New book celebrates Singapore hawker culture
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(From right) Mr Daren Oliveiro, his wife, Madam Vivian Liem, and their sons. Mr Oliveiro and Madam Liem own the Butternut hawker stall at Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Follow topic:
- Daren Oliveiro and Vivian Liem, owners of Butternut hawker stall, face rising costs and long hours, but find meaning in their work.
- A new book, "Singapore Hawker Culture," celebrates Singapore's hawker heritage and its UNESCO recognition.
- The book aims to honour hawkers, document the evolution of hawker culture, and inspire future generations to join the trade.
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SINGAPORE - Eight years ago, Mr Daren Oliveiro and his wife, Madam Vivian Liem, left their corporate jobs to set up Butternut at Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre.
The hawker stall, known for its 2mm-thin pizzas including its signature butternut chicken pizza, also sells spaghetti and other Western food.
The couple had wanted to set up a cafe, but later decided that owning a hawker stall was a more affordable option.
“It has not been an easy journey,” said Mr Oliveiro, 44, a former sales and events professional. “You need a fighting spirit to survive.”
Manpower costs have risen from $8 to $16 an hour over the past eight years, and ingredient costs have surged – a carton of cheese has gone up from $33 to $55, he said.
Madam Liem, 40, said they work 12 to 16 hours daily, beyond their operational hours. They “wear many hats” such as human resources, finance and marketing, on top of preparing the food and manning the stall.
Their sons, aged 12 and 10, also help with washing dishes or taking orders.
“Most Singaporeans and permanent residents prefer working in an air-conditioned place,” said Madam Liem, a former IT professional. “My wish is that with technological advancement, we can get robots to help with the cooking, and drones with food delivery one day.”
Despite their struggles, the couple are happy that their hawker journey will be captured in a new publication titled Singapore Hawker Culture.
The book, written in English and Chinese, was launched at Taman Jurong Community Club on Dec 17.
The event was attended by Mr David Neo, Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and Ms Goh Hanyan, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment, and Culture, Community and Youth.
The publication comes five years after hawker culture in Singapore was officially added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
The 268-page book is published by Silk Road Inc with the support of the National Environment Agency, National Heritage Board and Singapore Artistes Association.
The project, which took about six months to complete, features 22 hawker centres and 70 hawkers. It traces the evolution of hawker culture from street-side stalls to hawker centres, spotlights some hawkers and their journeys, and highlights how hawker centres shape national identity.
The book is authored by former Lianhe Wanbao associate editor Tan Geok Keow.
Ms Tan, 68, said: “Hawkers and hawker centres are an integral part of our lives. They connect Singaporeans of all races, and attract tourists from all over the world. The book is a tribute to all hawkers for their dedication and contributions to Singapore.”
Mr David Liow, co-chairman of the publication organising committee who initiated the project, said the book will be promoted at hawker centres.
The committee is also considering mobile exhibitions on hawker culture and putting up reminders of the UNESCO recognition at hawker centres.
Mr Patrick Sze, another co-chairman of the publication organising committee and former chairman of Clementi 448 Market and Food Centre, said the publication is a collective memory of the hawker community and fills him with a myriad of emotions.
The 65-year-old second-generation hawker, who helms goreng pisang (fried bananas) stall Snow Mount at the market and food centre, said: “As long as society stands behind our hawkers, hawker culture will endure...
“May this book serve as a window for future readers to understand our roots, and as an inspiration for more young people to join the ranks of hawkers.”
Mr Anthony Low, who owns prawn cracker stall Xin Sheng Ngoh Hiong at Boon Lay Place Food Village, said that for hawker culture to endure, supportive policies and public appreciation are not enough.
Mr Low, who also heads the hawkers’ division at the Federation of Merchants’ Associations, Singapore and chairs the Boon Lay Hawkers’ Association, said: “We also need the passion and creativity of the younger generation to step forward, to carry this familiar street flavour into the future.”
Singapore Hawker Culture is available at all leading bookstores at $30 (excluding GST).
