60-year-old cake shop denies using pre-made pastries after sticker sparks questions

A decades-old bakery in Hong Kong is pushing back against accusations that it passes off mass-produced pre-made pastries as freshly made local products.

Tai Hing Cake Shop in Lau Fau Shan came under fire after a customer posted on social media that its 15-piece packs of Chinese shortbread bore a sticker covering what appeared to be a mainland Chinese e-commerce label, despite being sold as freshly baked.

The customer also noted that every piece looked “identical in size, thickness and smoothness,” suggesting they were machine-made.

The post went viral and sparked discussion. Some criticized the shop for damaging its 60-year reputation, with one commenter writing: “Even if the label is someone else’s, you should reflect on your own actions.”

Others defended the shop, saying packaging does not prove factory sourcing, with one writing that handmade pastries can also have “a similar appearance.”

The bakery’s owner told Sing Tao Headline, a sister publication of The Standard, that the label was cut from a package his family bought while traveling.

He said it was used only as a sample tag because it showed the name of the pastry, allowing younger customers to identify the product.

The owner also admitted the move was careless but said small shops can’t afford custom packaging for items that are not produced regularly.

The bakery later posted a full video of its handmade production process on social media, insisting every piece is made in-house by local bakers.

The owner emphasized that the shop would continue to invest in the quality and production of its pastries to give back to its neighbors and regular customers.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓