8 dying trades in Singapore and the stories behind them

The story Traditional bakeries and confectioneries truly bring back the warm, fuzzy feels with old school delights like rainbow bread, cream horns, various colourful kueh and rich, no-frills cakes. They typically rely on gas-fired ovens and traditional techniques – which borrow from both Chinese and Western cultures – and skip the preservatives that are common in baked goods today. Our traditional bakeries are now facing high rentals, tough commercial competitors and a lack of successors, but we sure hope they find a permanent place in Singapore's food scene.

GO Love BreadTalk but want to revisit the good old days? Here's a list of the best traditional bakeries and confectioneries in Singapore. 

The story Singapore has a long love affair with kopi. Settlers from Bangladesh hawked coffee on the streets early in the 19th century, but it was the arrival of Hainanese immigrants that caused kopi culture to take off. In the past, Robusta beans were typically roasted with margarine and sugar – sometimes over a wood fire. As you can imagine, it was a hot and sweaty process that required great skill. Few in Singapore roast beans by hand any longer, but you can really taste the difference. 

GO Lam Yeo Coffee Powder Factory roasts and grinds coffee the traditional way, offering 10 signature blends that they can mix into a custom packet to suit your tastes. They've modernised too – with gourmet coffee imported from as far as South Africa. 

The story Haircuts today can be quite the luxurious affair, taking up to 3 hours depending on the cut, colouring and treatment you've chosen. But the old street barbers of Singapore provide a relatively fuss-free experience. Typically located in small streets and back lanes in makeshift sheds, these barbers provide a quick cut and shave, though some provide extra services that include ear, tongue and nose cleaning or a massage. Where would you have gone to find a street barber back then? The informally named 'Barber Street' in Bugis or 'Barber Row' on a small road linking Jalan Sultan and North Bridge Road. 

GO Next time you're in need of a haircut, visit street barber Mr. Tan Boon Kee at Aliwal Street. These other old-school barber shops in Singapore might still be around too. 

The story Worried about career or marriage prospects? In the past, you might have headed to a parrot astrologer. This ancient Indian practice was popular in the local community up to the 1990s, where customers would pay $1 for an astrologer – and his trusty parakeet – to pick fortune cards from a deck of 27. The birds were fed a steady and nutritious diet of fruits and nuts to keep them sharp, and are said to have formed strong bonds with the astrologer. 

GO It's rare to find parrot astrologers nowadays, but perhaps a trip down Serangoon Road will yield an unexpected encounter. 

The story In the 1950s and 1960s, immigrants from India sold kacang puteh on the streets. Paper cones were made from scrap paper – newspapers, books, magazines – and filled with an assortment of nuts and crackers, some painstakingly roasted or fried with spices early in the morning. A cone went for as low as 20 cents back in the day, an unimaginable price these days. 

GO A kacang puteh pushcart in front of Peace Centre in Selegie Road is said to be the last in Singapore. Third generation seller Amirthaalangaram Moorthy travelled all the way to Singapore from Tamil Nadu to take over the business from his father. 

The story Rattan has been around for generations in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos. In Singapore, practically all major ethnic groups were involved in the rattan trade somehow, with different dialect groups taking on specialised jobs along the supply chain. Rattan craft shops used to be common in the city centre, such as Boat Quay and Carpenter Street. However, modernisation and redevelopment saw these traders pushed out to the edges of the city. With this came the decline and eventual disbandment of associations such as the Singapore Rattan Industry Association. 

GO Head to Rotan Lane in Little India to check out a handful of small shops selling rattan today. A cane-making factory used to be located at the adjacent Chander Road. 

The story We love our NTUC and Sheng Shiong for its modern, air-conditioned convenience. But mama (or mamak) shops will always hold a place in the hearts of Singaporeans as the place for cheap, afterschool snacks and stationery. Even older Singaporeans will remember these old-school provision shops as bustling community hubs where they stocked up on basic necessities, posted letters, made calls, and even kept cash like you would at the bank. Originating with Indian immigrants who opened up these provision shops along Serangoon Road, mama shops sprouted all over Singapore from the early 20th century onwards, only fading away in the 1980s due to stiff competition from modern marts and changing customer tastes. 

GO Void decks in old HDB estates or old shophouses. Visit for beloved snacks like biscuit piring, ice pops and potato wheels.

The story Come Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival, Singapore comes alive with lanterns of all shapes and sizes. Lanterns today are commonly made out of thin paper, red packets or plastic, and sometimes jazzed up with flashy lights. But in the past, you'd be more likely to see paper lanterns crafted with bamboo splint skeletons and silk paper. Teochew and Foochow lanterns are the two types most commonly found in Singapore, and can be distinguished from each other by their shapes. Crafters would paint tigers, dragons and other auspicious motifs to bring clan associations, families and customers good luck. Lantern-making is a very labour-intensive process – one of the reasons why it's dying out today. 

GO Yeo Swee Huat Paper Industry is one of the last – if not the last – of this sunset industry.