Cover Celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, Tai Chong Kok has withstood the test of time. Here, its third-generation owner reflects on the past while looking ahead to the future (Photo: Tai Chong Kok)
Celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, Tai Chong Kok has withstood the test of time. Here, its third-generation owner reflects on the past while looking ahead to the future (Photo: Tai Chong Kok)
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Celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, Tai Chong Kok has withstood the test of time. Here, its third-generation owner reflects on the past while looking ahead to the future
In this series, Tatler speaks to second-generation entrepreneurs about their business journeys. They share more about stepping out on their own, the life lessons learnt through business and how they hope to keep their family legacy alive.
Walk past any one of Tai Chong Kok’s nine outlet stores and you’ll be met with the aromatic scent of freshly baked mooncakes, just as it has for nearly a century. For generations, this heritage brand has been a trusted name in Singapore with its handcrafted Cantonese pastries and traditional mooncakes evoking nostalgic memories of mid-autumn celebrations and family gatherings. Today, at the heart of this storied legacy stands Ham Weng Seng, the third-generation owner who’s determined to keep traditions alive.
If you were to ask Ham’s older relatives, they would never have guessed that he would end up taking over the family business. Founded in 1935, the bakery was established by Ham’s late grandfather Tham Kai Chee. When he passed on, the business fell to his four sons.
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Above Founded in 1935, the bakery was established by Ham’s late grandfather Tham Kai Chee (Photo: Facebook / Tai Chong Kok)
Founded in 1935, the bakery was established by Ham’s late grandfather Tham Kai Chee (Photo: Facebook / Tai Chong Kok)
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Growing up, Ham spent his much of his childhood in Chinatown, while his father would help out at the Tai Chong Kok shop in Chinatown. “I heard the buzz every morning when people leave for work… [and] I saw Chinatown come alive at night. Come evenings, people would push their carts and set up stalls in Chinatown,” he remembers.
After his national service (NS), his father asked him to help at the shop. “My generation is kind of conservative. When your father asks you to jump, you jump,” he shares, adding that his generation doesn’t ask “why”. When he first joined, he was tasked to sell and deliver pastries.
Above His early years at the shop saw Ham learn and master everything from scratch (Photo: Tai Chong Kok)
His early years at the shop saw Ham learn and master everything from scratch (Photo: Tai Chong Kok)
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Seizing an opportunity
Ham admits that his experiences working at Tai Chong Kok in his early years are as painful as it is memorable. Working at the shop in the ’60s and ’70s was hard work. He continues: “[Imagine this], you are the youngest one in the team, just fresh from NS [and] the first of the third-generation to be working there.”
His early years at the shop saw him learn and master everything from scratch. He quickly learnt what it was like to run a business alongside family. “Running a business is what the Chinese call ‘xia hai’, [which is translated to mean] going down into the sea. It’s tough mentally, physically and emotionally,” he says.
15 years after joining the business, he decided to step away from it and venture into his other passions. It was only after learning that one of his uncles had planned to sell his share in the business that Ham decided to seize the opportunity and become the de facto owner of Tai Chong Kok.
Above The brand currently has nine outlets around Singapore (Photo: Tai Chong Kok)
The brand currently has nine outlets around Singapore (Photo: Tai Chong Kok)
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It has been 16 years since Ham took the helm. Since then, the brand expanded from two branches to 11, eventually closing down two. He continues: “We have a 10,000 sq ft central kitchen now and NEA, AVA, BizSafe 3 and HACCP certifications.”
“When my uncles were in charge, they just worked to make money. It was a business to them [and they only had] one shop in Chinatown [before opening another one in Marine Terrace],” he remarks. “The market will decide, validate and reward your existence. You can’t do it for the money because when you do, you will give up whenever you come across an obstacle.” For Ham, money isn’t the motivation—it’s about sticking to the traditional roots that keep him going.
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Above Ham emphasises on the importance of preserving traditions (Photo: Facebook / Tai Chong Kok)
Ham emphasises on the importance of preserving traditions (Photo: Facebook / Tai Chong Kok)
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Keeping traditions
Ham shares that Tai Chong Kok is currently operating in a highly competitive landscape. “Back in those days, only those Cantonese cake shops sold mooncakes. These days, hoteliers, ice cream sellers, cafes and departmental stores sell mooncakes,” he says, noting that the younger generation has become more adventurous in trying new creations. Despite these changes, Ham emphasises that the brand will continue to keep to its traditional products.
“It is important to maintain the tradition. We have been in business since 1935 and have regular customers who have been patronising us for decades. So, we can’t change the recipe overnight. If you lose your culinary traditions, you will lose history and identity.”
Above Mooncakes are formed in the same traditional wooden moulds that were used at the original Sago Street store (Photo: Facebook / Tai Chong Kok)
Mooncakes are formed in the same traditional wooden moulds that were used at the original Sago Street store (Photo: Facebook / Tai Chong Kok)
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Today, the brand continues to make its mooncakes and traditional Cantonese pastries by hand. Although automation has made it possible to keep up with the increased demand, the brand believes in the human touch. “Unless someone invented a machine that can mimic the dexterity of the human hand, we still need manual labour,” he explains.
Even now, mooncakes are formed in the same traditional wooden moulds that were used at the original Sago Street store in Chinatown. Catering to changing palates doesn’t mean having to change traditional processes. Ham shares how the brand has made subtle ingredient improvements, such as using higher quality products, to improve flavour.
Above The brand continues to keep iots traditions alive, one mooncake at a time (Photo: Facebook / Tai Chong Kok)
The brand continues to keep iots traditions alive, one mooncake at a time (Photo: Facebook / Tai Chong Kok)
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Ham attributes Tai Chong Kok’s enduring success to staying true to traditions. “We are the oldest and biggest Cantonese cake shop in town. We only do traditional Chinese pastries. We don’t produce ice cream mooncakes—we just occupy our niche. We can’t be everything to everybody,” he explains.
Looking ahead, Ham hopes to see more players in the market offering traditional creations. For Tai Chong Kok, the brand strives to to keep their cherished traditions alive, one mooncake at a time.
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Amanda Goh was the former senior writer for Tatler Singapore.
