Strolling down Smith Street in Chinatown, it’s impossible not to notice the massive golden pineapple marking the entrance to an equally eye-catching bright yellow store.
That’s the flagship outlet of Kele, which started as a humble neighbourhood bakery in Jurong West and is now home to the “Best Pineapple Tarts in Singapore”, according to a public poll from 2013.
More recent accomplishments include a feature in the Michelin Guide and a Made with Passion badge, which second-gen owner Gordon Ang, 40, is very proud of.
Mr Ang, whose parents founded the company in 1983, also told MS News that Singapore government officials purchase boxes of their pineapple tarts to gift to foreign dignitaries overseas as a small token of the Lion City.
This was a dream come true for Mr Ang, whose goal has always been to establish Kele as a national icon.
Just like Hong Kong has lao po bing (wife’s cake) and Japan has Tokyo Banana (or Shiroi Koibito cookies), Mr Ang and his older brother Adrian wanted to create something Singaporeans could introduce to foreigners as the country’s representative snack.
The epiphany came to Adrian when he studied in the United States in the mid-2000s, Mr Ang shared.
Back then, his classmates and professors often asked him to bring them a food souvenir representing Singapore, and all Adrian could think to get was Milo or three-in-one coffee.
This inspired him to come back, take over the family business, and set out to turn Kele’s pineapple tarts into a national pastry icon.
Singapore’s long history with pineapples and pineapple tarts provided the perfect backstory.
It was once the world’s largest pineapple cannery, and the tarts were created by the Peranakans, who spread pineapple jam on biscuits.
In addition, the Ang brothers wanted to break the mindset that pineapple tarts are just something you snack on during Chinese New Year (CNY).
The goodies make great gifts at any time, especially when you want to wish someone good fortune — the word for pineapple in Hokkien, ong lai, sounds like “prosperity come”.
Something that helps Kele stand out from its competitors is its unique and modern packaging.
While pineapple tarts traditionally come in transparent plastic containers with red lids, Kele, Mr Ang said, was one of the first companies in Singapore to encase their delicacies in elegant metal tins.
The update happened around 2011 or 2012, and Mr Ang admitted that some customers, especially older ones, were initially unhappy with the change.
The company eventually won the naysayers over with the quality of its products.
Kele continues making minor but meaningful tweaks to its packaging and logo here and there, which the soft-spoken and camera-shy Mr Ang passionately pointed out to us during a brief tour of the Smith Street outlet.
However, one thing that’s stayed exactly the same is the original 40-year-old pineapple tart recipe, which only five people in the world are privy to: Mr Ang, his brother, their parents (who created it), and Kele’s head chef.
It’s even protected by a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
That said, loyal patrons who have been eating Kele products for decades have claimed that the pastries sometimes taste different from what they’re used to.
Mr Ang has a fascinating explanation for this:
The recipe hasn’t changed, but the cow has.
Factors like the season, weather, diet, and mood can impact the animal’s milk, affecting the butter used to make the tarts.
Likewise, the condition of the soil can also influence the taste of the pineapples that go into the jam.
Having been born into the Kele family business, Mr Ang has vivid memories of preparing the pineapple tart ingredients until late at night after school.
On weekends, they would start at 8am and only be done at 4am the following day.
As a child, Mr Ang’s responsibilities included kneading the pineapple jam to put into the pastry, cleaning the trays, and helping out at the shop.
While it was tough, he said the smell of freshly baked pineapple tarts filling the entire neighbourhood at 4am is one of his fondest memories of growing up.
Today, his parents are retired, although they still keep their minds engaged by assisting with simple tasks at the factory in Jurong Food Hub.
Mr Ang and his brother are now the ones calling the shots, although being closely related to your biz partner isn’t necessarily a perk.
“There is no business out there without any disagreements,” he said, adding that he and Adrian can sometimes have “very different opinions” about running Kele.
However, they always try to be as professional as possible and talk things out whenever issues or conflicts arise.
“Family aside, we have to be answerable to the company and staff,” he mused. “As for our personal relationship, we’ve reached an age where we’re mature enough to let things slide.”
Before joining Kele full-time as its director of sales and marketing in 2015, Mr Ang was in the fitness industry for 12 years, although he would help out in the family biz from time to time between his personal training gigs.
The reason he decided to commit to Kele was simple: the brand had taken off thanks to its “Best Pineapple Tarts in Singapore” triumph, and his brother and parents had trouble coping with the workload.
So, Mr Ang came in to spearhead the rebranding and oversee the setup of Kele’s flagship store in Chinatown.
It was a huge — not to mention risky — jump.
Mr Ang recalls not being paid a salary for two years and having to live off his savings as there were no investors, and they were essentially rebuilding the business from the ground up.
“All that sacrifice was to ensure that Kele will be a brand that represents Singapore,” he stated.
We want Singaporeans to be proud that they have a product that represents them, and we want to make Singapore proud.
It’s safe to say that Mr Ang’s hard work has paid off.
He reported that Kele had enjoyed a 10% to 20% year-on-year sales growth. They’re also constantly reaching new customers — including the coveted younger crowd — while catering to many existing ones.
There’s also that anecdote he casually dropped about government ministries snapping up corporate gift boxes to present to foreign dignitaries at official events overseas.
While Mr Ang said he couldn’t divulge much, one recent order went to Geneva.
Still, like any responsible businessman, Mr Ang knows not to rest on his laurels.
“I would say I’m happy with what we’ve done for Kele as it’s gaining the traction it deserves, but of course, we strive to do better.”
And to go forward, they must first take a step back, and that’s precisely what Mr Ang said they would do this year.
“Now that tourists are back, we have to re-strategise and go back to focus on our core business, which is the retail tourism sector.”
There are also exciting “big” plans in the pipeline, but Mr Ang kept these to himself during our chat, so we guess you’ll have to stay tuned to Kele’s socials to find out.
In the meantime, Kele customers — local or not — can rest assured that, at least for now, prices have remained the same despite inflation and the GST hike, as the company is absorbing any extra costs.
“This is to show our appreciation to our customers for supporting us. Otherwise, we would’ve gone down,” Mr Ang shared.
You know you’re doing something right when your product is specially selected to represent your country.
Mr Ang’s story shows how the key to sweet victory is hard work and sacrifice, whether you’re in the F&B business or not.
We know this article has given you a craving for pineapple tarts, so head down to Kele’s Chinatown flagship store at 2 Smith Street and get yourself a nice treat (or two).
You can also visit its concept stores at VivoCity B2-K10 and Takashimaya Food Hall #B207-3-2 or shop online here.
Know more inspiring individuals like Gordon? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image by MS News. Photography by Ian Sim.
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