HONG KONG: According to The Star, Nicholas Tse, an actor from Hong Kong, has established a lucrative second career in the food industry.
The 44-year-old recently celebrated the fourth anniversary of his food brand, Chef Nic’s Choice, and disclosed that its famous grilled sausages have brought in an incredible 1.5 billion yuan (roughly S$276 million) in sales, according to China Press.
Topped mainland China’s sales charts
The sausages’ popularity has been cemented as they have topped mainland China’s sales charts for three years in a row. A set that costs 109 yuan (S$20) and comes with three boxes containing eight sausages is offered for sale on his Douyin online store, which is China’s version of TikTok.
Chef Nic’s Choice was launched in 2021 and saw quick success, reaching a gross merchandise value of 100 million yuan (SGD18.4 million) in just nine months.
Remarkable growth
The brand’s growth was demonstrated when it exceeded the 1 billion yuan (S$184 million) sales milestone in its third year. The brand sells a variety of popular foods in addition to sausages, such as xiao long bao (Chinese soup dumplings), pork luncheon meat, and instant pasta.
With the debut of his food-travel television series Chef Nic in 2014, Tse embarked on a culinary adventure. He launched the Chef Nic brand in 2016 and opened a bakery in Hong Kong the following year. In recognition of his impact on the culinary scene, he was named the first-ever “Friend of Michelin” that same year.
Tse further solidified his reputation as a celebrity and esteemed figure in gastronomy in 2017 when he prepared a course at a prestigious gala dinner with six Michelin-starred chefs.
Well-known figure
With a varied and prosperous career, Nicholas Tse is a well-known figure in the Hong Kong entertainment sector. He is a TV chef, martial artist, singer, songwriter, actor, and businessman.
After making his singing debut in 1996, he turned to acting. Among the many well-known films he has starred in are “New Police Story” and “Bodyguards and Assassins.”