But she had no idea that this decision would lead her brand, Lia Suri Delicious, to grow over the past 14 years – so much so that she now hopes to export it to other countries in the region.
“When a product has many uses, then the cost is high due to demand. So, to save on cost, I decided to learn to make chilli sauce at home,” the 53-year-old told Bernama at her workshop in Kampung Batu Tegoh, Simpang, here recently.
Norlia said she had initially spent RM20,000 in capital to rent a workshop in Nibong Tebal, Penang, as well as to purchase equipment such as a boiler and chilli grinder to produce sauce on a larger scale.
For the following nine years, she was able to produce 400-500kg of chilli sauce daily, thanks to requests from vendors and online orders. But when the pandemic struck in 2020, she decided to return to her hometown in Simpang to rebuild the business on her family property.
Using her savings, she opened her current workshop, which covers three components: processing, production and packaging. Today, she produces around 1.5 tonnes of sauce, or the equivalent of 1,500 bottles, daily. Each bottle is priced at RM6.
“This boost in sales happened after I used social media to publicise my products. It helped us reach many customers from all over Malaysia,” Norlia said, adding that her buyers include small traders and hawkers in Perak, Penang and Kedah.
As for what makes her product popular, she said apart from the reasonable price, the sauce is made using natural ingredients, namely dried chillies and garlic obtained every two days from a wholesaler. She does not use chilli powder or processed ingredients.
In addition to chilli sauce, Lia Suri Delicious also offers tomato sauce, sweet soy sauce, sweet spicy soy sauce, oyster sauce, and “bidara” soap, with prices ranging from RM5.50 to RM8.
As for the future, Norlia hopes for help from relevant agencies to help the business expand to Southeast Asian countries.
“I have only received assistance once from the Perak agriculture department, which went towards workshop repairs,” she shared. “I hope that with what I have, I can obtain the help of any agency to expand my business in the region.”
Find out more about Lia Suri Delicious on Facebook.