Latest news with #SereneOng
CNA
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - A Letter to Myself: Raising thousands for charity since he was 11, J'den Teo continues doing good in NS
CNA938 Rewind - A Letter to Myself: Raising thousands for charity since he was 11, J'den Teo continues doing good in NS J'den Teo learned how to paint when he was 11 years old for one reason — so that he could sell his artworks to raise funds for charity. In the last 9 years, he has raised over $100,000 by selling his own works, and organising exhibitions for other young artists to do the same. In 2017, he was conferred the President's Volunteerism and Philanthropy Award. J'den, who is currently in National Service, shares why even now, he uses part of his precious free time during weekends to provide companionship to the vulnerable and lonely. 28 mins CNA938 Rewind - A Letter to Myself: Pastries, purpose, and perseverance — Why Serene Ong started her vending machine business Serene Ong, a mother of three and a former cabin crew member, decided to start her own vending machine company in October 2024. The machines serve fresh artisanal pastries from local bakeries. While business has been brisk for several of her machines, she had to overcome many initial challenges. Serene shares why she took a risk, the reaction of her family, and what she's learned about business — and herself — through this journey. 34 mins CNA938 Rewind - #TalkBack: Keeping your child safe from harm in their enrichment classes Former actor Ian Fang has been sentenced to 40 months' jail, after pleading guilty to sexual offences involving a then 15-year-old minor. At the time of the offences, Fang was an acting teacher with a child modelling school, providing classes for students aged four to 14. Lance Alexander and Daniel Martin speak more with Wong Jing Yong, Co-Founder & Principal Tutor, Genius Plus Academy and Ong Pei Ching, Partner, TSMP Law. 32 mins
CNA
20-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - A Letter to Myself: Pastries, purpose, and perseverance — Why Serene Ong started her vending machine business
CNA938 Rewind Play Serene Ong, a mother of three and a former cabin crew member, decided to start her own vending machine company in October 2024. The machines serve fresh artisanal pastries from local bakeries. While business has been brisk for several of her machines, she had to overcome many initial challenges. Serene shares why she took a risk, the reaction of her family, and what she's learned about business — and herself — through this journey.
Straits Times
16-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
From Johor Bahru to Bukit Panjang: Hiap Joo Bakery's banana cakes sold via vending machine
Hiap Joo Bakery & Biscuit Factory's famed banana cake will be sold at a vending machine in Senja Hawker Centre. PHOTO: HIAP JOO BAKERY & BISCUIT FACTORY SINGAPORE – There is no need to cross the Causeway anymore for the famously moist banana cakes from Hiap Joo Bakery & Biscuit Factory in Johor Bahru. Just head to Senja Hawker Centre in Bukit Panjang from May 17 for your cake fix, with a touch of a button from a vending machine. Each box – priced at $8.60 – contains 10 pieces of banana cake. The chilled vending machine can hold 48 boxes at one time, and will be restocked twice a day at 11.30am and 4.30pm. For its opening promotion, each box will be priced at $6.50. For comparison, in JB, each box is priced at RM13, or about S$3.90. Currently, the focus is on selling the iconic banana cake, says Ms Serene Ong, 41, the founder of Singaporean company Hypha Vending Retail, which supplies and operates the vending machines. Ms Ong is no stranger to Hiap Joo Bakery as she has been in touch with it for many years to import its cakes for group-buy consumption during the Covid-19 pandemic. She approached the owners in April, with the intention to resell the cakes via the vending machine. She does not rule out bringing in Hiap Joo Bakery's other products in the future, and is also exploring more locations to set up these cake vending machines. Her Hypha Vending Retail company is behind the popular Butter Town bakery's 'shio pan ATM' and Uncle Lee Confectionery cake machine. Both machines, which are located at Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre, sell out these products every day, she adds. Home-grown company Hypha Vending Retail is also behind the popular 'shio pan ATM' at Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG She also has another Uncle Lee Confectionery dispenser at Bukit Batok West Hawker Centre, and a panna cotta vending machine at Buangkok Hawker Centre in Sengkang Grand Mall. The latter stocks panna cotta from Muslim-owned business Rohmini. While her current batch of vending machines are all located in hawker centres, Ms Ong is looking to expand into shopping centres and other communal spaces with high footfall. In the long run, she hopes to push out more unmanned machines vending products not just from local businesses, but 'overseas delicacies' from countries such as Thailand and China too. She says: 'The aim is to be the platform for small businesses to have a physical presence. I benchmark what to sell from my group-buy experience – people tell me about things they want to try and I will review to see if they are worth bringing in.' Eunice Quek is STFood online editor at The Straits Times. She covers all things trending in the food and beverage scene. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
16-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
JB's famous Hiap Joo banana cake now sold in Singapore via vending machine at Bukit Panjang
Johor Bahru's well-loved Hiap Joo Bakery banana cake is now available in Singapore at the touch of a button. Snag a box or two from the first and only Hiap Joo cake vending machine at Senja Hawker Centre in Bukit Panjang. It's located near the bus stop along Senja Road. Launched by Singaporean company HYPHA Vending Retail, also behind the cute Shio Pan 'ATM' by Butter Town and Uncle Lee Confectionery Cake Machine, this cake vending machine brings the highly sought-after bakes to Singapore's heartlands. Each box of 10 slices of the old-school fluffy banana cake is priced at S$8.60 (it costs RM13, about S$3.93, in JB). Two more Hiap Joo Bakery vending machines will be available in Singapore in the second half of 2025, but locations have yet to be confirmed. Only cashless payments such as PayWave, Apple Pay and Google Pay are accepted. NO NEED TO DRIVE ACROSS THE CAUSEWAY Hiap Joo's banana cake is known for its easy-to-eat, airy-squishy mouthfeel and nostalgic flavour. It's made with Malaysian berangan bananas and baked in a 100-year-old oven fuelled by wood from rubber or bakau trees. Hiap Joo Bakery opened in 1919 and is located a kilometre from the customs checkpoint via the Woodlands-Johor Causeway. Before the introduction of this vending machine in Singapore, the only way you could get your hands on the JB cake was via ad hoc group buys or on e-commerce platforms like Shopee. GROUP BUY INITIATIVE INSPIRED VENDING MACHINE BUSINESS Serene Ong, 41, founder of HYPHA Vending Retail, told 'Hiap Joo Banana cakes contain no added preservatives. To maintain its freshness, they are transported chilled and stored in our refrigerated vending machines. We recommend warming them up for one to two minutes in the microwave oven before enjoying.' Ong started HYPHA after organising group buys in her neighbourhood. She shared: 'I hosted Groupbuys during the pandemic with brands like Rich & Good, Uncle Lee Confectionery, Kiroi Cheesecake, Hougang Otah, Poh Cheu and many more. For overseas brands, I brought in kueh, banana cake and handmade pau from Malaysia and Thailand'. STOCKS REPLENISHED TWICE DAILY 'I have been bringing in Hiap Joo's banana cake to Singapore since COVID days. The response was very good, and orders kept increasing,' she added. She still does group buys now, but on a smaller scale. HYPHA liases directly with suppliers from Malaysia to bring in fresh stocks of Hiap Joo banana cakes daily. While the vending machine is limited to 48 boxes, restocks are done twice a day at 11.30am and 4.30pm. SKIP THE QUEUES IN JB While the bakery in JB still attracts many tourists, Hiap Joo Bakery's owner Lim Toh Shian told CNA recently: "This year, I think business has slowed down by about 30 per cent'. He added: 'I don't know why, maybe the market is slow and ingredient prices are going up', which may have prompted the brand to venture beyond Johor to our shores. Rental hikes have been plaguing Malaysian businesses near the Bukit Chagar RTS Station as 'many shop lots in that area have been purchased by property investment conglomerates', Lim continued. Businesses have also been hit by higher prices of raw materials and labour costs, leading to an increase in prices of Hiap Joo's banana cakes and buns by RM1 each after Chinese New Year in February, added the article. BOX OF 10 SLICES FOR S$8.60 (S$6.50 PROMO PRICE ON MAY 17 AND 18) For the launch of Hiap Joo Bakery's first vending machine in Singapore this weekend, each box of banana cake will go for S$6.50 on May 17 and 18, from 11.30am, while stocks last. Ong told that HYPHA will be bringing in more nostalgic and trendy food brands from overseas. She hopes to place its vending machines in malls, other hawker centres and transportation hubs, beginning in the east. website.
