Bee Cheng Hiang(Causeway Bay)

It was 1933 when an enterprising migrant developed an idea to peddle his mobile cart along the street of Chinatown to sell his unique and tasty homemade barbecued meat. Business was especially brisk during festive seasons for this high quality delicacy. Mr Teo Swee Ee introduced this traditional cuisine as ‘Bakkwa’.

This marked the birth of Bee Cheng Hiang legacy.

With over 80 years of commitment under our belt, our value remains unchanged. We believe in delivering the finest to our customers and their loved ones and for them to experience enjoyable moments in life through the sharing of our products.



Teo Swee Ee

From a young lad who continued his father trade for livelihood, Mr Teo is synonymous with defining key moments in the history of Bee Cheng Hiang.

Be it physical strength, dedication to food quality or simply sheer determination that led the bakkwa industry, Mr Teo is truly inspiring.

During the festive season, Mr Teo and his family member would gather to recreate bulks and bulks of freshly grilled bakkwa.

By tirelessly peddling his market stall in Chinatown, Mr Teo rooted and reinforced the elaborate association of Bee Cheng Hiang and bakkwa with the Lunar New Year. Today, bakkwa has taken its place as an important role in the festive season.




The First Store




The end of Japanese Occupation marked the beginning of a dynamic phase of our history; the first store was opened under Mr Teo visionary leadership in Rochor Road during 1945 - one of Singapore's busiest district.

Having established as a barbecued meat specialist of repute in Singapore, Rochor Road branch quickly became the place to buy the freshest Bakkwa and finest gifts.





Mobile Advertisement






The store in Rochor Road was constantly obstructed by large vehicles parked outside the shop entrance. This hindered potential customers from locating the store. Mr Teo turned the problem around into a brilliant marketing idea by placing the Bee Cheng Hiang brand on the vehicles.

The approach blossomed into strategic brand placement as lorries and trucks can be found with the brand on the road. Bee Cheng Hiang became one of the first in Singapore to use mobile advertisements.





Packaging





Understanding that packaging is more than enclosing or protecting products, Bee Cheng Hiang aims to refine the gifting concept with the creation of an aesthetically appealing and brand expressing carrier to enhance the customer shopping experience.

Before the revolutionary red carrier assumed the Bee Cheng Hiang identity, earlier design of an exquisite paper bag and an elaborated box with handle attached revamped the Bakkwa industry.







Bakkwa would be wrapped in wax paper before inserting into a plastic bag and placed in the intended box with handles that customers could easily carry. Customer consideration was the main vehicle that drove the success of the packaging.

Developing good packaging is one of the frontier why Bee Cheng Hiang is the industry leader.







Beginning of the production line





A time where trishaws were the primary mode of transportation and bakkwa was considered a luxurious indulgence, Bee Cheng Hiang started its production line at the back of the Rochor Road store.

With gloomy interior and cement table top, Bee Cheng Hiang unique bakkwa recipe has movie stars from the thriving Hong Kong film industry, respectable foreign traders and casual dressing towkays personally heading down to the store to oversee the ordering and packing process.





Back in the days

Satay Club (1950s) - Esplanade (Present)


After opening its door on Rochor Road, Bee Cheng Hiang took part in carnivals held in the renowned Satay Club offering freshly barbecued bakkwa to the crowd.


Participation


During an era that wasn’t easy for anyone and all retailers, Bee Cheng Hiang reinvented itself to offer quality products under the circumstances.

We responded to people’s demands and participated actively in event like the ‘National Day Exposition’ and ‘Tourist Promotion Board’ to bring our products closer to our customers.