033http://www.wnd.sgAna has been working with her two aunts for
the past six years and been involved full-time in the
family business since 2012, when she realised that
there was possibly no one else in the family apart
from her to take over the reins of the business after
her aunts moved on. Luckily she also managed to coax
her younger brother into joining the business and
give her a helping hand as he learns the ropes on the
pastry baking processes and procedures.
But after three decades of operations, it was
time for a major overhaul. Ana recounts that while
business was good and already well-established among
the middle-aged and seniors, it needed to connect
with the younger millennial generation to remain
relevant and competitive. Hence, in place of the old-
style seating and decor, customers now see a sleek
terrazzo-clad island counter, upholstered booth seats
and brass-framed hanging light bulbs. Tong Heng’s
packaging has also been upgraded to bear motifs of
the Cantonese pastries. Ana was particular about
keeping some of the nostalgic elements of the bakery’s
interior intact, as her aunt Rebecca had designed
much of the old shop, from the Chinese calligraphy
writing on the original packaging to setting up the
shop’s layout. Step in to see the mirror wall that
flanks the original logo and her beautiful handwritten
Chinese words, along with whimsical motifs of
Chinese pastries.
KEEPING TRADITION AND CULTURE ALIVE
“Tong Heng is a family run business and we treat
and regard our staff as part of our family too. We
have been around for more than 80 years making us
a heritage brand in Singapore. We have evolved from
a teahouse (in the 1930s-1970s) when Chinatown
dwellers spent half a day just sitting there, to a 90 per
cent take-out pastry store business since the 1970s.”
Aided with the new look and feel of Tong Heng,
Ana values promoting the deep-rooted Chinese
culture among the younger generation through their
pastries rather than focusing on being profit-driven
and opening more outlets. She cites that most of
the younger generation can barely speak Mandarin
anymore, so what hope did they have of understanding
their culture and keeping the Chinese traditions
alive—this is her way of trying to bridge that gap.
“We embarked on our renovation and rebranding
exercise over a year ago, with a purpose of updating
our look to stay competitive and relevant to the
younger (millennial) generation, while maintaining
the traditional flavours and appeal of our products.
In addition, we started embracing new technologies
(such as e-menu boards and e-payment methods),
while also being active on social media platforms such
as Facebook & Instagram. We also collaborate with
partners like Singapore Tourism Board to increase
exposure and draw in more traffic,” reveals Ana.A LABOUR OF LOVE
Not surprisingly, the pastries require a lot of hard work
and commitment. “It is a very labour-intensive process
and requires a team of about ten. The main challenge
we have is coping with a shortage of manpower at
certain times and being able to hire good staff. Getting
someone who is driven and has a good attitude is
certainly not easy. We try to empower our key staff to
show our trust and confidence in them,” shares Ana.
Despite their extensive menu, the family prefers
to still hand make everything from scratch, so that
machinery and automation don’t dilute the overall
quality and taste of their precious baked goods.
Adds Ana, “It’s hard to believe me when I say it’s all
handmade as just kneading those huge amounts of
dough would certainly be wiser with a planetary
mixer. I would say over 90 per cent of our goods are
handmade thanks to a reliable team who has been with
us for the past two decades.”THE DIAMOND LEGACY
Luckily what survived the revamp is the original pastry
menu, which still boasts about 30 types of traditional
Cantonese pastries, including the famed diamond-
shaped signature Tong Heng Egg Tart. “We have been
making egg tarts since the 1st generation. During those
days, we had them in round, oval, triangular and of
course, diamond shape. It was sometime in the 1970s,
when the 3rd generation joined in that it was decided
to keep to one signature shape, the diamond shape. The
whole reason behind this choice was about being able
to fit the egg tarts snugly into the box.”
Great decision and foresight, because the shop
easily sells around 4,000 egg tarts on a daily basis
these days. What also hasn’t changed is the prices of
the pastries, which start from $1.30 and have only
risen by a mere $0.20 even after the renovation took
place. Hardly anything to cry foul about when it comes
to enjoying the island’s best pastries and egg tarts
handmade with family-held recipes and love.