The Ice Cream & Cookie Co. (ICC) is a Singaporean ice-cream and frozen-dessert brand established in 2012 by Natasha Chiam and Andrew Chiam. Originally launched as a small venture at farmers’ markets selling handmade ice-cream sandwiches, the company has grown into an independent consumer business with operations spanning supermarkets, e-commerce, food service, and international markets. The brand’s identity centres on Asian-inspired flavours, small-batch production techniques, “better-for-you” formulations, and its iconic ice-cream-and-cookie sandwich. 1

As of 2025–2026, ICC operates primarily from Singapore while maintaining a presence in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Taiwan. Its flagship store in Hong Kong, located at 18 Gough Street, marks the company’s first overseas concept outlet. 2

Basic Information

The company positions itself as a leading independent Singaporean ice-cream brand, distributing products through various retail channels, online platforms, and F&B establishments.

2012 — Origins

The inception of ICC traces back to Natasha Chiam creating an ice-cream sandwich at home for her then-boyfriend Andrew, inspired by similar treats she had encountered during her university studies. At the time, Chiam was working in journalism while pursuing baking as a side interest. 3

The couple subsequently began selling their homemade creations at Singaporean farmers’ markets. According to the company’s narrative, their debut appearance resulted in the sale of 100 ice-cream sandwiches.

One of the early venues for their sales was the Loewen Gardens Farmers’ Market, where Chiam sold her handmade sandwiches. During this phase, the operation functioned more as a passion project than a traditional food enterprise.

2013 — Transition to Full-Time Operations

Growing demand prompted Natasha and Andrew to leave their respective jobs to focus on ICC full-time. The company relocated to its first small kitchen in Jalan Besar, commencing the production of small-batch ice cream for local cafés and restaurants.

During this period, the brand expanded beyond farmers’ markets, participating in events such as music festivals, arts fairs, and the Singapore Formula One.

2010s — Evolution into an FMCG Brand

ICC gradually transitioned from an event-based and food-service operation into a packaged consumer brand.

A significant milestone occurred in 2016 when the company launched its retail pints, entering competition for supermarket freezer space against larger international ice-cream corporations.

This shift represented a fundamental change in the business model: moving away from reliance on individual events and B2B contracts to placing products directly into consumers’ home freezers.

2020 — Pandemic Adaptation

The COVID-19 pandemic caused substantial disruption, as many of ICC’s restaurant clients were forced to close or reduce operations. In response, the company intensified its focus on supermarket distribution and e-commerce.

Despite these challenges, ICC stated that it honoured a commitment to its workforce to avoid layoffs during this period.

2022 — Manufacturing Scale-Up

By 2022, ICC had undergone four factory relocations within Singapore. The fourth facility was engineered to support increased production capacity, upgraded equipment, and future growth.

Crucially, the company retained in-house manufacturing in Singapore rather than outsourcing core production. ICC asserts that producing its pints, cookie sandwiches, and cakes internally allows for greater oversight of ingredients, processes, and product development.

2024 — Expansion into Hong Kong

ICC entered the Hong Kong market in 2024 by opening its first overseas concept store at 18 Gough Street in Sheung Wan. The two-storey venue was designed to offer a comprehensive brand experience, distinct from a standard retail freezer outlet.

The Hong Kong location introduced dine-in desserts and exclusive flavours alongside the brand’s existing range of sandwiches and pints.

2025 — Regional Presence

Marking its 13th anniversary in 2025, ICC reported that its products were available in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Taiwan, across cafés, supermarkets, and convenience stores.

The company has evolved from a distinctly Singaporean farmers’-market venture into a regional Asian ice-cream brand, while maintaining Singapore as its central hub for manufacturing and operations. Reports indicate that Singapore remains critical for manufacturing, R&D, and supermarket distribution.

Natasha Chiam

Natasha Chiam serves as the co-founder and primary public representative of The Ice Cream & Cookie Co. Prior to entrepreneurship, she worked in journalism and fashion media and had studied law. 4

Her entrepreneurial path began with hobbyist baking while employed full-time. What started as satisfying a personal craving for an ice-cream sandwich developed into a commercial entity.

Chiam remains deeply involved in brand development, marketing, product direction, and international expansion. In interviews, she has articulated the company’s philosophy regarding Asian flavours and the creation of indulgent yet ingredient-conscious products. 5

Andrew Chiam

Andrew Chiam, Natasha’s husband and co-founder, has been integral to the company since its inception. Together, they produced the original ice-cream sandwiches sold at early farmers’ markets.

Company history notes that both founders made the leap from a part-time market project to a full-time business in 2013.

ICC’s product portfolio has expanded significantly from its initial offering.

Ice-Cream Sandwiches

The ice-cream sandwich remains the flagship product and is most closely associated with the ICC brand.

Consisting of two house-baked cookies enclosing a portion of ice cream, the sandwiches feature specific cookie pairings tailored to individual ice-cream flavours, rather than using a generic cookie for all varieties.

Key attributes of the sandwiches include:

• Made from scratch in Singapore
• Baked with cookies produced in-house
• Filled with freshly churned ice cream
• Produced in small batches
• Individually portioned at approximately 100g
• Designed with complementary cookie-and-ice-cream combinations

Current and recent flavours include English Earl, Mint Chocolate and Strawberries & Cream, along with rotating seasonal options.

Retail Pints

The retail freezer range encompasses conventional ice cream, gelato, and frozen desserts. Examples include:

• Onde Onde
• Black Sesame
• Mint Chocolate
• Dark Chocolate
• Vanilla Bean
• Yuzu
• Tropical Coconut
• Acai Berry
• Chocolate Fudge Cookie

The range also features dairy-free and vegan options.

Asian-Inspired Flavours

A defining characteristic of ICC is its emphasis on Southeast Asian and Asian flavours.

The Onde Onde flavour exemplifies this approach: a pandan-and-coconut ice cream incorporating mochi, desiccated coconut, and gula melaka.

Other regional flavours have included combinations involving black sesame, pandan, yuzu, kopi, and mochi.

Founder Natasha Chiam has argued that Asian ingredients can occupy the same premium space traditionally defined by European-style flavours like Belgian chocolate or French vanilla.

Cakes

ICC produces ice-cream cakes that combine ice cream with cake layers and other dessert components. Examples include:

• Double Chocolate
• Strawberries & Cream
• Classic Onde Onde
• Cookies & Cream
• Taro Delight
• Ferrero Hazelnut
• S’mores Marshmallow
• Durian Delight
• Vegan Dark Chocolate

Plant-Based and Dairy-Free Options

A component of ICC’s strategy includes plant-based, dairy-free, and vegan frozen desserts. For instance, the Vegan Dark Chocolate product uses a coconut-milk base and vegan cocoa, while the Onde Onde can be formulated as a dairy-free coconut-based version.

These products are positioned not merely as dietary substitutes but as standalone indulgent treats.

Central to ICC’s brand concept is its “Better For You” positioning. This does not imply marketing the products as diet food; rather, it reflects an effort to create indulgent desserts using thoughtful ingredients and formulations.

Priorities include:

• Fresh milk and cream
• Fresh fruit where possible
• All-natural ingredients
• Carefully sourced components
• Reduced use of synthetic flavourings
• Avoidance of palm oil
• Alternatives to refined sugar
• Plant-based formulations
• Prebiotic fibre in selected products 6

For example, the company uses coconut nectar in some products as a substitute for refined sugar. Current branding highlights items that are not too sweet, lower GI, and contain added prebiotics.

The internal quality benchmark is whether a product is suitable for the founders’ own family. Taste, texture, and ingredient quality must meet this standard prior to launch. 7

In-house manufacturing is a key element of ICC’s identity. Rather than commissioning third-party producers, the company manufactures its core products in Singapore, including:

• Ice-cream pints
• Cookie sandwiches
• Ice-cream cakes

This vertical integration provides control over:

1. Ingredients
2. Production processes
3. Product consistency
4. Speed of innovation
5. Recipe development

The Singapore Food Manufacturers’ Association lists The Ice Cream & Cookie Co. Pte Ltd as a manufacturer of ice cream, gelato and sorbet, noting HACCP and ISO 22000 certification for the business.

ICC operates similarly to an FMCG food company rather than a neighbourhood scoop shop. Its business comprises several streams:

Retail

Packaged ice creams and frozen desserts are sold through supermarkets and retailers in Singapore. The company states its products are available across major national retailers, with FairPrice’s online catalogue listing several ICC pints.

E-commerce

The company runs its own online store, selling sandwiches, pints, cakes, gift sets, and other frozen desserts directly to consumers, including home delivery within Singapore.

Food Service

ICC supplies cafés, restaurants, and other F&B businesses. Supplying independent eateries was a driver of early growth and remains part of current operations.

Catering and Events

Services include party packs, ice-cream carts, live scoop stations, and acai bowl stations for events.

OEM Manufacturing

ICC identifies itself as an OEM manufacturing specialist, offering product development and manufacturing support to other businesses from ideation through to launch.

ICC’s brand rests on four pillars:

1. Singaporean Roots

The company emphasises its origin story, which begins at a Singapore farmers’ market. It has received the Made With Passion mark, a programme associated with the Singapore Brand Office, Singapore Tourism Board, and Enterprise Singapore.

2. Asian Flavours

Differentiation is achieved through local and Asian ingredients. Flavours such as pandan, gula melaka, onde onde, black sesame, yuzu, coconut, and kopi connect premium frozen desserts with regional food culture.

3. Better-for-You Indulgence

ICC occupies a middle ground between health-conscious food and indulgent dessert. The message focuses on carefully considered ingredients, reduced sugar options, and plant-based alternatives rather than claiming the products are strictly healthy.

4. Nostalgia and Emotional Connection

Products are framed around nostalgia, family, friendship, and shared experiences. Flavours like Onde Onde and Kopi C evoke familiar Southeast Asian tastes.

ICC’s international strategy prioritises nearby Asian markets. By 2025, the brand had expanded into:

• Singapore — Home and manufacturing base
• Malaysia
• Hong Kong
• Taiwan

Hong Kong

Hong Kong holds significance as the site of ICC’s first overseas concept store. The 18 Gough Street location in Sheung Wan is a two-level flagship combining ice cream, cookies, sandwiches, and a dine-in dessert experience. This store allows for the introduction of flavours and experiences less practical for supermarket freezers. By 2025, the Hong Kong operation was cited as a key component of regional growth.

ICC occupies a unique position in Singapore’s ice-cream market, distinct from both multinational mass-market brands and small artisanal shops. It has built a locally developed FMCG model integrating manufacturing, supermarket distribution, food service, e-commerce, and direct retail.

While the company describes itself as Singapore’s leading independent ice-cream brand and claims to be the #1 independent homegrown ice-cream brand by retail market share, these are self-reported metrics rather than independently audited rankings.

Its presence in mainstream retailers enhances accessibility compared to boutique competitors. For example, FairPrice currently lists multiple ICC products.

ICC represents a trajectory common among successful Singaporean food businesses: home baking → farmers’ market stall → event business → restaurant/café supplier → packaged FMCG brand → regional consumer brand.

Rather than abandoning its original identity upon scaling, ICC has leveraged distinctive elements—handmade cookies, unusual flavours, local ingredients, and small-batch production—as competitive advantages within a larger manufacturing and retail framework. The company continues to view Singapore as the foundation of its credibility while serving as the hub for manufacturing, R&D, and distribution for overseas expansion.

The Ice Cream & Cookie Co. is a Singaporean ice-cream brand founded in 2012 by Natasha and Andrew Chiam after Natasha began making ice-cream sandwiches at home. What began as a farmers’ market stall evolved into an integrated ice-cream business manufacturing its own products in Singapore and distributing them through supermarkets, e-commerce, cafés, restaurants and events. Its signature product remains the handmade ice-cream cookie sandwich, while its broader identity is built around Asian-inspired flavours, locally rooted food culture and a “better-for-you” approach involving carefully selected ingredients, reduced sugar in selected products and plant-based options. After establishing itself in Singapore, ICC expanded into Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong, where it opened its first overseas concept store in 2024. Today, it sits somewhere between an artisanal dessert company and a scaled FMCG brand, using Singapore as its manufacturing and R&D base while developing a wider regional presence.

1. About – The Ice Cream & Cookie Co.
2. The Ice Cream & Cookie Co.
3. In Conversation With: Natasha Chiam, Founder of The Ice Cream & Cookie Co.
4. The Ice Cream & Cookie Co’s co-founder Natasha Chiam on Hong Kong debut – Inside Retail Asia
5. 18 Gough St – The Ice Cream & Cookie Co. Hong Kong
6. Singapore’s Favourite Ice Cream Delivery! Ice Cream Cakes, Cups, Pints – The Ice Cream & Cookie Co.
7. The Ice Cream & Cookie Co Pte Ltd