Pek Sin Choon is a family-owned business with nearly a century’s worth of history. But despite their success, Kenry Peh, the fourth-generation owner of Pek Sin Choon, is careful to ensure that Pek Sin Choon’s principles remain conscientious. Among tea suppliers, Pek Sin Choon has a reputation for high standards and a no-compromise approach to tea quality. Kenry takes pride in the quality of Pek Sin Choon’s tea, and he maintains that Pek Sin Choon will only work with the best suppliers, with whom they have cultivated long-standing relationships of trust. Internally, Kenry also maintains a homely and amiable working environment in order to support his staff. A large proportion of their employees are senior in age, so Kenry has put measures in place to take care of their welfare, while the business in turn benefits from their veterancy. These principles help to preserve the high standard that Pek Sin Choon’s tea is known for.

Kenry shares his philosophy that Pek Sin Choon’s growth and future expansion should “make sense” by following the principles of their brand. Expanding just for the sake of doing so is reckless, and endangers the authenticity that Pek Sin Choon is known and lauded for. Consequently, Pek Sin Choon does not blindly take up every opportunity that comes their way, and has actually turned down many offers when it became clear that they were not a good fit. By growing the business along the guideline of their ideals, Pek Sin Choon aims to retain a welcoming environment for their employees and community, hopefully for many years to come.

Given Pek Sin Choon’s long history, one might assume that their business practices are entirely traditional. Nothing could be further from the truth. While their methods of production remain authentic, and their tea still comes wrapped in their iconic paper packaging, Pek Sin Choon is always on the look-out for ways to innovate, as they acknowledge the need to stay relevant to deliver the best for their customers. New blends are constantly being considered, such as cold sparkling tea, which was conceived because of Singapore’s hot weather. Other methods of production were explored as well, such as cold brew teas, to maximise the usage of the tea leaves and to appeal to the younger generation. These ideas serve to refresh their products, allowing Pek Sin Choon to introduce their traditional tea to modern consumers.

To stimulate creativity and innovation, Pek Sin Choon also organises competitions such as the Nanyang Tea Challenge. Participants identified, brewed, and then combined Nanyang tea with native spices to form new blends; winners stood to receive premium tea and exquisite Chinese teaware sets. Unusual and intriguing, this event brought Chinese tea into the limelight for Singapore Heritage Festival, and sparked newfound interest in a traditional practice.

Though it is not often talked about, Pek Sin Choon believes strongly in building and giving back to the community. This principle is built deep into the values of Pek Sin Choon as a brand, and it keeps them grounded in their success. They regularly find ways to assist various causes and ground-up initiatives, such as by collaborating with students in tea appreciation clubs, supplying tea to temples, and supporting various conferences and congresses. For select events, particularly those for a good cause, Pek Sin Choon has been known to provide their tea at markedly reduced prices, or even for free. Through these actions, Pek Sin Choon hopes that their teas can help to foster a sense of kinship, and make a difference to the communities they engage with.