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2023 has just begun, but Chinese New Year is already fast approaching.
You may even still be munching on some leftover Christmas snacks as you’re reading this, but time (and tummy!) waits for no one.
But how to decide which CNY goodies, promotions and events to take note of?
As we look to hop into the Year of the Rabbit, here are eight interesting options to consider:
CNY snacks and more!
Flour Power
If you’re going to be splurging on festive bakes, what better way to do so than by also empowering individuals with special needs?
Flour Power equips those in the special-needs community and individuals recovering from mental health issues with baking skills and actively advocates for these special people to live up to their potential.
It offers biscuits and cakes in smaller affordable snack packs for less than $10. For those who know what they want, check out the CNY specials – white almond cookies and pineapple balls – at $36 for a 400g jar.
Check out the menu of CNY snacks and regular bakes here.
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Flour Power also has a culinary workshop this Saturday (Jan 14) from 9.30am to 12.30, where you can learn how to cook a classy CNY staple – peng cai – with Hong Kong chef William Fung. Ingredients are provided and participants will bring home a La Gourmet Thermal Cooker worth $89. Workshop slots are going at $220 per person.
OHBaker
Kelvin Leong is a baker with a difference.
He suffered a stroke in 2012, which left him paralysed in his left arm.
The stroke overcomer (“don’t call me a survivor”, he says) started his home-based baking business in 2020 after years of dabbling in it as a hobby.
“Long story short, I had a huge block of cream cheese during the circuit breaker in 2020,” he tells The Pride.
The long-time culinary enthusiast gifted cheesecakes to family and friends, who enjoyed them so much that they encouraged him to sell his creations.
Harnessing the power of social media and Singaporeans’ love for food, Kelvin baked up a business – One Handed Baker, or OHBaker – from scratch. These days, his regular bakes include brownies, cheesecakes and cookies.
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For Chinese New Year, OHBaker is selling customisable CNY bundles consisting of festive specials like Kastengels ($25), Langues De Chats ($25) and his regular OH! Cookies ($20).
OHBaker offers island-wide delivery for $8 (waived for orders $80 and above). Delivery dates for Chinese New Year bakes are from Jan 9 to Jan 19. Self-collection is available at Bukit Panjang from Jan 9 to Jan 21.
Order here or WhatsApp Kelvin at 9222 8886.
Metta Café
Sweet or savoury, you will be able to find something that would appeal to your tastebuds this CNY season at Metta Café.
Established in 2014, Metta Café is an initiative by Metta Welfare Association to support persons with disabilities through vocational training and employment opportunities.
Even the bakes are inclusive here: You can find halal and vegetarian friendly eggless cookies, cakes and pastries.
If it’s a reunion meal you’re looking for, Metta Café has multi-course Chinese New Year luncheons for up to 10 people starting from $255.
Takeaways are welcome too. Check out the yusheng with cordyceps flower and ice plant starting at $48 (serves 4 to 6), eggless pineapple tarts for $30 and more.
For more details, click here.
You can also visit the café at the first level of Metta Building, 32 Simei Street 1, Singapore 529950, open from 7am to 5pm daily (closed on public holidays).
Professor Brawn
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Hungry for a festive meal but don’t want the usual CNY dishes?
Try Professor Brawn, a social enterprise run by the Autism Resource Centre (Singapore). Professor Brawn serves up affordable dishes prepped and cooked by autistic, deaf and intellectually differently abled adults.
It has two locations: at Enabling Village in Redhill, and Ang Mo Kio. Both outlets offer CNY dine-in options from Jan 16 to Feb 4 – a $48 three-course meal.
No bak kwa here, choose between roast chicken or oven baked cod, and end the meal with an orange yoghurt mousse (it’s in a shape of a bunny, though!)
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That’s not all, in collaboration with The Art Faculty, another social enterprise by ARC(S), Professor Brawn is offering a limited quantity of giant pineapple tarts to go with TAF’s CNY special, ceramic Scandi Tiffin Bowls.
Orders are open till 17 January, Tuesday for collection on 20 January, Friday.
It’s perfect for gifting friends during your CNY visits!
Email info@theartfaculty.sg to order.
Gifts for the CNY season
Social Gifting
A social enterprise founded by SUSS students, Social Gifting provides training sessions and crafting materials for differently abled individuals to create and sell handmade gifts.
Artisans include seniors living alone, caregivers, individuals battling illnesses and persons with special needs.
Social Gifting offers a variety of meaningful products for any occasion. For CNY, there are hampers, felt couplets and leather keyrings available.
You can place individual orders here, order in bulk through e-mail or WhatsApp at 8756 7208.
If you don’t need to buy any items but would still like to bless these needy individuals for CNY, the social enterprise also has an initiative to gift less fortunate individuals during festive seasons or special occasions.
For more information, click here.
Fairmarch
This CNY, skip the typical pasar malam and shop more consciously and purposefully.
Carrying an extensive variety of products ranging from baked goods to home décor and lifestyle accessories, Fairmarch is not your typical online marketplace. The e-commerce site aims to connect non-profits and social enterprises with consumers who wish to pay it forward.
Here, you can find calligraphy couplets, hongbao, gift boxes or Year of the Rabbit-themed items. Proceeds of sales go to supporting the ground-up initiatives, charities, social enterprises and non-profit organisations that create these products!
Check out the full range of CNY offerings here.
For more information, visit its website here. For corporate enquiries, email hello@fairmarch.com.
Mustard Tree
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Born out of a mother’s love for her son with special needs, Mustard Tree is a social enterprise and training centre that empowers individuals with special needs.
Inspired by her son, Ryan, who has autism, Soek Ying started Mustard Tree in 2016 to give him a chance at applying what he’d learnt from his special needs school.
In fact, we have featured their inspirational story on The Pride!
Mustard Tree offers handicrafts and flower arrangements for sale online, as well as at its physical shop at Ng Teng Fong Hospital in Jurong.
For CNY, the special-needs artisans at Mustard Tree have made hongbao organisers, knotted bags and special flower arrangements.
As Mustard Tree’s products are made in small quantities with the utmost care and attention to detail by each artisan, consider visiting its physical store to check out what is available.
For more information, click here.
YoungStar
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A ground-up project founded by Lim Wei Ping in 2018, YoungStar aims to bridge the support gaps for adults with autism. Individuals with autism and their caregivers are taught how to produce handmade crafts and enzyme cleaners at home.
These beneficiaries are not left out this festive season either, making upcycled hongbao greeting cards and decorations at $6 each.
Need to clean up after a party or reunion dinner? YoungStar also produces orange enzyme cleaners. These sustainable eco-friendly multi-purpose household cleaners are made by fermenting orange peels and sugar, and are suitable for laundry, dishes, floors, bathrooms, and even bathing pets!
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These cleaners go for $6 per 500ml bottle and $30 for a bundle of 6. Order here.
All proceeds go to the artisans and enzyme makers with autism.
For more information, visit YoungStar’s Instagram or Facebook.
‘Tu’ 兔 A Meaningful CNY!
Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list. There are many other small-scale artisans, bakeries and organisations working to make life a little more special for the less privileged.
To make the year of the Rabbit just that bit more meaningful, consider giving the usual commercial CNY goodies and decorations a pass for a more meaningful celebration with beautiful handicrafts and festive snacks made by special individuals!
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