MTS#24 Ken Koh, Director, Nanyang Sauce, on Preserving his Family's Handmade Soy Sauce Heritage

Mr. Tok Show

Ken is the 3rd Generation family member of Nanyang Sauce. Nanyang Sauce was founded in 1959 by his grandfather, Mr Tan Tiong How and is a premium artisan sauce maker operating in Singapore. Since joining the family business, he has transformed and rejuvenated the aging business through innovation and cultivating an intrapreneurial culture.

Ken has a strong belief in transforming lives. Prior to joining the family business, Ken was involved in starting his own training business which he ran for 13 years.

In this episode, we talk about why Nanyang Sauce is special, his thoughts on taking over the family business, the modern food industry, the first Web 3.0 Sauce he is concocting, and more!

Nanyang Sauce's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nanyangsauce

Sauce Legend's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saucelegend

Ken's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenkoh/

Timestamps 0:00 Brand New Boutique Shop at Changi Jewel: Sauce Legend 6:04 Why Changi Jewel? 7:38 Vision Behind Sauce Legend 11:09 Why Is Nanyang Sauce Not Available in All Supermarkets? 15:19 Taking over the Family Business 18:11 The Food Industry/Nanyang's Manufacturing Process 20:49 A Sunset Industry 25:32 The Origins of Soya Sauce 27:34 Being Honest with Customers 28:37 Why did the Family Not Call It a Day and Wind Up the Business? 32:50 Remembering his Grandfather, Founder of Nanyang Sauce 35:44 Upholding Traditions in the Business 38:36 Fermenting Nanyang Soya Sauce at Home 40:47 On Family Business & Business Succession 49:33 Going on a Sauce Brewery Tour in the Region/Discovering What's Most Valuable 55:05 Cancer Inducing Food/Researching the Content of our Food 1:06:03 JJ's Tasting! 1:13:07 The Magic of Nanyang Sauce 1:15:55 The Pros & Cons of Running a Family Business 1:18:23 Preserving Food Heritage via Sauce Legend 1:27:56 Business Strategy for Nanyang Sauce 1:29:52 Customer Driven Innovation 1:35:30 Philosophy Towards Marketing 1:43:38 What is a Web 3.0 Sauce? 1:55:25 Preserving Memories of our Loved Ones 1:57:07 What's the Future of Nanyang Sauce? 2:00:49 Make All Sauces Safe Again 2:03:50 Outro Follow Us on our Social Media! JJ & The Mr. Tok Show Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrtokshow Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tokjiajie Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrtokshow Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrtokshow

JJ's Post Production Notes

"Soy sauce, the condiment that surely must be present in all Asian households that cook. I honestly never thought too much about the manufacturing process of something as common as soy sauce. I would have thought that machines and technology would help in fermenting our soy sauce, but never imagined most of the soy sauce we buy today are essentially chemically produced. There is a Chinese saying 病从口入, it means "illnesses enter through our mouth", I guess referring to the food we eat. Is it then any wonder that cancer continues to be the leading principal cause of death in many modern and developed societies? Is this an inevitable tradeoff for convenience? I am glad there are food manufacturers like Ken who continue to espouse the belief that they would not feed their customers what they would not feed their own children. Meeting a businessman who is a romantic at heart is always refreshing. When dollars and cents, and commercial success is not the only end goal. When preserving a priceless family heritage is as important as making a living. I wish Ken and Nanyang Sauce all the best for generations to come. One thing for sure after this episode, they have got another loyal customer in me who will swear by their products. To umami and good health!“ -JJ