In the heart of the central business district (CBD) lies a gazetted national monument well-loved by many. The Telok Ayer Market, or more commonly known as Lau Pa Sat, has been serving quintessential local Singaporean food to the CBD folks since the 1970s.
But pay the rustic hawker centre a visit today and you will be surprised by the vibrant colours and adorable cat mascot greeting you!
Food Folks @ Lau Pa Sat officially opened its doors to the public on 26 November 2020, breathing new life into the Victorian-style structure while still retaining its local flair. A new initiative by FairPrice Group, Food Folks @ Lau Pa Sat is touted to be a ‘Purpose-driven Retail’ to help local food retail, and food and beverages (F&B) brands grow and establish their brand presence.
Featuring more than 120 retail brands and 10 F&B stalls, Food Folks @ Lau Pa Sat provides locals with a delightful culinary experience within an Instagram-worthy space, all while #supportinglocal.
The mission
Food Folks’ mission of ‘Purpose-driven Retail’ is manifested through the enabling of local food brands. The space serves as both a launch pad for up-and-rising brands as well as a springboard for more established brands to increase their brand awareness and grow their business.
To fulfill this mission, Food Folks provides year-long opportunities for marketing and brand storytelling. Additionally, retail brands will enjoy a waiver of the initial set-up fee including administrative, processing, and listing fees on their shelves.
It is the hope that Food Folks will inspire food business to incorporate purpose-driven elements into their business model, allowing for positive benefits for consumers, small businesses, and the wider community alike.
#SupportLocal
In line with their location at the national monument of Lau Pa Sat, the heart of Food Folks lies with supporting local businesses and brands. To that end, over 70% of their 120+ retail brands are home-grown. For 5% of brands, this is their first foray into brick-and-mortar retail from an online platform. By waiving the initial set-up fee and providing marketing support, Food Folks @ Lau Pa Sat helps to cushion the challenges that smaller local businesses often face when they enter the physical retail space.
Food Folks has also partnered with some of their brands to co-brand exclusive products that can be found only at Food Folks @ Lau Pa Sat, some of which are listed down below!
To cater to the Instagrammers in our midst, the retail space features a wall mural designed by Singaporean artist and Illustrator, Tan Zi Xi (@messymsxi). The mural was designed to be a visual representation of everything that Food Folks stands for — gathering the community around food.
The food
Communities can get excited over Food Folks’ diverse range of 10 different F&B brands run by a mix of relatively new foodpreneurs, and second- or third-generation owners who wish to modernise their brands. The result is a mix of food selections catering to every demographic — health junkies, dessert lovers, coffee addicts, and the true blue local foodie in all of us.
Below are the list of F&B stalls available in Food Folks, as well as the Mod-Sin dishes they have created just for Food Folks @ Lau Pa Sat:
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- Chef Kang’s Prawn Noodle House: A Michelin-starred stall helmed by Chef Kang, who has more than 40 years of culinary experience. Only a few hundred bowls of Prawn Soup Ramen (exclusive) and Prawn Noodle Soup (Spare Ribs) are available daily, so be sure to head down early!
- Creme and Cone: A dessert fix to satiate your sweet tooth — Creme and Cone is a local gelateria carrying a range of classic and localised flavours. Look out for their Food Folks’ exclusives: Java B’nana Chips with freshly made Milo Waffle Cone and Tiramisu with Smoked Almond Caramel Waffle Lollies. Psst, vegan options available too!
- GOPIZZA Singapore: An Asian-fusion pizzaria serving up personal-sized fire-baked pizza from just $7.90! They’ve created exclusive local flavours including Masala Chicken Pizza and Chilli Crab Prawn Pasta.
- Li Xin Teochew Fishball Noodles: Get your dibs on fishballs made with 100% yellow tail flesh in their Food Folks’ exclusive: The Folks’ Favourite, comprising an assortment of their all-star toppings.
- QQ Rice: Fill your rice bowls with QQ Rice’s diverse selection of nutritious rice! This local brand sells grab-and-go rice balls perfect for the busy CBD folks. Check out their exclusive new local flavours — Nasi Lemak with Curry Chicken Bento and Gua Zai Q Tofu Bento.
- Runes: For the coffee addicts, grab your coffee fix at Runes, the sister brand of Glyph Supply Co providing you with fast, concise brews without compromising on quality or consistency.
- Shi Hui Yuan: This local hor fun stall needs no introduction; it’s a four-time consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand Award winner and has multiple outlets islandwide. Just at Food Folks, get a taste of its new menu item, the Ultimate Plant-based Combo Rice.
- SMOL: This one’s for all the health junkies looking for soul-enrich and smile-inducing grain bowls. For Food Folks, they’ve developed an intriguing vegan item, S’tay The Night, a vegan grain bowl featuring Jackfruit Satay.
- The Grill Knife Smoke House: Get a taste of America with their pit smoked barbecue dishes cooked over Apple wood and Hickory wood. For a local spin, they’ve also created Achar (pickled vegetables), just for Food Folks like you and I!
- The Soup Spoon: This soup franchise continues to bring hearty dishes that are less processed and contain zero preservatives to Singaporeans islandwide, and Food Folks is no exception.
The goods
Food Folks @ Lau Pa Sat features over 120 food retail brands and more than 800 food-related products and merchandise! Better yet, their selection isn’t the everyday fare found in local supermarkets. Instead, they bring to the CBD a unique array of products, of which 40% are not commonly found in major supermarkets.
Divided into five retail zones (Grab & Go, Love Healthy, Love Singapore, Local Delights, and World Favourites) for easy navigation, visitors can look forward to a selection of local and international brands and their offerings.
From local brands that were previously only found online like A Tea Novel and WhatIF Foods, to popular international brands like LAIBA and Oatly, Food Folks @ Lau Pa Sat promises a vast assortment of products that is bound to suit anyone’s taste.
Do look out for retail products created exclusively for Food Folks, including EDENS’ Mala Shiitake Chips, and RedDot Brewhouse’s Singapore Sling Beer!
Additionally, Food Folks has co-branded products with three local retail brands: Fossa Chocolate (Lycee Dragonfruit Dark Chocolate), The 1925 Brewing Co. (Lemongrass Pale Lager), and Artisan Bricks (Chilli Crab LEGO Magnet and Iced Gem Biscuits LEGO Magnet). These items are whilst stock last, so do be sure to head down soon to get first dibs!
Visiting Food Folks @ Lau Pa Sat
Food Folks @ Lau Pa Sat is located at 18 Raffles Quay, Singapore 048582. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Cash and cashless payments (Visa, Mastercard, and NETS) are accepted. All Kopitiam cards are also accepted at the F&B stalls in Food Folks (retail section excluded), and all cardholders will enjoy a 10% discount.
If you’re keen to head down, do so soon as Food Folks @ Lau Pa Sat will be having F&B and retail promotions throughout the month of December! For more information, do check out their website here or find them on Instagram at @foodfolks.sg.
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