Teen chef with a taste for sustainable business

The Star

22-05-2025

Delicious outcome: Thomas (left) and his teammate Danish showing their Serusik product.
KOTA KINABALU: While many teenagers are still figuring out their future, Thiery Christian Thomas already has his path mapped out.
'I want to be a social entrepreneur one day,' said the 18-year-old third-year culinary arts student at the Keningau Vocational College (KVC).
He recently led his team to clinch the overall champion title in the secondary school category in the international Greenovate 2025 competition.
Greenovate is an annual competition that challenges students to address real-world obstacles in property and engineering with cutting-edge green thinking.
Thomas rose to the challenge by captaining a team comprising his classmate Danish Asyraf and three final-year students currently interning in the industry – Danial Jauhari Sidar, Faiz Asmaan Hamizan and Iqwan Qhairi Naidu – to create their award-winning product, Serusik.
The name Serusik is a combination of serunding (meat floss) and sisik (fish scales) made into a tasty and sustainable protein snack.
'This will not only tackle food waste but also transform it into a delicious, marketable delicacy,' said the Tamparuli-born student, who is the middle child among three brothers.
Thomas' passion for business is inspired by his father, who runs a clothing printing business.
With strong support from his mother, a secondary school teacher, Thomas is confident that his dream is within reach.
'To me, entrepreneurship is not just about making money. It is about solving problems and turning everyday challenges into opportunities.
'I feel really proud and amazed to win the competition.
'Being an entrepreneur at this age is stressful, especially with classes, co-curricular activities and student council duties, but it is a fresh experience that can shape us into better entrepreneurs,' said Thomas, who is also student council president.
He said the idea for Serusik came after he noticed that fish scales were often discarded and ended up clogging pipes.
'When I noticed how much fish waste was being thrown away, I knew there had to be a better way to deal with it,' he explained.
So, the five culinary arts students brainstormed, developed and tested the product, which has already been sold via pre-orders and small-scale marketing, marking Thomas' first business venture.
Their mentor, teacher Dr Mohd Sirhajwan Idek, described Thomas as a natural leader and a role model for vocational students.
'He is not only academically excellent, but also leads with heart, vision and purpose. Our goal is to produce entrepreneurs. Students like him show us it is possible even before they graduate.
'We are turning this product into our college's flagship product,' he said.
The team's effort did not go unnoticed as KVC director Lumang Lang also congratulated them for their dedication in applying their culinary skills to develop an innovation that not only has commercial potential but also addresses environmental issues.
Despite his many achievements, including past success with a Nyonya-inspired burger patty and as a decorated karate athlete, Thomas remains humble.
'This win is a win for everyone at KVC, and I hope that it will inspire my fellow classmates to continue their creativity because being creative is gold itself,' he said.