Turning A School Into Singapore’s Coolest Lifestyle Hub | Singapore Hour

New Bahru: A Tour of Singapore's Creative Hub

Key Concepts:

• Creative cluster
• Local entrepreneurship
• Community building
• Sustainable business practices
• Experiential retail
• Speciality coffee
• Ethical sourcing
• GOTS-certified organic cotton
• Plant care

Overview of New Bahru

New Bahru is a revitalized space, formerly a high school (1969-1984), transformed into a lifestyle hub hosting 40 creative local businesses. It's designed as a one-stop destination for shopping, dining, relaxation, workouts, and learning. The vision is to create a "kampung" – a village-like atmosphere, bringing together Singapore's dispersed talent and businesses into one location. The goal is to foster a new kind of community and creative cluster.

Speciality Coffee Experience with Leon Foo

The video features a segment on a homegrown coffee venture led by Leon Foo, a pioneer in the local speciality coffee scene since 2009.

• Evolution of Coffee Culture: Foo notes the increased accessibility of fresh coffee and the sophistication of consumers who seek diverse tasting notes and farm information.
• Omakase Bar: A three-course coffee tasting menu presenting coffee in its purest form.
• Coffee Ecosystem: The venture encompasses sourcing, distributing, brewing, and machine making.
• Roaster-Designed Recipes: A machine that brews coffee using recipes designed by roasters. The machine currently holds about 15,000 recipes from a few hundred roasters. This allows users to replicate coffee experiences from around the world at home.

"If every coffee is different, why brew them the same way?" - Leon Foo

Breakfast Club with Chef Chris

The segment then shifts to a breakfast club at New Bahru, spearheaded by Chef Chris, a fine dining veteran.

• Fine Dining Techniques: Chris leverages his fine dining background to elevate the breakfast experience.
• Homemade Granola: The breakfast club's standout product is a homemade granola blend made with ethically sourced dark chocolate, organic oats, hazelnuts, and pumpkin seeds, baked and delivered within the same week.
• Ethical Sourcing: Emphasis is placed on partnering with local companies like Annie's (yogurt), Freedom Range Eggs (cage-free eggs), and Vertical Oceans (prawns) that prioritize ethical and sustainable practices.

Sustainable Bedding with SOJAO

The video moves to SOJAO, a bedding store founded by Janice and Priscilla, focused on luxury and sustainability.

• Focus on Cotton Quality: Instead of thread count, SOJAO prioritizes the quality of cotton used in their sheets.
• GOTS Certification: SOJAO is the only bedding store that is 100% focused on Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)-certified organic cotton. This cotton is grown without insecticides and pesticides.
• Ethical Production: Sheets are ethically made in India. The name SOJAO (meaning "go to sleep" in Hindi) pays tribute to the organic cotton Indian farmers.
• Supporting Local Brands: SOJAO carries products from other local brands to support the Singapore ecosystem of creativity.

"We spend a third of our lives in bed. So why not make it count?" - Janice (SOJAO Founder)

Plant Parenthood with Ivan

The final business highlighted is a plant store owned by Ivan, focusing on making plant care accessible and inspiring people to become "plant parents."

• Plant Acclimatization: Plants are housed in a greenhouse and acclimatized for 3-6 months to adapt to the local weather.
• Plant Clinic: A plant clinic is available for customers to diagnose and treat sick plants, aiming to reduce plant disposal and promote long-term care.
• Repotting Workshop: Ivan conducts workshops to teach proper plant care techniques.
• Addressing Myths: Common myths about plant care, such as daily watering being beneficial or fertilizer reviving plants, are debunked. The key to success is consistency and observation.

Conclusion

New Bahru represents a community where entrepreneurs are turning bold ideas into reality. With ongoing developments, it is portrayed as a constantly evolving hub for creativity and innovation.