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Kee Wah Bakery () is a chain of
bakery
A bakery is an establishment that produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cookies, cakes, donuts, pastries, and pies. Some retail bakeries are also categorized as cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who ...
stores in Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland (
Shenzhen
Shenzhen (; ; ; ), also historically known as Sham Chun, is a major sub-provincial city and one of the special economic zones of China. The city is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern province ...
,
Guangzhou
Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...
,
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
), Taiwan, and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
(
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
and
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
).
History
Kee Wah Bakery was founded by Mr. Wong Yip Wing in 1938 as a small grocery store in a corner of Shanghai Street in
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Kowloon () is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. With a population of 2,019,533 and a population density of in 2006, it is the most populous area in Hong Kong, compared with Hong Kong Island and th ...
. A few years later World War II began and the store was forced to closed. At that time one of the employees used some simple tools and an old oil barrel as an improvised oven, and began baking pastries to sell to the boat dwellers on the harbour. This marked the beginning of Kee Wah Bakery. Since then, Kee Wah has become one of Hong Kong's oldest bakeries, and has made its name in Chinese Wedding Cakes and Mooncakes. In 1997 the baton of the business were passed to the second generation; Mr Kevin S Wong revamped the company's branding and product packaging by engaging renowned graphic designer Mr Suen Siu Wah to overhaul the corporate identity, product packaging, outlet interiors and staff uniforms. Headquarter is located at Kee Wah Industrial Building, 666 Castle Peak Road, Cheung Sha Wan, with production lines; There is also a production centre in Taipo Industrial Estate which started in 2009.
Hong Kong actor
Eric Tsang
Eric Tsang Chi-wai (; born 14 April 1953) is a Hong Kong actor, film director, producer, and television host, best known for hosting the variety show ''Super Trio series'' on the Hong Kong television network TVB over 18 years. He currently holds ...
is the endorser for Kee Wah Mooncake and Kee Gift Series. Taiwanese actress
Annie Liu
Annie Liu Sum-yau ( zh, 劉心悠; born 1 April 1981) is a Hong Kong-based Taiwanese actress.
Background
Liu was born in Taiwan but was sent to Vancouver, Canada to study at a young age by her parents. In 2004, Liu was selected to feature in ...
is the endorser for Kee Wah Chinese Bridal Cakes.
The Kee Wah Bakery in California was established in 1985 and continues to produce freshly baked goods daily. Many well known favorites are the
egg tart
The egg tart (; ) is a kind of custard tart found in Chinese cuisine derived from the English custard tart and Portuguese pastel de nata. The dish consists of an outer pastry crust filled with egg custard. Egg tarts are often served at dim s ...
s and the
pineapple bun
A pineapple bun () is a kind of sweet bun predominantly popular in Hong Kong and also common in Chinatowns worldwide. Despite the name, it does not traditionally contain pineapple; rather, the name refers to the look of the characteristic to ...
s.
Collaboration
In 2008, Hong Kong lifestyle retail store
G.O.D.
Groove Over Dose, known by the acronym g.o.d (), is a South Korean boy band formed by SidusHQ. Debuting in 1999, the group became one of the most popular boy bands of the early 2000s in South Korea. The members had gone on to solo careers in th ...
collaborated with Kee Wah Bakery to design
mooncakes
A mooncake () is a Chinese bakery product traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節). The festival is about lunar appreciation and Moon watching, and mooncakes are regarded as a delicacy. Mooncakes are offered between ...
for the Chinese
Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival (Chinese: / ), also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a traditional festival celebrated in Chinese culture. Similar holidays are celebrated in Japan (), Korea (), Vietnam (), and other countries in Eas ...
. G.O.D. came up with presenting the traditional treats in the shape of
bottoms in eight different designs, but still filled with traditional white lotus seed paste and salted yolks.
In 2012, Kee Wah opened its first nostalgia-themed store in Hong Kong in Ocean Park's “Old Hong Kong” attraction. Based on Kee Wah's flagship store in Shanghai during the 40s, the décor and ambience of the store aims to offer visitors a chance to reminiscence the past while tasting fresh baked traditional pastries and snacks. A series of co-branded products are launched which are available for sale not only inside the Park but also in other Kee Wah outlets in Hong Kong.
References
External links
{{Commons category, Kee Wah Bakery
Kee Wah Bakery Hong Kong- HK web site (English, traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese)
Kee Wah Bakery- US web site (English and Chinese)
Kee Wah Bakery Taiwan- Taiwan web site (Chinese)
Fast-food franchises
Bakeries of Hong Kong
Retail companies established in 1938
Hong Kong brands
Food and drink companies established in 1938
1938 establishments in Hong Kong