Learning at the master's side

The apprentice works beside the master as a registered stall assistant, building on NEA's Hawkers Succession Scheme, and the Fellowship pays the master for the slower service while he teaches; the only cost is a one-off second-station grant at each Fellow's stall (a burner, a spare wok, a chiller shelf). When the Relief-Hawker Corps covers the master's day off, the relief cook or the apprentice cooks his dish from the written record for his own regulars: that is the documentation test, and it costs nothing extra. Blind tastings and documentation with retired masters book licensed kitchens by the session (polytechnic and ITE training kitchens, culinary schools, community-centre kitchens, social-enterprise partner stalls). Graduates land through the rent-band ballot or NEA's Incubation Stall Programme. The Seed Bank rents rather than owns, partners rather than builds, and pays per use. The plan no longer proposes a shared prep kitchen, nor claims a shorter prep day for working hawkers.

Who pays

PHILANTHROPY-FUNDED · BUILDS ON

What it costs

$3,000 SGD · one-off, at each new Fellow's stall (second-station grant)

a small one-off second-station grant at each Fellow's stall – a burner, a spare wok, a chiller shelf – of about $3,000

What it builds on

NEA's Hawkers Succession Scheme, which places a successor at the veteran's own stall, and the Incubation Stall Programme for landing; NEA's centralised dishwashing at its Productive Hawker Centres is the shared service that exists today (§2.6).

Who gains

Diners

The apprentice cooks the master's dish for his regulars on his day off, under the same name (§2.6).

Hawkers

The master is paid for the slower service while he teaches, at his own stall (§2.6).

Government

Nothing to build: the Seed Bank rents, partners and pays per use (§2.6).