'We are sad, of course': Popular old-school bakery Tiong Bahru Galicier Pastry to close by mid-2022

Bad news for folks who love the old-school bakes and kueh from Tiong Bahru Galicier Pastry — it will be closing soon. 

While the actual closing date is not confirmed yet, Madeline Tan, 36, the daughter of the owner, Tan Yong Siang, 69, told AsiaOne that it will be sometime in June or July this year. 

Madeline says that the main reason behind the closure is that her father wants to retire. 

He had been wanting to do so for quite some time and the impending sale of their store unit was the last push in the decision-making process. 

As of now, there are a total of nine people running the show and four of them are family members. 

However, if you're anticipating one of the other family members to reopen the business somewhere else, don't get your hopes up too high. Madeline shares that after the business is "gone for good", all of them plan on pursuing their own separate interests. 

"We are sad, of course. It's been so many years since I've been working here," says Madeline, who shares that she has helped out at the store since her secondary school days. 

The business was first established in the 1970s by Madeline's grandfather. Madeline tells us that back then, the store was located at Orchard Road and was called Dong Le Yuan. 

The business then moved to Serangoon, where they operated as Galicier Confectionery. 

In the 2000s, they eventually shifted to their current location, where the business was renamed to Tiong Bahru Galicier Pastry. 

The confectionery store is known for its traditional sweet treats such as putu ayu (steamed pandan cake with dessicated coconut), kueh ambon (honeycomb cake) and kueh dadar (coconut pancake). 

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melissateo@asiaone.com