OUR FOREFATHERS

Pek Sin Choon Pte Ltd is one of Singapore’s oldest tea merchants. It was founded in 1925 by Bai-Zhuang Dan Niang and her son Pek Kim Aw.

1925 was the Year of the Buffalo according to the Chinese Horoscope, and Pek Kim Aw was also known as “Buffalo Head” for his upright character.

The “Cowherd Boy on Buffalo” thus became a company trademark – synonymous with the cherished values of family, community and our ethos of “quality tea for all”.

Even today, a pot of tea in a basket sits outside the store for all to pour themselves a drink – whether it be travellers, passers-by, or those who cannot afford a cup of tea.

Pek Kim Aw was born in Anxi, China. His father passed away when he was just an eight-year-old. In 1910 – a year before the Xinhai Revolution – he together with his mother left China for Singapore in search of a living.

Life was tough as an odd-job labourer, and he went to Indonesia in search of work. There, he met an Indonesian Chinese lady who became his wife.

Pek Kim Aw got married at 20 and took his first step into the world of tea with sheer perseverance. He carried tea door-to-door with a shoulder pole – as was done in the old days – and the thing he often had to buy back then were new shoes.

He finally set up shop along George Street in 1925, where the business flourished until WWII broke out in 1939. Tragically, war reached Singapore in 1942.

NANYANG TEA

The setbacks renewed Pek Kim Aw’s unrelenting determination to succeed, and he set out to research and develop unique yet affordable teas to suit local tastes.

While having Bak Kut Teh – an iconic South East-Asian pork rib soup – with a fellow mate, Pek Kim Aw first introduced the “Iron Arhat” or Tie Luo Han (武夷鐵羅漢) blend, which became an instant hit.

The Renowned Unknown Fragrance (著名不知香) blend was soon introduced to cater to more discerning tea drinkers.

PASSING THE REINS

Over the years, the store has shifted from George Street to New Market Road beside what used to be the old Thong Chai Medical Institution.

Pek Kim Aw gradually passed on the business to his four sons Pek Bok Kim, Pek Hai Hook, Peh Hai Teo and Peh Yong Hoe, each of whom took on different responsibilities.

The brothers oversaw a key milestone, with Pek Sin Choon capturing a key market and supplying tea to over 60 percent of Bak Kut Teh stalls in Singapore.

TEA MAN

Peh Ching Her (Kenry Peh), the fourth-generation tea man, was one of the youngest grandson who joined the family business in the 1990s, training for half a decade before taking the reins.

He started as a handyman, selling and delivering tea by van before eventually being tasked with purchasing and management. Today, Ching Her has dedicated himself to further modernising the company.

Under his leadership and owing to the firm foundations of all predecessors, Pek Sin Choon captured over 80 percent of the Bak Kut Teh market segment in the 1990s.

In the late 1990s, two new blends were developed, namely “Charm Of Buddha’s Palm (佛手神)”and “Royal Daffodil (水仙王)”.

Pek Sin Choon shifted to a heritage shophouse along Mosque Street in 1998 and has remained here since.

In 2001, Pek Sin Choon’s signature tea set was accorded use of the Merlion logo by the Singapore Tourism Board distinguishing iconic products Made in Singapore.

PRESENT DAY

Today, Pek Sin Choon is renowned as a leading wholesaler and retailer of premium Chinese tea, blended and roasted locally.

Amid the shifting sands of time, the company continually innovates to stay relevant while paying tribute to its roots. Its signature tea continues to be wrapped by hand in iconic paper packaging today.