#WhenWomenLead – A family heeds customers’ needs at S&N Food and Beverage Group

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“We believe that good and healthy food and beverages exist.” This is what the leaders of the S&N Food and Beverage Group say motivates them to listen to customers, source ingredients locally, and develop original products.

From small online bakery shop to Bangkok-based company, S&N Food and Beverage Group, founded in 2022, runs multiple in-house brands of coffee, tea, smoothies, cocoa and bakery goods, and provides products as well as business development services to cafes and tea shops. S&N also supports the use of ingredients from Thai farmers, turning them into environmentally friendly products that can generate income both domestically and internationally.

The “S” stands for customer satisfaction and “N” for nutrition. They also are the first letters of the company founders’ names: Supattra Kunlcanchai, 35; her husband, Nuttapong Tantianon, 37; and her sister-in-law, Nuttathida Tantianon, 35.

Supattra, who manages product research, development and sourcing at S&N, grew up in a small family business where she developed an instinct for building relationships with customers.

"I grew up witnessing how a sincere connection could turn a straightforward transaction into a devoted relationship,” she says.

Supattra also has a long-time passion for making desserts. During her former career as a full-time nurse, she made healthy desserts such as low-sugar pies, which she sold to colleagues at her hospital. Alongside her husband, she began creating new recipes, which laid the groundwork for S&N.

Nuttapong, who manages S&N’s finance, risk and software, had worked in corporate settings, where he saw how frequently companies were unable to respond to the day-to-day needs of their clients. So he wanted to make sure that at S&N, every step of the process, from order to delivery, was thoughtfully planned to promote customer confidence.

Nuttapong says, "Our clients are our best teachers. Every comment points us in the direction of enhancements we might not have thought of."

For example, based on feedback from eco-friendly customers, S&N replaced PET plastic cups with paper cups and introduced biodegradable straws.

After participating in the WE RISE Together training, S&N came up with an EV tuk tuk (three-wheeler) food truck of climate-and gender-responsive design. It’s smaller than typical food trucks, making it more mobile and user-friendly for women entrepreneurs, as well as environmentally friendly.

Nuttathida oversees overseas marketing and import/export. With multilingual skills and international business experience, she knows the importance of catering to different cultural tastes. For example, S&N adapted traditional Thai tea to the preference of Japanese consumers for a more subtle sweetness and lighter texture.

"Innovation comes from listening closely to our customers. In order to satisfy their needs, we must constantly change,” Nuttathida says.

Says Supattra, “Gender may limit our physical strength but never our determination. Women can disrupt industries, challenge norms and inspire -- not only in business, but in every aspect of life.”