Lab Made

Lab Made is a Hong Kong dessert brand associated with the introduction of liquid-nitrogen ice cream to the local market. Founded in July 2012 by former pharmacists Ronnie Cheng Hong-wang and Jennifer Chiu, the company developed its concept after the couple encountered liquid-nitrogen ice cream while working in England. They subsequently brought the preparation method to Hong Kong and opened the brand's first shop in Tin Hau. The brand's point of difference is the theatrical preparation of ice cream at extremely low temperature. Its formula combines ingredients in a mixer and uses liquid nitrogen, which is approximately -196 degrees Celsius, to freeze the mixture in less than a minute. The process creates a visible vapor effect and allows the product to be prepared close to the point of service. Lab Made presented this technique through a rotating selection of flavors, including apple crumble, Hong Kong crispy toast, mooncake, sticky toffee pudding, and strawberry cheesecake. The range connected a familiar international dessert format with flavors inspired by Hong Kong tastes and local food culture. Lab Made gained early attention as an example of innovative entrepreneurship. It was recognized by local restaurant, dessert, youth-business, customer-service, and emerging-brand programs between 2012 and 2015, and received coverage in the South China Morning Post in August 2013. These recognitions helped establish the company as a novelty dessert operator as well as a small business using food science and visible preparation to differentiate itself. The business later moved away from a conventional retail-shop model. According to the company's website as described in the reference material, Lab Made no longer operates retail locations and instead provides catering services and educational entertainment shows. This change makes the brand less a conventional chain of ice-cream stores and more an experiential food and event provider. Its core proposition remains the combination of made-to-order frozen desserts, scientific demonstration, and audience participation or visual spectacle. Publicly available reference material identifies the founders, product method, selected flavors, awards, and later operating model, but does not establish a parent company, listed entity, current executive roster beyond the founders, financial results, or a current official website address. Accordingly, those fields are left unreported.

Lab Made was established in July 2012 by Ronnie Cheng Hong-wang and Jennifer Chiu, a couple who had previously worked as pharmacists. Their concept originated during their time in England, where they encountered liquid-nitrogen ice cream. Seeing an opportunity to adapt the preparation method for Hong Kong, they brought the concept back and established a local dessert business. The first Lab Made shop opened in Tin Hau. Rather than relying only on conventional ice-cream retail, the brand made preparation itself part of the customer experience. Ingredients were combined in a mixer and rapidly frozen with liquid nitrogen at approximately -196 degrees Celsius. The process takes less than a minute and produces a visible cloud of vapor, giving customers a food-science demonstration alongside the dessert. The brand's flavor development included both conventional dessert combinations and locally recognizable references, such as Hong Kong crispy toast and mooncake. Lab Made's early development was supported by public attention and awards. In August 2013, the South China Morning Post identified the company as an example of innovative entrepreneurship. The brand also received recognition from Time Out Hong Kong, OpenRice, HSBC youth-business programs, the Hong Kong Brand Development Council, HKACE, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, and other organizations between 2012 and 2015. The awards covered desserts, restaurants, youth entrepreneurship, customer service, emerging service brands, and corporate social responsibility. The company's operating model subsequently changed. Its website stated that Lab Made no longer operated retail locations and instead focused on catering and educational entertainment shows. This indicates a shift from a fixed-site dessert-shop format toward mobile or event-based experiences. The available reference material does not document the exact date of the retail transition, the number of locations previously operated, financial performance, ownership changes, or the current scale of catering operations. It does, however, establish the brand's continuing association with liquid-nitrogen ice cream and public-facing food education.

• 2015

  Community and business recognition

  [1]Lab Madeen.wikipedia.org

  The brand was listed among recipients of Caring Company recognition and Hong Kong Most Valuable Companies Awards coverage.

• 2014

  Broader local awards

  [1]Lab Madeen.wikipedia.org

  Lab Made received additional restaurant, dessert, dining, emerging-service-brand, and customer-service recognitions during 2014.

• 2013

  Entrepreneurship recognition and media attention

  [1]Lab Madeen.wikipedia.org

  The company received HSBC youth-business awards, including a silver Youth Business Award, and was discussed by the South China Morning Post as an innovative entrepreneurship example.

• 2012

  Lab Made founded

  [1]Lab Madeen.wikipedia.org

  Former pharmacists Ronnie Cheng Hong-wang and Jennifer Chiu founded Lab Made in July as a Hong Kong liquid-nitrogen ice cream business.

• 2012

  First shop opens in Tin Hau

  [1]Lab Madeen.wikipedia.org

  The brand opened its first retail shop in Tin Hau, introducing its made-to-order liquid-nitrogen ice cream concept to the Hong Kong market.

• 2012

  Early dessert and restaurant recognition

  [1]Lab Madeen.wikipedia.org

  Lab Made received Time Out Hong Kong's Best Desserts 2012 recognition and several OpenRice awards relating to restaurants and Hong Kong dining.

• Shift from retail shops to events and education

  [1]Lab Madeen.wikipedia.org

  At an unspecified later date, the company stated that it no longer operated retail locations and was providing catering services and educational entertainment shows.

An experiential Hong Kong dessert brand that combines made-to-order ice cream with liquid-nitrogen food preparation, theatrical presentation, and educational entertainment.

• Frozen dessert · 2012

  Liquid-nitrogen ice cream

  Lab Made's signature product is ice cream made by combining ingredients and rapidly freezing the mixture with liquid nitrogen. The technique uses the cryogenic temperature of liquid nitrogen, approximately -196 degrees Celsius, to freeze the mixture in under a minute. Preparation is visible and theatrical, with vapor released during the process. The format supports made-to-order service and allows the brand to position dessert preparation as both a culinary and food-science experience.

• Flavored frozen dessert · 2012

  Rotating flavored ice cream

  The brand has offered a changing selection of flavors rather than a single fixed recipe. Documented examples include apple crumble, Hong Kong crispy toast, mooncake, sticky toffee pudding, and strawberry cheesecake. The selection combines familiar Western dessert profiles with flavors and references associated with Hong Kong, giving the liquid-nitrogen format a locally adapted identity.

• Foodservice and experiential entertainment

  Catering and educational entertainment

  After discontinuing its retail locations, Lab Made's stated activities included catering and educational entertainment shows. These offerings extend the brand's preparation method beyond a storefront by bringing liquid-nitrogen dessert production and related demonstrations to events, audiences, or educational settings.

• Move away from retail locationsStrategy

  Background

  The company later stated that it no longer operated retail locations. The available source does not provide the date or detailed reasons for the change.

  Action taken

  Lab Made shifted its stated activities toward catering services and educational entertainment shows while retaining its liquid-nitrogen ice cream expertise.

  Aftermath

  The brand's publicly described model became more event-oriented and experiential rather than centered on permanent ice-cream shops.

  Source

1. 1Lab Madeen.wikipedia.org