Bugis gelato shop reopens after suspension with 6,000 cups of white chocolate nori to give away
Dessert with seaweed, anyone?
Gelato shop Tom's Palette is giving away 6,000 cups of white chocolate nori-flavoured gelato at its Bugis and Kovan outlets on Oct 30 and 31.
This comes after the Bugis outlet at 51 Middle Road was suspended two weeks from Oct 15 to 28 by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).
The outlet had accumulated 12 demerit points within a 12-month period and was fined $800 for failing to register an assistant and selling food that is "not clean".
On Oct 16, Tom's Palette posted a video on Instagram apologising for the "sudden closure" of the Bugis outlet.
The video explained that SFA had gone to the outlet investigate the pistachio gelato in May and found bacterial contamination after lab testing. No other flavours were affected.
Tom's Palette general manager and co-owner Faith Yap said in the video: "Now obviously this is something serious and we don't ever want this to happen again.
"So ever since then, we have spoken to suppliers. We have gotten lab test reports from them.
"We have changed our cooking methodology and we've also made sure to send our gelato for lab testing to make sure that it's safe for you guys to eat."
Regarding the offence of failing to register an assistant, Ms Yap explained: "We had a part-timer on trial who was practising rolling cones and SFA found that she didn't have a food handler's licence."
"So ever since then, we have changed the way that we hire people. We make sure that they either have an existing certification or we have them do non-food handler duties such as dishwashing and cashiering before we send them off for certification."
Before the suspension, Sushi Express had announced on Oct 10 a collaboration with Tom's Palette where the restaurant chain offered the white chocolate nori-flavoured gelato at its outets for $3++ per cup. Sushi Express even produced a rather creative video for the promotion.
But the collab didn't last long, according to a video posted by Tom's Palette on Oct 28, the last day of its Bugis outlet's suspension.
"We have a big problem," said Ms Yap in the video.
"So our collaboration was cut short and because of that, we are stuck with 6,000 cups of white chocolate nori.
"So rather then throwing it in the trash, we'd rather throw it into your stomachs."
To get a free cup of the sweet-savoury combo with white chocolate chunks, almonds and nori seaweed flakes, you have to follow Tom's Palette on TikTok or Instagram.
At least it's not pistachio?
