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Independent Singapore

Beng who cooks: Black sheep home-based food businesses are destroying others' rice bowls

SINGAPORE: A TikTok video by Jason Chua, known as ' beng who cooks ' on social media, recently went viral, with Mr Chua opining that home-based cooks are 'destroying other people's rice bowl.' 'It's not fair for a lot of other F & B owners,' he said in his July 22 (Tuesday) clip. @bengwhocooks Good for consumer. Bad for owners rice bowl. ♬ original sound – BengWhoCooks – BengWhoCooks He went on to explain the many challenges that F&B owners face in Singapore, including having to comply with hiring requirements pertaining to the number of locals and foreigners. Even when one is able to hire, say, a Malaysian worker, they can leave any time, he added. In contrast, home-based cooks are not subject to these requirements. Those who have helpers already living in their homes may ask them to do the washing up. F&B owners also have to meet other requirements, including fire safety, pest control and tenancy agreements, all of which cost money. Home-based cooks, meanwhile, only need to ensure food safety. Moreover, he claimed that there are home businesses that are now 'doing it bigger than some cafes and restaurants, which is very unfair for them.' Mr Chua captioned his post with ' Good for consumer. Bad for owners' rice bowl.' When The Independent Singapore reached out to Mr Chua to comment further on the video, which has had over 105,000 views, he told us that he does support some home-based businesses. But, he clarified, he is against those who abuse and exploit loopholes in the system and make it the main source of their income. He acknowledged that there are home-based cooks who cook part-time to earn extra income in a country as costly as Singapore — people in special circumstances, such as caring for young children or the elderly. He underlined that he has no issues with them. Mr Chua also referred to a recent article in 8days where a former restaurant owner voiced speculation about a private diner in a terraced house that earns more than S$1 million a year, while not being subject to taxes and other regulations. 'There are black sheep that destroy the culture,' he told us, expressing concerns over the future of the F & B industry in Singapore, where many business owners are suffering. In 2024, Singapore saw the highest number of restaurant closures in two decades, with 3,047 shutting down. This year, 1,404 food businesses folded between January and June. Many commenters on his post, especially those who are also in the industry, agreed with Mr Chua. Others, meanwhile, expressed solidarity with him and support for F & B operators. 'Agree, bro. I have been an FNB owner for 6 years. I think on the view of all these loopholes or lack of. They should be paying a certain amount of tax, subject to an annual home-based business renewal fee that SFA can charge. Screen their house and pay for registration for SFA screening, like submit kitchen layout, etc., registration fees like a few K, since they have no rental and other costs. Gov can create new laws to collect money anyway. So barriers of entry are lower, less disruptive to the industry,' wrote one. 'A bsolutely agree!! I'm a cafe owner and we absolutely do not support HBB. Rental free, manpower free, tax free. We spend so much to get a license and maintenance. All these HBBs have it easy and they don't understand what we are going through,' contributed another. /TISG Read also: 'Beng who cooks' stall provides 50 to 60 meals to those in need every day