Longing for familiar flavors prompted her to establish a Singaporean dinner club and food business in London
Megan Tan Launches Homi Kitchen in London During COVID-19 Lockdown
Megan Tan, a finance lawyer, found herself in London during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Feeling homesick for Singaporean food, her roommate was not alone. Tan, who is a self-professed extrovert, decided to do something thoughtful to brighten her roommate's spirits.
During the lockdown, Tan started opening orders for dishes like wonton mee, Hokkien mee, and carrot cake on her Instagram. On her roommate's birthday, she made bak chor mee for the first time, using a recipe she found online. The experience of cooking for others and delivering the dishes herself during the weekends brought Tan a sense of connection during a time when it was scarce.
As the lockdown continued, Tan's passion for cooking and her desire to share authentic Singaporean flavours with the world grew. She launched Homi Kitchen, a homemade Singaporean supper club and food brand in London. The supper club featured dishes like Hainanese chicken rice, carrot cake, and chilli crab, attracting a diverse clientele.
Tan's bigger ambition was to fill a gap in the UK market by offering authentic Singaporean flavors as grocery products, especially sauces, rather than opening another restaurant. She used her supper club sessions to refine and test potential products, planning to sell items like her homemade chili sauce on grocery shelves.
As of August 2025, Tan has left her day job with a clear vision for product development and target customers but has not focused on continuing private dinners or opening a restaurant in London. Her future plans center on growing her brand through retail products rather than traditional dining.
Tan found joy in cooking for her friend and realized the satisfaction of making something with her own hands. She discovered that the act of sharing food can create a powerful bond, even during difficult times. Tan's story is a testament to the power of food to bring people together, no matter the circumstances.
- Megan Tan's kitchen adventures during the COVID-19 lockdown transformed into a lifestyle, as she shared authentic Singaporean recipes with a global audience, bridging the gap between home and garden and food-and-drink industries.
- As the pandemic continued, Tan's love for cooking blossomed into a distinct food-and-drink brand, Homi Kitchen, offering home-and-garden cooked Singaporean meals and global cuisines, showcasing the fusion of lifestyles.
- Leveraging her supper club experience, Tan aims to bring the taste of Singapore to consumers worldwide, starting with offering grocery products like sauces, thus revolutionizing the food-and-drink industry while making a global impact on food-and-drink lifestyles.
