Producing Oyster Sauce

Long known as a gourmet paradise, it is not surprising that Hong Kong is home to dozens of traditional Chinese sauce and condiment producers of various scales. But given that  Lee Kum Kee, a 120-year-old multinational sauce maker, recently laid off 30 of its staff to stay competitive, can individual specialist sauce makers survive or even thrive?

Few can rely on supermarkets for exposure. Increasingly the big two chains which dominate Hong Kong stock only sauces by big brands. For example, the Des Voeux Road West branch of Park'n Shop has on offer a wide range of Lee Kum Kee's products but not a single bottle of Tai Ma soy sauce or Yue Yick oyster sauce.

In the face of fierce competition, these smaller players have to find their own means of thriving.

This magazine article about the company is displayed near the doorway

"Media coverage cannot help, if your sauces are not good enough,' Chau says. "Our patrons can come from as far away as Guangzhou."

The effort involved has prevented Chau from expanding his firm, so he chose not to sell his sauces in other retail shops or supermarkets. Sometimes he cannot even produce certain soy sauce in time for his own shop because of bad weather conditions.

Why do customers come?
Anita Leung	Resina Chung