Sep 4, 2020

“Why So Expensive?! School Canteen What?” Canteen Vendor Breaks Down Cost Of Running Sta

Imagine this, you walk down the corridor, dressed to the nines, with Louboutin on your feet, click clacking all the way to the canteen.

You order a plate of nasi campur with ayam lemak chili padi, bagedil, hotdog and veg, with sambal on the side.

“Total $2.50.” makcik says.

“Why so expensive?! School canteen what?” you grouse as you take out some change from your Prada wallet to pay her.

Sounds familiar?

Long gone are the days when school tuckshop food costs $1.50 per plate. With the current inflation rate, it is not fair to expect canteen store operators to sell at the same pricing today.

In a Facebook post by Haida Waty that has since gone viral, she voiced out her frustrations towards the mentality of some people who thinks that school canteen food is “expensive”.

She gave the breakdown of the monthly expenses a school canteen operator has.

Rental : $10.70
Cost of rubbish disposal : $30
Electricity & Water: $60
Gas: $400
1 Manpower : $50×20 days = $1,000.00

Total: $1,500.70

Haida also mentioned that it is impossible for operators like her to buy frozen food or fresh produce in bulk as they don’t have big refrigerators to store them.

“I go market, I still pay same price for ingredients as those who run hawker ctr or food court ok. There is NO concession card for SCHOOL canteen vendors dat I can use at NTUC/Sheng Siong or any wet market to get discounted price. How to sell cheap?” – Haida

She has a point there. Groceries cost the same for everyone regardless of whether you buy for personal consumption or running a small business. Food served in schools have to be healthier choices and healthier options aren’t cheap.

However, Haida said that the complaints came from the parents and the staff. The students are willing to pay the amount as long as the food is filling.

“If you think what your child eat in school is expensive, Mcdonalds meal is cheap is it? If you think school canteen vendors sells food expensive, then you prepare food from home and get your child bring to school la.” – Haida

The school staff isn’t helping by expecting cheap and good food from canteen operators who can’t even sell a bowl of Mee Rebus for $2.50 without hearing unhappy mumbling under the breath.

“You buy mee rebus, u ask for extra noodle, then you want more gravy, then you say u want whole egg i.o half an egg, then u add bagedil. Then final price is $2.50, then u repeat after me, $2.50??? U got hearing problem is it? Then, with that unhappy face, you take out cash from your PRADA wallet n you pass to me, I feel like asking you, your PRADA wallet is ORI or FAKE eh?”

She ended her rant by asking people to change their mentality towards school canteen vendors and appreciate their efforts.

Netizens sympathized with her as they share their two cents worth.

Healthier options are not cheap, and it is a requirement for most schools to prepare healthy food.

Perhaps, this is the best solution for the complain queens. How about walking in their shoes for a day?

Reporter’s Opinion: I used to pay $2 for a plate of nasi ayam kicap with sambal tempe goreng in secondary school. And that was around circa 2003.

At $2.50 for a full bowl of Mee Rebus with a whole boiled egg is reasonable leh.

Why are people complaining against school canteen aunties for? If you can afford a fast food meal, you can jolly well pay for a plate of nasi campur that costs 3 bucks.

Want healthy food but cheap and good, you expect canteen aunties to be able to do it. Why? I don’t remember “healthy” brown rice sushi rolls and rice bowls to be cheap and yet you buy it every damned day.