up enough kitchen experience and knowledge to start a home-based business of her own – that’s how She Sells Seashells was born in 2019. 

“We wanted to take the business slow and easy,” she recalls. 

As a home-based business, there were little overheads, too. Rachel adds: “We didn’t have to pay for rent or worry about manpower.” 

However, the initial response wasn’t great and orders were slow. 

But when the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020, orders gradually started trickling in — all thanks to some favourable reviews on local food and travel sites. 

Online home-based businesses were at its height, too — everyone was stuck at home and had turned to online bakeries to satiate their sweet-tooth. 

“Everyone was ordering for their friends,” she recalls, excitedly. “Customers were camping for our launches and they would sell out within a minute.” 

“Because of that, we gained a lot more confidence,” Rachel adds. “We realised the space at home was also getting quite limited, so we considered moving to a physical store.”

Moving to a brick-and-mortar space

In December 2022, She Sells Seashells transitioned to a physical location at Hillview. While it was an exciting milestone in her baking career, Rachel had this to say: “It wasn’t child’s play anymore,” 

“We had to figure out the various licences and costs, and hire staff,” she adds. “We were also very afraid of unhappy customers.” 

Rachel also expanded her menu offerings. When She Sell Seashells was still a small-scale, home-based business, the lineup was limited to a box of four: Two madeleines and two financiers (S$22). The set included flavours such as the matcha and yuzu madeleine with Roku gin glaze and TWG golden earl grey and salted caramel madeleine. 

When the retail boutique first launched, the menu grew to include two more flavours. But Rachel soon realised that the bakes were selling out too quickly, and had to increase her baking output to ensure that all her customers walked away satisfied. 

Now, Rachel has up to 24 flavours available each day, so her regulars have a varied selection of madeleines and financiers to try, whenever they stop by. 

The menu at She Sells Seashells

The team begins prepping orders as early as 7am, handcrafting the madeleines and financiers,  from scratch daily. The display is fully stocked for the day, too, so you’ll be spoiled for choice when you enter the store. 

If you’re not sure which flavour to go for, Rachel and her team are always happy to recommend their bestsellers. Alternatively, you can let them know if you have any preferences as well. 

The TWG earl grey milk tea madeleine (S$4.70) is one of the crowd-favourites here, with its aromatic, tea-forward profile and fluffy body. Otherwise, you can’t go wrong with the matcha madeleine with ceremonial grade matcha ganache (S$4.90), which oozes a velvety matcha lava with every bite. 

Depending on the season, there may also be seasonal flavours added to the menu. You’ll have to stay tuned to She Sells Seashells’ social media pages! 

Finding meaning in baking

While some may not find the F&B industry the most lucrative trade — because of its competitive nature and rising overheads — Rachel has never regretted her decision to start a bakery. 

As physically tiring and demanding as it gets, being the founder and head baker at She Sells Seashells has been a meaningful journey for Rachel. 

“I don’t feel as tired, compared to when I was working in a corporate job,” she says. “The stress here is very different, but it’s a pressure that I don’t dread.” 

To Rachel, being in the kitchen and working with her team — most of whom have been here for a few years — is her greatest joy. They’re her family and she enjoys the process of creating new flavours and brainstorming different creations alongside them. 

Rachel also has expansion plans for She Sells Seashells sometime in the future. She intends to open another outlet — hopefully in a more central location this time — and we’re keeping our eyes peeled! 

For more bakeries in Singapore, check out Champion Bolo Bun for its Hong Kong-style bolo buns and Butter Town with its Japanese-inspired shio pan rolls. Alternatively, check out the newest openings in Singapore here. 

Enjoy up to 50% off when you dine with GrabFood Dine Out.

You can also book a ride to She Sells Seashells to try its madeleines and financiers.