The creation of this brand involved four generations of strong women, and it has grown from a pushcart in the Jalan Hong Keng kampung in the 1930s to a thriving heritage hawker today.
Sandy Tan, 56, and her daughter Elizabeth Chan, 32, did not get to bond during Elizabeth’s childhood, as Sandy had to work overseas to support the family after her husband had passed away when Elizabeth was one year old.
Today, as co-founders of Kueh Ho Jiak, they treasure the opportunity to work and build a meaningful business together as a family. “We are exactly the same,” laughs Elizabeth, describing both of them as dominant. “We are strong in character, so at the start, we clashed many times. But I’m thankful for those moments, which made us grow, understand each other, and learn how to communicate.”
“I was running my own furnishing business for eight years, until I decided to incorporate this business with my mum as I was inspired by her passion and love for others.”
Sandy, who first learnt to make Teochew kueh from her mother and grandmother, started to make kuehs again from home in 2010, spending 10 years researching and making ang ku kueh from traditional sweet potato instead of flour. Another challenge was to modernise the kueh, as young customers preferred rainbow cakes, macarons and other Western items. That was when Sandy became inspired to come up with new creations, shapes and flavours, which have since become their signatures. Beyond just transmitting traditional kueh-making culture to the new generation, the two women have also found a greater purpose in employing people in need and building a community.
