Singapore is thought to be an epicentre for native delights and cuisines. Even this present day, we nonetheless have many eating places and cafes that provide tastes from the previous.
HarriAnns Nonya Desk is one such cafe chain that has grown along with Singapore over time. It’s a family-run enterprise that sells conventional nonya kueh and different genuine Peranakan one-dish meals.
HarriAnns has very humble beginnings as a pushcart stall within the Forties. It will definitely opened its flagship outlet within the Fifties, within the type of a market stall positioned on the Tiong Bahru Meals Centre.
Over time, they determined to additional increase the enterprise by opening their very first Peranakan-themed cafe in Bugis again in July 2014.
“We needed to revolutionise the notion of nonya kueh and elevate it from an merchandise present in a market and regarded upon as very conventional to one thing extra unique and trendy,” stated Alan Tan Thuan Yong, CEO of HarriAnns.
Being the primary in Singapore to pair native kopi and kueh as a retail idea, HarriAnns has managed to remain related amidst altering instances, whereas holding its F&B heritage alive.
In the present day, they’ve since expanded to change into a mini chain of cafes in Singapore, with shops in Suntec Metropolis, Ocean Monetary Centre in addition to the Keppel Bay Tower.
A mom’s love within the type of a pushcart stall
HarriAnns’ origins dates again to the time when Madam Chia Nga Eng misplaced her husband to a freak accident within the Forties.
To make ends meet and to boost her two youngsters, she relied on her cooking expertise. Peddling her personal sticky glutinous rice and a few forms of nonya kueh in a pushcart, one may all the time discover Madam Chia promoting these native delights within the Tiong Bahru space, irrespective of rain or shine.
Ultimately, she managed to save lots of up sufficient cash to hire a stall within the Tiong Bahru Market at Seng Poh Highway, which was a essential step since hawkering on the streets grew to become unlawful.
Madam Chia, who has contributed to the native meals scene in Singapore by HarriAnns and whose love stored her household going over time handed away in 2019, leaving the enterprise to her son and daughter-in-law Harry and Annie, therefore the title ‘HarriAnns’.
Challenges over time
Taking the reins was no simple process, for working a pushcart enterprise will be very totally different from working a bodily retailer.
Alan factors out {that a} pushcart enterprise primarily will depend on one individual, whereas a bodily retailer relies upon lots on the footfall of the mall the shop is positioned in.
“Numerous different elements additionally come [into] play in a bodily retailer like rental, manpower points and so forth”, he provides.
Nonetheless, reconceptualising a conventional market merchandise and selling out of the market right into a mall setting was the principle problem for HarriAnns.
Alan, who beforehand served because the CEO of Certis Cisco Malaysia, highlights that he and his spouse Sharon needed to modify to rigorous hours of a hawker. Making nonya kueh and manning the Tiong Bahru Market stall whereas additionally constructing a staff was an extended and tiresome course of.
Finally, all these hardships they went by to proceed the household’s legacy and a dying commerce in Singapore have been all value it. The initially empty house alongside Victoria Avenue was remodeled right into a bustling walkway with the institution of HarriAnns there.
Being a one-stop cafe providing all issues Peranakan handmade from scratch, their meals menu which gives savoury meals corresponding to Curry Hen, Nonya Laksa and Fish Soup, to native muffins and pastries corresponding to Ondeh Ondeh Cake, Pandan Kaya Fudge and Pandan Chiffon.
These gained well-liked acclaim amongst customers, with vacationers from all around the world additionally coming right down to attempt what they needed to provide.
Moreover their best-selling Ondeh Ondeh, Kueh Salat and Kueh Rainbow Lapis, their signature artisanal Nonya Kueh stays the important thing attraction.
“We nonetheless, to today, serve Grandma’s sticky white glutinous rice, and we’re one of many previous couple of meals outlets in Singapore to prepare dinner the glutinous rice the way in which we do”, shares Alan.
Adapting comes naturally
Having a menu symbolic of the Peranakan tradition, Alan emphasises that HarriAnns helps to maintain the native Peranakan tradition alive in a “fast-moving world”.
HarriAnns and Singapore have grown and developed collectively. We’ve got amassed a following because the Forties of people who find themselves discerning connoisseurs of native delicacies, prospects who recognize the handmade artisanal high quality of our Nonya Kueh in addition to the value-for-money Nonya meals.
– Alan Tan Thuan Yong, CEO of HarriAnns
Having tailored to altering instances, HarriAnns managed to do the identical in the course of the pandemic when lockdowns have been imposed.
Despite the fact that their gross sales plummeted since they weren’t allowed to function their dine-in shops, HarriAnns was fast on their toes to pivot to on-line methods corresponding to promoting on Fb’s “Hawker United” pages or having livestreams to achieve out to a wider viewers.
Alan recollects that in addition they took orders through WhatsApp even within the wee hours of the evening and made use of group purchase platforms to push their gross sales. Furthermore, in addition they produced ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook objects to cater to individuals who labored from dwelling in the course of the pandemic.
Since then, operations have stabilised, permitting HarriAnns to pursue additional targets and plans.
Alan shares that moreover growing a brand new vary of ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook genuine Peranakan merchandise for native and abroad exports, HarriAnns is seeking to increase their manufacturing house and transfer into a brand new central kitchen in Bedok Meals Metropolis.
“We’ll proceed to carry our good Peranakan meals to the heartlands by partaking in additional pop-up kiosks in addition to have plans to open extra Peranakan cafes within the heartlands”, he provides.
As well as, to contribute to the household’s legacy, Ethan Tan, Madam Chia’s great-grandson and Alan’s son, revealed a guide titled “Happiness is Handmade – a Peranakan Meals Legacy in Singapore” that highlights the heartwarming snippets of the 4 generations of the Tan household which have stored HarriAnns booming over time.
Featured Picture credit score: HarriAnn’s Pte Ltd
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