Business is brisk at Tokyo Lamington in Sydney’s Newtown, with customers lining up for a mouth-watering box of treats in all the colours of the rainbow. And that's just one variety - covered in vibrant sprinkles.
More exotic varieties include Davidson Plum and Lemon Pepper, but the signature Tokyo-inspired ‘Yuzu’ is a winner. It is filled with yuzu curd made from yuzu juice sourced from Yamaguchi prefecture, fresh cream and dipped in meringue, and later lightly toasted.
“We are really pushing the boundary of lamington, and people love it," says co-founder Eddie Stewart.
“And I think the reason people love it because there's no coconut on [the yuzu]. It's very different.”
Eddie Stewart is a chef and his Malaysian-born business partner Min Chai is a finance expert. Together they have turned a hobby into a thriving small business. And during Sydney’s long lockdown, sales have exploded.
The yuzu lamington has a lightly toasted meringue covering. Source: SBS Sandra Fulloon
“We are absolutely smashed, very busy,” says Eddie.
As it is the success of the new business, which opened in 2020, has taken both owners by surprise.
“When we started, it was like a little hobby business and it has grown to be far bigger than we expected,” Eddie explains.
“To be honest, we were not expecting to sell 100,000 lamingtons in our first year!”
They originally intended to open Tokyo Lamington in - Tokyo. But COVID-19 and border closures put a stop to that last year. So after a few pop ups in Sydney they decided on a bricks and mortar shopfront.
“We've been in Japan collectively in the past three years, maybe 50 times. It's we love the flavors. We love the culture,” Eddie says.
Despite their more exotic creations, the traditional lammo still draws a crowd.
“Our most popular is the OG [original]. It is much like any traditional lamington and filled with jam, cream, with chocolate, and dipped in coconut,” says Eddie.
“The main difference between our lammos others is the way we have constructed it. The cake soft and light, but also decadent!”
The original lamington or OG remains popular. Source: SBS Sandra Fulloon
“We use this cream which is country-style, really thick and heavy and it just reminds you of a country bakery.”
Their clientele has steadily grown - so too the range of flavours.
“Over the last 12 months, we've probably experimented with over 100 flavours. Some were good, but some were bad, just to be honest,” Min says laughing.
“Inspiration comes from our diverse team as well. Our staff represent many different nationalities, and they come up with lots of ideas.
“One of my favorites is Hello, which is a Filipino dessert in lamington. It's like a drink. It's jackfruit and all these different ingredients together. The Filipino community was keen on it,” Eddie says.
Their Newtown shopfront is significant to Eddie, who previously worked at the same site for Black Star Pastry.
“We were looking for the perfect shop in the inner west. And then we found out this one was going to come up for rent. So we pushed and pushed to get it,” he says. "It was surreal, I got a little bit emotional at one stage."
After signing a lease on the the historic terrace, they renovated by hand, adding Japanese touches.
Naturally starting a new venture in a pandemic isn't easy.
But Min says software supplied by Xero has made a real difference to their first financial year profitability.
“Xero made it very easy for us to keep working during the pandemic. It is very portable, and cloud based, so we could work from home,” says Min.
“Also Xero stepped in and created information and structure to help us navigate through the pandemic, despite the restrictions.
"As a cloud-based business, Xero has a range of flexible tools that allow our businesses to work remotely," says Joseph Lyons, Xero managing director for Australia and Asia.
Xero's Joseph Lyons. Source: Supplied Xero
"And what we have done for small businesses is pull together a range of tips, guides, and content to help them navigate through what has been a pretty uncertain and challenging time for business owners."
Min says Xero also assists with lodging quarterly business activity statements.
“It's just one click away. And the integration with paying super as well. It's all easy.
“We send an email to our accountant saying the accounts are ready and she'll go through it remotely.”
Joseph Lyons says managing cash flow is key for owner-operators coping with recent lockdowns.
"So Xero introduced a new tool called analytics plus, which is an easy to use dashboard.
"It allows a small business to understand what their cash at hand.
"By providing insightful data, Xero provides a better understanding of where a business is now and, more importantly, where it might be in the future."
For Min and Eddie, who is raising a young child, it’s all about finding the right balance
Tokyo Lamington has a range of fun flavours. Source: SBS Sandra Fulloon
“We do want to grow, but I still want family life. [My wife and I] have an 18-month old and I want to spend time with her. So we will grow the business at our pace, when we're ready and we'll open the next shop.
“We would love a Melbourne store, but we do not want to turn this into a chain. We want to be there running the store, feet on the ground," he says.
"And once travel restrictions ease, Japan will be back on the cards. Hopefully next year we can do it."
For more information contact www.xero.com/au/
