Veteran pastry chef Ana Fong fondly remembers sharing one of her family business' past specialities - a hybrid between a cake and a pastry - with her siblings when she was a child.
It has been nearly four decades since the company last sold the pastry, but the general manager of 85-year-old home-grown pastry shop Tong Heng is now reliving her childhood memories.
The shop is bringing back the creation - named CakeXPastry - from Aug 8 at its Chinatown outlet to celebrate Singapore's 55th birthday.
Ms Fong and her bosses, who are also her aunts, have tried to modernise the pastry while paying tribute to "flavours of the past".
Besides its traditional red bean, it will come with updated flavours of chestnut, black sesame and red date. It will also come in cupcake-like portions, instead of its long shape in the past.
"We want to reintroduce such flavours, which older generations can appreciate, and also expose the flavours to younger generations so they won't forget them," said Ms Fong, who is in her 50s and a fourth-generation member of the family-run business.
Proceeds will go to The Courage Fund to help those affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The pastry is among a variety of items created by more than 30 local brands to celebrate National Day. These items will be available for sale - some of them from today - under a campaign organised by Enterprise Singapore (ESG) to drive awareness of local brands.
The campaign is a part of the National Day Parade Singapore Together Pack initiative, which comes with promotions and discount voucher codes for goods and services. Shoppers can go to this website to view the deals.
The Singapore Retailers Association (SRA) also has a listing of local brands' products commemorating National Day, which are featured here.
Besides food, the campaign includes deals on other products such as services and retail items. These include lifestyle goods from social enterprise The Animal Project (TAP), which showcases the artistic talents of people with special needs.
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Some creations to mark National Day
FOOD
• Bundle of three items ($10) - a kaya croissant, bak kwa Kouign Amann pastry and classic croissant - from Tiong Bahru Bakery.
• Four new dishes from The Soup Spoon: Teochew-style barramundi stew, laksa scallop chowder, Hainanese mixed grain chicken risotto stew and vegan mushroom broth. Souperchef Specials at 55 per cent off.
• 10 new sushi items inspired by local flavours such as beef rendang sushi and chilli prawn sushi, from Kuriya Japanese Market. Five pieces for $5.50.
RETAIL
• Durian-themed face masks from fashion label Reckless Ericka, $25 each.
• Hawker food-themed pins from The Art Faculty, which promotes the works of students with autism. Free pin with at least $12 spent, set of eight pins with $120 spent.
• Enamel cups with designs of food and attractions in Singapore, from gifts and home decorations store Klosh. Free with at least $30 spent on its online store.
Shoppers who spend more than $20 on TAP products at its Lazada e-store will receive a Merlion keychain designed by special needs artist Tay Jun-Yi, 24.
His father, Mr Roland Tay, who founded TAP, said: "It's a proud moment for Jun-Yi to be able to contribute something for the nation."
ESG deputy chief executive Ted Tan said the agency is heartened to see local food and beverage (F&B) and lifestyle brands innovate and create uniquely Singapore products and experiences to unite people over the National Day celebrations, even amid challenging times.
"Through these exciting deals jointly curated by ESG and SRA, we hope that consumers can rediscover our local F&B and lifestyle brands. We encourage consumers to support our local companies and explore their innovative offerings," he said.
