It’s all about family time during Christmas for Nutmeg & Clove founder Colin Chia

Undeniably, 2024 has been a tumultuous year for F&B, marked by high-profile closures and sluggish sales. Yet, amidst the gloom, plenty of triumphs are well worth raising a glass to. We look back on the year with some of the industry’s top talents and toast to their successes this holiday season.

“Christmas is for family,” Nutmeg & Clove founder Colin Chia declares. “Traditionally, we’ll get together at my sister’s place for a Christmas Day feast.” The father-of-two talks to The Peak fresh off a weekend in Thailand as the organiser of Bangkok Bar Show, a three-day mixology event held in the buzzy Thai capital in November.

“We always spend Christmas in Singapore. Last year was our first Christmas abroad; we visited my in-laws in Taiwan.” 

So what is he looking forward to most at Christmas dinner this year? “Well, one year, we ordered chilli crabs from KEK Seafood and Long Ji Zi Char,” he says. “But, it is not about the turkey or the feast. What’s most important is that we’re all together as a family.”

2024 was a landmark year for the homegrown bar veteran. He celebrated a decade of his flagship venue, Nutmeg & Clove, an achievement in Singapore’s fast-evolving bar scene. 

“(One of the most memorable moments) was at our 10th anniversary party — my business partner Shelley Tai and I looked at each other, and she said simply ‘Congratulations, boss’ in Cantonese,” he recalls. “In the beginning, no one gave us a chance. Besides the media, consumers weren’t used to a Singaporean-style bar. We weren’t cool; we were down to earth.” 

Chia marked another career-defining milestone in October, when Nutmeg & Clove, which specialises in progressive cocktails inspired by Singapore’s heritage, broke into the ranks of the World’s 50 Best Bars list with a No. 28 debut, an impressive leap from No. 64 last year.

“At the Bangkok Bar Show, an industry friend said, ‘You should be proud of yourself. It’s easier for a new bar; it’s much more difficult to stay relevant after 10 years.’”

While Christmas is mainly reserved for family, Chia typically spends New Year’s Eve at his bars. “It’s my way to give back to and spend time with my customers. They enjoy free-flow cocktails and wines at a fixed price, and there’s always lots of champagne.”

He shares a funny recollection: “Once, I was trying to get a jeroboam of champagne open in time for the countdown, and in the stress of the moment, I accidentally popped the cork right between my eyes. It was pretty painful!”

After wrapping up the year with a bang, what’s on the horizon for 2025? “This year’s inaugural Nutmeg Cocktail Fiesta (a five-day event featuring 10 international bartenders) was a huge success, so I’m looking forward to returning it for our 11th anniversary!”

On a more personal note, the bar entrepreneur is committed to improving his physical health in the coming year. “I’ve been running and working out every single day. My girls are 16 and 12 now. I’m making myself stronger and healthier because I want to spend more time with my family.”