CUĺT was established to address a gap in Hong Kong's bakery scene: the lack of authentic, high-quality sourdough. To counter the rushed, mass-produced options on the market which often lack flavor and nutrition due to under-fermentation - CUĺT prioritizes traditional craftsmanship. The bakery specializes in small-batch, handmade bread that is slow-fermented and expertly baked to achieve the perfect crust and flavor profile. Expanding their footprint, CUĺT's selection is now available at Hypebeans Belowground. Hypebeans recently conducted an interview with the brand to discuss their heritage and baking process; the full details of our conversation follow below.
Before CUÍT, what were you both up to — was a bakery ever part of the picture?
Yes and no.
Yes, in the sense that food was always around us. We grew up in a home where dinner was never just dinner. Our father had a very deep sense of hospitality, even before we knew to call it that. The table was always set with care, meals were built around whatever was freshest at the market or caught that day, and feeding people well was treated as a kind of love language.
But no, if you had met us ten years ago, a bakery would have been the last thing on our minds. Tiffany was studying law. Stephanie was working in real estate.
Then somewhere along the way, we both became interested in a completely different idea of work - something more honest, more physical. Around the same time Tiffany fell in love with sourdough, Stephanie also left the corporate desk for the kitchen.
We both trained at Le Cordon Bleu to hone our craft, and from there our paths deepened in different directions. Tiffany trained under Grégoire Michaud at Bread Elements and worked pastry at Ta Vie, while Stephanie trained at Fera at Claridge’s and Typing Room in London before we finally decided to start CUÍT.
Was Baking always something that drew you in, or did it come later?
Tiffany: I started baking in my second year of studying law. At first, it was curiosity more than anything. I wanted something tactile, something that would let me switch off for a few hours.
Then sourdough very quickly humbled me.
I thought I was stepping away from something demanding, but sourdough turned out to ask for just as much discipline, if not more. It simply spoke a different language. It’s part science, part craft; part precision, part instinct. You’re constantly negotiating with something alive — the tempo of fermentation, the strength of the grain, the temperature of the dough, the humidity in the room. Everything moves, every day.
In that sense, it wasn’t so different from law. Both disciplines ask you to read closely, pay attention to the smallest details, and understand how one tiny shift can transform the entire outcome.
Of course, the difference is that with sourdough, the outcome was something I could hold in my hands. I could smell it, touch it, tear it open, and share it with someone.
CUÍT was born from frustration with the lack of good sourdough in Hong Kong — what finally made you go for it?
Two things converged.
We were both at a point where we wanted to build something more personal — something where the care you put in could actually be felt.
At the same time, we kept coming back to this gap in Hong Kong. For a city with such an incredible food culture, good bread was still hard to find. Bread with proper fermentation, a dark crust, a good chew, and real character.
So bread felt like the right place to begin.
It is so simple, but that is exactly what makes it difficult. Flour, water, salt, time. There is nothing to hide behind. No sauce, no elaborate plating, no shortcut that can disguise whether it has been made properly. A loaf reveals everything — the fermentation, the bake, the quality of the grain, the patience behind it.
In that sense, sourdough became our first statement to the world: simple things, done well.
And that became the way we approached everything else. The menu, the service, the way the room feels, the way each dish is built around the bread.
Ultimately, we realised we had to stop talking about the kind of place we wished existed, and try to build it ourselves. And so we did.
Sourdough became our first statement to the world: simple things, done well.
- Founders of CUÍT, Stephanie & Tiffany
CUÍT's offerings keep shifting — seasonal preserves, rotating sourdough flavours. Where does the inspiration come from?
It comes from everywhere.
Sometimes it’s a book, or a trip, or something a customer says in passing. Sometimes it starts
with a dish we can’t stop thinking about.
Our caramelised onion loaf came from a long-time obsession with French onion soup. We kept
talking about that deep sweetness you only get when onions have been cooked down slowly,
almost to the point of collapse, and wondered if we could bring that same flavour into bread.
Other times, it’s much less romantic. Our tomato jam loaf came from having too many cherry
tomatoes. We started slow-roasting them in-house, realised they became intensely savoury,
almost meaty, and suddenly we were putting them on everything — sourdough included.
And then there is seasonality, which for us is not just about what is available. It is about reading
the feeling of a season and finding the flavours that carry it best.
Christmas, for example, feels deeper and richer to us, so it becomes cacao and cranberry
sourdough - dark, slightly bitter, a little tart. Summer wants something brighter and sharper, so it
becomes passionfruit, lime, and mango preserves.
There isn’t really one fixed process. We stay curious, keep tasting, and ask whether the idea
makes sense once it meets the bread. Because a flavour can be interesting, but it still has to
earn its place.
Our Inspiration comes from everywhere.
- Founders of CUÍT, Stephanie & Tiffany
Is there something you've been working on that you haven't cracked yet?
The choux, still.
We’ve probably tested close to 200 versions by now. The shell has its own set of demands: it has to stay crisp once filled, hold enough cream for that generous bite, and still feel light enough that you want another.
But the bigger challenge is making it memorable.
With CUÍT, flavour always has to carry a little tension. Something rich against something sharp.
Something sweet pressed against something savoury, fermented, or unexpected. Chestnut and
truffle. Corn and cheese. Miso and banana. Raspberry with black pepper.
So with the choux, we’re not just asking, “Does this work?” We’re asking, “Would someone
come back for another immediately?” Until the answer is yes, we keep going.
For Someone Trying CUÍT for the First Time, What do you want them to feel?
We hope it feels like somewhere you want to come back to.
A lot of people first come in because something has caught their attention — a sandwich they’ve heard about, a loaf they want to take home, a pastry they’ve been meaning to try.
But once they’re here, we hope they can slowly feel the layers. The bread has taken time. The coffee sits well with the pastry. The room makes you want to linger. The food feels familiar, but there is always a small detail that surprises and elevates.
For us, that is hospitality. Not something formal or performed, but the feeling that the whole experience has been quietly looked after before you arrived.
How do you see CUÍT evolving?
You heard it here first — we’re getting ready to open a third space on Hong Kong Island.
It has taken us a while because we’ve always been careful about growth. We never want to
expand at the expense of the quality we deliver. The people, the standards, the food — all of it
has to be ready.
What makes this exciting is that we’re not simply recreating what we’ve done in Sai Kung. For
us, every new space should feel like a new chapter.
This next space gives us a chance to reimagine the offering again: how people experience
CUÍT, how the menu can evolve, and how the world of CUÍT can continue to grow beyond the
table.
Built on the belief that quality lies in pure craftsmanship, CUÍT specializes in slow-fermented, handmade artisanal bakes that counter the city's rushed, under-fermented commercial breads. We are thrilled to bring their unique bakes closer to you—discover a curated selection of CUÍT food options available now at Hypebeans Belowground.
Address: Shop B19A, BELOWGROUND, B1/F, Landmark, 15 Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong
Monday – Friday: 8 AM – 6 PM
Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays: 10 AM – 7 PM