SINGAPORE \u2013 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. <\/p>\n
\u201cOld students of the school still remember me. I have also catered for some of their weddings because they like my food so much,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Instead of queueing up in front of different canteen stalls, pupils will pick up pre-ordered meals from automated meal dispensers. <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Madam Amidah Sufaat has been running her Malay rice stall at West View Primary School for 25 years.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n 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.<\/p>\n Madam Amidah is one of a number of school canteen vendors preparing to step aside as <\/p>\n 13 schools transition<\/p>\n <\/a> to a centralised meal service from next January.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n Others, however, are opting to retire after decades of service, while some will seek employment opportunities outside of their schools.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Mr Chua Moi Heng said it has become more expensive to operate his stall at West View Primary, where he has been for the last 12 years.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cOver the years, the cost of ingredients has gone up. So have gas and water prices. They now cost almost $400 a month,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n \u201cThe children are very good… They call me ye ye<\/i> (Chinese for grandfather). I feel so touched and happy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Madam Janice Tan, who runs a snack stall at West View Primary School, is joining the new vendor as she does not want to move to another school.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u201cI like the school, the people and the environment here. So, I am not keen to go to another school.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, if I can contribute to this school, that is what I want to do. This is why we are joining the external vendor,\u201d said Madam Tan.<\/p>\n The fourth and last stallholder will be moving to serve in another school.<\/p>\n As the canteen at Outram Secondary School\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Madam Angela Tan, a snack stall vendor at Outram Secondary School, has built close bonds with the students and staff over the years.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n 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. <\/p>\n \u201cI am sad to leave; it feels like a family here,\u201d she said, adding that she has built close bonds with the students and staff over the years. <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThey will come up to me and say, \u2018Auntie, auntie, remember me?\u2019 But once they\u2019re out of school for a few years and not in the uniform, I cannot recognise them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cRunning 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Mr Tan Boon Kwang whipping up a bowl of Japanese chicken katsu at his canteen stall at Hwa Chong Institution. <\/p>\n ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/picture><\/div>
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