LILO in Lion City as NZ’s Plant-Based Dessert Darling Touches Down in Singapore

Scott Mathias
Jul 14
2 min read

Updated: Jul 14

Source: PFN Ai Archives - LILO Dessert on Singapore Airlines food tray.

Singapore’s heat just got a little sweeter. Kiwi startup LILO Desserts, known for its improbably creamy, fruit-forward plant-based cheesecakes, has landed in the Lion City and it’s not just passing through. With tastings already underway, an airline catering arrangement via SATS Ltd on the table, and now a signed distribution agreement with Singapore’s own Tiong Lian Food Pte Ltd, LILO has stitched together a retail-to-runway strategy that’s hard to ignore.

This week’s confirmation of a master importer partnership with Tiong Lian marks a turning point in LILO’s Asia-Pacific playbook. The veteran Singapore distributor, founded in 1974 and best known for handling traditional protein supply, will become the exclusive retail and foodservice distributor for LILO’s Desserts for Everybody range. For Tiong Lian, it’s a leap into the world of premium plant-based, and for LILO, it’s the ideal local partner with logistics, retail, and credibility already built in.

“Our LILO team is preparing to officially launch in Singapore and we are excited to be working with a strong and experienced partner and supply chain like Tiong Lian,” says Russell Haines, Co-Founder of LILO Desserts. “Tiong Lian’s deep relationships, operational excellence, and understanding of everyday categories make them the ideal choice to bring the LILO desserts platform to Singapore. This is a key moment for LILO as we expand into the Asia-Pacific region.”

That’s not the only flight path. SATS Ltd, Singapore’s aviation foodservice powerhouse responsible for more than 120,000 meals a day, is also on LILO’s radar. With product trials underway and operational testing in progress, there’s a very real chance that LILO cheesecakes will soon be popping up on tray tables mid-air and in airport lounges. It’s a double-layered play where inflight indulgence meets everyday aisle access.

LILO’s move into Singapore isn’t opportunistic, it’s strategic. Since 2021, when the company joined Big Idea Ventures’ Singapore accelerator, the city-state has been squarely in its sights. But the timing had to be right. With US retail traction now validated, zero-waste fruit sourcing locked in, and demand for dairy-free indulgence rising across Asia, LILO is stepping into the market with serious intent.

They’re not creeping in quietly, either. This week, the LILO range is being showcased at SIGEP Restaurant Asia (16–18 July), a critical platform to court more foodservice operators, retailers, and distributors across Southeast Asia. Mango, passionfruit, strawberry: no cream, no eggs, all fruit-forward flavour.

Singapore, for its part, seems primed. With its dual obsession with wellness and premium indulgence, and a demographic shift toward flexitarian living, the LILO offering ticks both commercial and cultural boxes. If you’re holding out for plant-based that feels decadent, this is it.

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