KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 — Patrina Tang and Edward Tan, the friendly owners of Tedboy Bakery, opened their first outlet in Bangsar in 2012 and named it after their eight-month-old boy. Their philosophy was to only bake breads, buns and cakes that they would feed to their own child. Little Tedboy is now two years old and his parents have given him a little baby sister to play with. Add a new outlet (Tedboy Express in Bangsar South) and a growing team to the mix, and it’s one, big happy family!
1. Family-friendly décor:
Walk into Tedboy Bakery and you will be welcomed by a warm and pleasant palette. Patrina says, “Our colour concept is to use mainly brown for its earthy, natural, and cosy tone. Since opening, we have also added some black accents to make it more neutral.”
You can’t help but notice some whimsical, child-like illustrations on the wall. “These were done by a friend’s sister who studied illustration,” says Patrina. “She used our Tedboy’s features in the drawings so they really represent him. It’s something other kids and their parents can identify with.”
2. Baby Mathilda:
Patrina and Edward now have a second child, a bouncing baby girl named Mathilda, which begs the question: Will Mathilda get a shop named after her, just like her big brother Ted?
“We’ll see what business idea we can come up for her. In fact, many people have already asked us this since we named the bakery after her brother. For now, she’s having fun spending her time here at the bakery,” says Patrina.
3. Kid-sized treats:
Children love Tedboy Bakery because there are miniature versions of regular treats made just for them. Patrina says, “We have a very kids-centric menu. These kid-sized treats fit in their hands perfectly. It’s also part of our philosophy of only making food we would feed our own children, which means no preservatives, no artificial colourings, etc.”
Tedboy Bakery will soon introduce a new sandwich and hot foods menu for kids. Expect a kid-sized toad-in-the-hole, mini burgers and sliders, and mac-and-cheese. “We reduced spices to fit the kids’ palate. We also chose crunchier vegetables, such as cucumber and carrot.”
We notice children would will help themselves to the mini sausage buns from the lower shelves as these are at their level. “This was an intentional design. We wanted to have it at the kids’ level so they can take it easily on their own, which encourages them be independent at an early age,” explains Patrina.
4. Tasty technology:
There are a row of iPads on one wall for customers to surf on. Patrina says, “Our customers can make use of the iPads to browse while they enjoy their snacks and coffee. Our Ted would use the iPad to watch videos — he loves tractors and trucks!”
One site customers can surf to is Tedboy Bakery’s spanking new website. “Now we provide online delivery within 20km radius of our shop via our website. This was introduced thanks to feedback from our customers.”
5. Loyal customers:
“Getting feedback from our customers is a big part of our Tedboy philosophy,” says Patrina. “We have regulars who come in to get their usual breads and snacks. So to show appreciation for their support, we have introduced a Loyalty Card that can be used at both Tedboy Bakery and Tedboy Express. Basically for every RM10 spent, they get a stamp; they can redeem a drink with 10 stamps and a slice of cake with 20 stamps.”
6. Inside the kitchen:
The busiest part of Tedboy Bakery is the kitchen, naturally. The bread section is led by head baker Nazib. “He has been with us for two years, almost since the beginning. He grew into his current position from his start at the sandwich section. That’s honest-to-goodness rising from rank and file,” says Patrina.
The equipment required to produce the wonderful smelling and tasty treats cover nearly every inch of the kitchen. Nazib watches carefully over the dough mixer while keeping an eye on the proving machine (that also acts as a chiller for the kneaded dough).
Patrina adds, “The sandwich and hot food section is supervised by Intan, while Lin Yi and her team bake the cakes at our central kitchen in Jalan Tanduk.”
7. Developing new delights:
The aforementioned Lin Yi is also in charge of product development. Patrina explains, “Everyone is given the freedom and resources to come up with new recipes using their creativity. For example, they started experimenting with gluten-free recipes after getting some requests from our customers. As a result, we now have two types of gluten-free cake, a chocolate almond and a lemon almond.”
Other new delights include a new and improved croissant (after the team went through several variations of croissant recipes until they were satisfied), a mango and passion fruit tart, and a strawberry custard tart (tweaked so that it holds its shape better without falling apart).
8. The Tedboy team:
There are now approximately 30 people working at Tedboy Bakery, a number that has grown organically since the beginning as the staff learned to have a sense of ownership.
“The bread team comes in at 5:30am and the first baked goods such as the danishes are out by 7am. The Telawi outlet used to open at 8am but now opens earlier at 7:30am because the crew noticed that there were a line of customers waiting outside.
They decided since they were already there, they might as well open earlier for these early birds,” says Patrina, who is visibly proud of them.
“The Tedboy team is part of our family,” she adds. “We are a Tedboy family!”
Tedboy Bakery
10, Jalan Telawi 4, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur
Open daily 7:30am-10pm
Tel: 03-22021312
Tedboy Express
G-11 Ground Floor, The Sphere, Bangsar South, No. 8 Jalan Kerinchi, Kuala Lumpur
Open Mon-Fri 8am-8pm; Sat-Sun 8am-5pm
Tel: 03-22424212
Website: www.tedboy.com
