A 73-year-old baker who has been selling buns at S$1 in Toa Payoh has called on his customers to leave some bread for elderly residents in the neighbourhood.
In Toa Payoh, a 73-year-old baker by the name of Fu Jinfeng has held steadfast to a tradition. For 16 years, his bakery shop has been offering old-school buns at just S$1 a pack of 2 to 4 buns, making sure that the low-income elderly living nearby were able to afford his bread.
Yet, a recent report of this bakery in the news has brought an increase in customers, some travelling from other areas of Singapore to purchase the bread in bulk. This has led to an earlier than usual sell-out, causing frustration among the regular elderly patrons who had no bread to buy.
Cited by Mr. Fu on December 3, by as early as 6:15 am, the buns were already sold out, much to the dismay of nearly 50 elderly residents. The bakery, which usually opens from the crack of dawn at 4am, witnessed at least one visitor driving in and buying upwards of 10 packs.
Fu said that while he is grateful for the business, he hopes that customers will remember to consider the low-income elderly who may only be able to afford such prices. He is also not introducing any purchase restictions or price hikes. As underscored by one of his quotes: “Some customers have asked me to increase the price, but there are elderly residents who cannot even afford to pay $1 and I simply accept a few cents from them.”
Fu mentioned that the cost of operating his bakery is at least S$3,000 a month. The tens of dollars he makes every day is enough for him and he does not need that much money when he advances in age, he said. Fu also said that while he has three sons, he does not want them to take over the business.
