As S’pore school canteens evolve, stallholder aunties and uncles find ways to stay on

SINGAPORE – Over the last 25 years, Madam Amidah Sufaat, 71, has started her day at the crack of dawn, preparing meals for pupils at West View Primary School.

“Old students of the school still remember me. I have also catered for some of their weddings because they like my food so much,” she said.

Soon, the aroma of her fried chicken will no longer waft through the canteen during recess. The school will be switching to a central kitchen model in 2026, catering from Chang Cheng Mee Wah Food Ind.

Instead of queueing up in front of different canteen stalls, pupils will pick up pre-ordered meals from automated meal dispensers.

Madam Amidah will be joining the new vendor, not as a cook but helping with the logistics when the food trays arrive at the school every morning.

“I will miss serving the teachers and the children my food, but the student numbers have fallen over the years, so it is becoming more challenging,” she said.

When the school still operated with two sessions, there were more than 2,000 pupils to serve each school day. But since it switched to a single session in 2016, the number has dwindled to about 900.

Madam Amidah is one of a number of school canteen vendors preparing to step aside as

to a centralised meal service from next January.

While the move is aimed at cutting queueing time and easing manpower challenges, it also marks the end of an era for many long-time stallholders who have cooked for generations of students.

Many of these schools are assisting their canteen vendors with navigating their future options. At some schools, a few stallholders, like Madam Amidah, will be employed under the new central kitchen model.

Others, however, are opting to retire after decades of service, while some will seek employment opportunities outside of their schools.

Mr Chua Moi Heng, 74, has been running canteen stalls in schools for the past 20 years. He has spent the last 12 years at West View Primary, serving Chinese rice dishes.

Previously an aquarium shop owner, he decided to prepare meals for pupils as he liked the working hours and the long breaks during school holidays.

“Over the years, the cost of ingredients has gone up. So have gas and water prices. They now cost almost $400 a month,” he said.

Mr Chua, who will be assisting the new vendor with logistics along with Madam Amidah, said he will miss the connections he has built with the pupils who line up to purchase his food.

“The children are very good… They call me ye ye (Chinese for grandfather). I feel so touched and happy,” he said.

Madam Janice Tan, 52, who has run a snack stall in the canteen for more than 13 years, said she will join the new vendor as well as she prefers not to work in another school.

“I like the school, the people and the environment here. So, I am not keen to go to another school.

“So, if I can contribute to this school, that is what I want to do. This is why we are joining the external vendor,” said Madam Tan.

The fourth and last stallholder will be moving to serve in another school.

As the canteen at Outram Secondary School’s York Hill campus shutters to make way for catering company Gourmetz, Madam Angela Tan is considering whether to hang up her apron for good, or join the new vendor in a different role.

The 72-year-old, who has been running a snack stall in the school for the last 12 years, said she is meeting Gourmetz to explore possible roles when the central kitchen model kicks in next year. But she has not decided yet if she will take up any offer.

“I am sad to leave; it feels like a family here,” she said, adding that she has built close bonds with the students and staff over the years.

Many former students of the school still approach her when they run into her elsewhere, although Madam Tan admitted it can be challenging to remember all their names.

“They will come up to me and say, ‘Auntie, auntie, remember me?’ But once they’re out of school for a few years and not in the uniform, I cannot recognise them,” she said.

Madam Tan intends to spend some of her free time next year volunteering at her church. While she has no plans to take up full-time work, she wants to keep herself busy and active.

“Running the stall here, I wake up early and I have work to look forward to… Plus walking up the slope to the school is good for the legs, and building muscle and strength,” she said.

At the college section of Hwa Chong Institution (HCI), it is common to see long queues form in front of the Japanese cuisine stall during recess time.

Mr Tan Boon Kwang, 57, who has been running the stall for the last 20 years, said the students and staff frequently express their appreciation for his food.

Many have even expressed a desire for his stall to stay, even as the

in 2026 to revamp its canteen with a hybrid model, which will include offering pre-ordered bento meals through an app.

A former chef at M Hotel, Mr Tan switched to running a stall in the school because of a desire for a change of work environment.

Having started his culinary career under the guidance of a Japanese chef, Mr Tan specialises in Japanese cuisine. Among his specialities, teriyaki chicken stands out as a crowd favourite at HCI.

“Since September, however, the dish’s popularity has been going down. We cannot fry the chicken any more according to SATS’ cooking guidelines, so we can only grill or bake,” he said.

Nevertheless, the queue at his stall still extends across the canteen, sometimes snaking down the stairs to the seating areas.

Mr Tan, who now runs the stall with his wife, will stay on at the school, serving his dishes alongside SATS’ pre-packed meals until he retires at the age of 65.

“The students here are very friendly, and they help me a lot with IT… they teach this old man how to download apps on his phone, and how to use AI,” he said.