‘Scolded and mocked’ at first, retrenched husband and wife’s cold muffins now draw customers from Canada, Japan and Taiwan
Christopher Lau and his wife were at first ridiculed for wanting to sell chilled muffins as “no one eats them”. Now, their successful bakery of 17 years and booming TikTok presence have attracted customers from all over the world.
When Lau was retrenched from his job at an electronics company in 2008, he was just 15 days shy of turning 55.
Despite upskilling at an employment training institute, he could not find another job. He eventually took on manual work in the marine industry and returned home exhausted and sweaty every day.
His wife, Christina Tan, remembers feeling worried.
Before getting retrenched, Lau had been earning a good salary and supporting not just the couple, but also his parents and his brother’s son.
“He could not find a job,” said the 70-year-old. “After that he went to work (in) hard labour, then every day come back very, very tired.”
While working in the marine industry, Lau, now 73, even sprained his back carrying heavy marine parts onto a vessel. It was during this period that a friend suggested he try selling baked goods.
Now, he and Tan are still running the halal-certified Bakes n Bites hawker stall at Old Airport Road Food Centre, where they sell their signature cold muffins, pastries and pies.
Supplier cut them off, left them with ‘nothing to sell’ overnight
When his friend first floated the idea of a bakery, Lau was baffled. He had been working in electronics for most of his working life, and had no idea how to bake.
However, his friend assured him that he did not need to bake — he could simply sell products supplied by her. “I’m a very good salesman, so I decided to go for it,” he recounted.
But the arrangement soon became unsustainable.
The couple had paid to set up the entire stall, including the signboard, while earning only about 10 to 20 cents per product. They also had to cover rent, utilities and advertising — and were not allowed to sell other items.
“The friend didn’t let me sell other things. It’s not impossible, but (I said) ‘you need to give me enough supply to sell’,” Lau said in Mandarin.
“If I work until I can’t even feed myself, and I’m still short of money, then it doesn’t make sense,” he added.
Tan decided to leverage on her own baking skills — which she learnt as a young girl in school — and began baking some products of their own. When their friend found out during a visit to the store, she cut off the couple’s supply and told them to remove all signs with her branding.
“Overnight, we were actually left with nothing,” Tan recalled. “Nothing to sell, totally empty.”
Then, Bakes n Bites had only been in operation for about six months in 2009. Their supplier’s departure prompted Tan to send Lau for a professional baking course at Creative Culinaire under Chef Judy Koh.
Tan already knew how to bake from school, but Lau had to start from scratch.
“It wasn’t difficult. It was quite easy,” he said, before adding: “But if you say it’s easy, it’s also not — it’s difficult.”
Lau pointed out that it’s not about how easy it is to pick up a new skill, but rather the attitude one adopts when approaching it.
Chef Koh continued to advise them after the course, visiting their stall and suggesting changes. “We’re the guinea pigs, so we just try different things and eventually, we succeeded,” Lau said.
Their eventual speciality was something that initially drew ridicule and confusion: chilled muffins.
“When we told people we were selling cold muffins, we got scolded and mocked,” Tan said. “Because no one eats cold muffins.”
But after eight months of research, they were convinced the muffins worked. Tan says while they are meant to be enjoyed cold, customers can also warm them up on their own according to their personal preferences.
The couple’s interview with Stomp on a supposedly slow Tuesday morning was paused repeatedly to serve customers — proving just how popular their chilled muffins are.
Besides an 8days feature in May 2025 that boosted sales overnight, their TikTok presence has also helped to bring in customers from across Singapore and beyond.
Tan told Stomp the Bakes n Bites TikTok account is managed by a former part-timer who had helped them at a food fair and is now studying in university.
Both admit they are not as savvy with the technology, and are open to ideas that their social media manager proposes to help them connect with a younger audience.
Lau said customers have told them they travelled to the stall after seeing their videos — many of which show him taking part in the latest TikTok trends — including visitors from Canada, Japan, Taiwan and China.
Married for 48 years, working together for 17
The couple have been married since 1978, but their relationship began rather quietly while working at the same electronics company.
Lau had initially been posted overseas and stayed at the general manager’s house when he returned to Singapore. The manager repeatedly tried to play matchmaker, speaking highly of Lau’s virtues to Tan whenever he found a moment to.
Both described themselves as “hardworking types”, and neither was in a relationship at the time. They eventually became closer after a company event, when Tan accidentally bumped into Lau while moving through a company-chartered bus.
Lau later helped her carry some heavy items at the event.
“There was no falling in love (moment),” Tan said with a laugh. “After that we just keep talking to one another.”
Nearly five decades later, their relationship is still going strong despite them running a business together every day. When asked if they argued, or if the business affected their love life, both of them said that it was “normal”.
“There’ll always be a bit of argument la,” Tan said.
Lau believes the key is knowing when to surrender. “You have to be open and learn how to let go. You need to look at things objectively so you can address them and start again. That’s how you move forward instead of staying stuck.”
‘Good things must continue’
The couple do not have biological children, as Tan was unable to have children due to cervical cancer in her thirties. Lau’s brother’s son — whom the couple refer to as an “adopted son” — is also working and supporting himself.
Lau and Tan told Stomp they are open to anyone who wants to take over Bakes n Bites.
Both are recognised by the National Environment Agency (NEA) as Hawker Mentors, and their stall is also an NEA training store. To them, the right successor needs more than baking skills.
“You must respect the job and derive joy from it, then invest and grow the business,” Lau said, citing the Chinese proverb 敬业乐业, or “dedication and enjoyment of work”, as a guiding principle.
Tan has also taught younger people to bake, including students from the nearby Broadrick Secondary School.
Her message to them and other young people is: “If at our age we can bring up Bakes n Bites, I would also encourage youngsters to be adamant, and persevere in doing business.”
The couple plan to retire in about two to three years, although they would gladly step away earlier if they find someone suitable.
Lau dreams of growing fruits, flowers and vegetables and living “a simple and dignified life” when he retires, while Tan is looking forward to the couple’s upcoming cruise trip in September for a much-needed break.
They are already hearing from customers who hope the stall will continue, and Tan said it would be “a pity” if they had to close and people could no longer enjoy their chilled muffins.
Lau has more philosophical reflections. “No choice. Life is like that,” he said. “If that’s what it’s meant to be, then you have to accept it. No one’s to blame.”
That said, the hawker would much rather see the business be passed on.
“Good things must continue,” he said, citing older hawker stalls in Old Airport Road Food Centre that have disappeared without successors.
“If there’s a successor who can grow Bakes n Bites even more (than we have), then that will be a greater reward.”
For now, retirement will have to wait.
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