(Kuala Terengganu News on the 25th) Fully equipped to bake pastries, this shop should be the only one in Malaysia that does this!

For the sake of their employees' health, a pastry stall owner asked them to wear respirators while making traditional pastries. This became the stall's "exclusive feature" and unexpectedly became popular.

Noor Azra, a 41-year-old pastry baker, said that they use filtering anti-particle respirators and goggles during the baking process, mainly because these equipment can withstand flames and thick smoke and ensure the health of employees.

She told Malay newspaper Sunshine Daily that the aroma of pastries made using traditional methods would be different from those baked using modern methods.

Protect against heavy smoke and protect employee health

“We choose the right baking fuel depending on the type of pastry, which is firewood, charcoal, coconut shell and shredded coconut.

"Desserts such as egg cakes can still be baked using gas to save on the use of firewood, but other baked pastries require the use of firewood as fuel because the heating process needs to be carried out on both the upper and lower layers of the pastry."

The pastries produced at her stall include Kuih Akok and shredded coconut pastries priced at RM1 each, chicken cakes priced at 80 sen each, large-sized baked pastries priced at RM6, and Each 4 pieces of small size pastry is RM2.

Noor Azra revealed that she started asking employees to wear these equipment while baking in 2021, and the idea was actually proposed by her brother-in-law who works in the oil and gas field.

“The process of baking pastries is quite time-consuming, taking about 4 to 5 hours a day.

"Due to the unbearable heat, flames and smoke, my husband and I began considering this proposal to ensure our employees could adapt to this environment."

Noor Azra also said that she had not worn any equipment while baking before.

“I was in tears because I couldn’t stand the smoke and heat while waiting for all the pastries to bake.”

 It is reported that Noor Azra started running this pastry baking business 10 years ago, and got the help of her husband Mohd Nuddin, sister Noor Azula, and employees Wahida and Rosemary Anna.

She also said that despite all modern methods of making traditional pastries, her aunt Zaina’s traditional pastry-making methods have been maintained for more than 25 years.

Noor Azira said she learned to make the pastries in a short period of time and made adjustments to suit her customers' tastes, such as reducing the sweetness to suit those who don't like sweets.

“I would like to thank social media for the help. After these pastries were circulated online for a long time, many people came to patronize my stall, including customers from as far away as Malacca and Johor.”

She revealed that they received a huge response during school holidays and festivals. The average amount of pastry ingredients they use is about 18kg, while during school holidays and festivals it is about 30kg.

“I am very grateful and hope this business can grow further in the future and introduce the pastries in appropriate packaging.

“I also hope that the traditional recipes and preparation methods of these snacks can be preserved and passed on to the next generation.”

News Resource: Fully equipped to bake cakes, the stall unexpectedly became popular 2024-01-25 (guangming.com.my)