Customers Queue At 7.30am Daily For Retrenched Mandarin Hotel Exec Pastry Chef Turned Hawker’s Bakes

From zero to long lines overnight

What began as a quiet, under-the-radar stall has transformed into something else. Customers now queue as early as 7:30am, the line stretching past neighbouring stalls. "They want to be the first to see what I have," Winnie laughs, somewhat bemused by the attention. Her pastries – especially elegantly crafted French treats like croissants, caneles and tarts priced from $2.70 are often the first to sell out. She is also selling a couple of local bakes like pandan chiffon cake and Chinese New Year goodies such as pineapple tarts. 

A regular customer who works in the CBD witnessed this dramatic change firsthand. "I visited just two days before the article came out, and then again a day after," she tells 8days.sg. "Before the coverage, there was no queue at all. We could just browse the pastries leisurely after lunch. But when I went back around 1pm after the article, everything was swept off the shelves."

A friend who went recently at 11am told us there were about 15 people waiting in a line for about 30 minutes.

Two-piece limit per item, CNY orders closed till 10 Feb

The veteran pastry chef, who holds a master's degree in confectionery and baking from Germany's Handwerkskammer zu Köln, has implemented a two-piece limit per item for each customer to ensure fair distribution.

While Winnie maintains that most customers are understanding, there have been moments of tension. "Sometimes, they just want to have more," she explains. "When I tell them to consider the long queue behind them and that I want everyone to have a chance to try the pastries, some become frustrated." She adds: "Only one or two customers have been truly unreasonable”.

"Others know I'm a one-man show, so they are quite polite," Winnie notes. The main disappointment has been the limited availability of her Chinese New Year pineapple tarts – which are now closed for new orders until after Chinese New Year (from 11 Feb, after Winnie takes a long break). "I have more than 500 bottles ordered. How to make it? I think even machines cannot make it!" she laughs.

Aspiring bakers request for internship at stall

Interestingly, Winnie's stall has attracted not just customers, but also aspiring bakers. An NS man, a former Shatec student who had known about Winnie during her part-time teaching days there, recently approached her about weekend internship opportunities. "This boy is so cool," she shares. "He took leave to come see me." She has even received requests from parents wanting their children to learn from her.

"If anybody is interested, why not?" she says warmly. Beyond her hawker stall, Winnie continues to teach aspiring bakers occasionally at Creative Culinaire Academy on weekends, where she works when her schedule allows.

Introducing new bakes after CNY

Despite the overwhelming success, Winnie maintains her original vision of providing quality at affordable prices. "I hope to provide customers with high-quality pastries at an affordable price. I make them with my heart, and I hope that customers can enjoy them with their heart," she says. "Now that my daughter is grown up, she also supports me in doing what I like. Even if I don't make much money, I’m happy doing it."

While Winnie has recently hired a part-time assistant to help with orders at the counter, she's in no rush to expand. “I’ll stay put for a while first," she says when asked about opening more outlets. However, she's planning to introduce new items after Chinese New Year, including Nutella cookies and cereal cookies.

Tips before visiting Petite Krumbs

For those hoping to try Winnie's acclaimed French pastries, here are some tips:

• Arrive before the 8:30am opening time
• Note the two-piece per item limit per customer
• Popular items like the $2.70 croissants and $3.50 caneles typically sell out first
• CNY goodie orders resume from 11 Feb

Petite Krumbs is at #02-133 Amoy Street Food Centre, 7 Maxwell Rd, S069111. Open Mon - Fri 8.30am - 2.30pm, or until sold out. Tel: 8692 2149. Petite Krumbs will be closed from 28 Jan - 10 Feb 2025. 

Photos: Kelvin Chia, Dillon Tan

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