Early-morning cuppas and late-night snacks to fuel the Yale-NUS community

Like many communities around the world, the tight-knit Yale-NUS family bonds over a shared passion for food and drinks. Here, our community can get their fix from our student-run coffee cart and butteries every weekday.

The College’s very own coffee cart, Brewhouse, is the successful result of the entrepreneurial spirit by its co-founders, alumni Jessica Chang and Xinlei Lee (both from the Class of 2019). They wanted to serve good coffee to their peers, and with funding and support from the school, Brewhouse officially opened for orders in 2017. It serves customers from 8.30 am to 10.45 am, on Mondays to Fridays.

The three Residential Colleges (RC) also have their own student-run butteries – The Shiok Shack at Saga College, Shiner’s Diner at Elm College, and The Nest at Cendana College. Each buttery is imbued with their own unique atmosphere, and operates from 9.30 pm to 11:30 pm for a few days each week. At least one buttery is opened on any weekday, which satisfies the cravings from students as they seek to relax and refuel themselves in between classes and when studying late into the night.

Students Damion Horn (Class of 2023), Jiayi Jeanette Zhu and Neel Karve (both from the Class of 2024) shared their experiences working at these spaces, and how the spaces have facilitated bonding and continue to serve the Yale-NUS community. Damion and Jeanette are part of the teams at Shiner’s Diner and The Shiok Shack respectively, while Neel works at Brewhouse.

Image of the Brewhouse team with Vice President (Student Affairs) and Dean of Students Dave Stanfield (second from right) in 2020, before COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were implemented. Brewhouse is one of the spaces where the Yale-NUS community can refuel during their breaks. Image by Yale-NUS College.

Why did you join the Brewhouse/butteries?

Neel: I worked in a cafe before coming to Yale-NUS, and drinking the coffee that I made was my favourite part of the job then. So I thought I should continue that passion!

Damion: It is quite similar with me. I decided to work in the buttery because of the community and I would be able to cook, which was something I did a lot at home and wanted to dedicate time for at university.

Jeanette: I wanted to be closer to Saga community. It was important to me that I seize opportunities to interact with people from my RC since we see one another every day!

It must be challenging running the spaces and serving customers! What skills you have picked up along the way?

Jeanette: I got a food safety license to work at the buttery, and I definitely learned more about food preparation. An interesting fact is that I do not really bake (I usually only cook), and spending time at The Shiok Shack gave me the chance to bake and learn from talented baker friends!

As a buttery manager, problem-solving and adaptability are the most crucial skills that I picked up. There can be many things that do not go according to plan, so I think it is very important to be conscientious and forward-looking in order to avoid having any mishaps during the week or shift as that can be very stressful.

Damion: I definitely learned about preparing food for sale, as opposed to my own or my friends’ consumption – they are very different things! I also learned to communicate in fast-paced and stressful environments, which I did not realise I struggled with before working in the buttery.

The team at The Shiok Shack prepares one of their weekly specials, chocolate tarts. Image provided by Silvia Suseno.

Can you give us an insight into what goes on behind the operations?

Damion: A lot! For the managers especially, as they make weekly or bi-weekly grocery orders and are often the ones preparing specials (special menus). There is also a lot of cleaning involved, especially after the shift, because the kitchen can get messy! In my first year, before the COVID-19 pandemic, cleaning would take a couple of hours, and I once left the buttery at 3am. Thankfully, there are less dishes now and the clean-up only takes about an hour. Much effort is also put into hiring and training new crew members, which takes a few weeks at the beginning of each semester.

Jeanette: The Saga College office, especially Assistant Manager Ngu Hui Tze, is extremely helpful and supportive of our operations. We work with her when managing the finances such as submitting timesheets and grocery orders. Every week we have to order groceries to replenish our stock for our regular menu, and purchase ingredients for weekly specials. Planning of the specials is usually a team task, and anyone in team can suggest ideas, as long as they are reasonable and within the budget. As buttery managers we also manage venue bookings for any students who would like to use our kitchen.

Neel: Lots of washing up and folding of towels happen behind-the-scenes. For Brewhouse, we also like to organise team get-togethers to unwind after shifts, where we brew different styles of coffee for one another. It is very nice.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the operations at Brewhouse/the butteries?

Neel: To be fair, I only joined in 2020, so I have not experienced anything outside of the pandemic. But Brewhouse had to constantly adapt to changing regulations, such as reducing the number of baristas on shift, and adhering to new health and safety regulations. There was a period of time when we had to close completely.

Damion: Yes, there are a lot more food safety restrictions due to COVID-19. Now, managers have to get proper SFA (Singapore Food Agency) training and serve food only in disposable containers. The energy is much lower too – the biggest part of the buttery used to be the community that formed around it. We would host beginning and end of semester dinners where we cook for one another, and we used to be packed every other night! The social aspect is limited now due to COVID-19 restrictions, but I think we are lucky to still be opened for the community.

What is the first thing you typically do when you start your shift? 

Jeanette: Defrost the beef. Then we play music and get the water boiling.

Neel: I now work the closing shift, so I start by getting a handover from the outgoing teammate. I ask about the day’s espresso shot (time, weight, taste, and other coffee nerd stuff), and taste it if there is time. My shift then gets set up and we get into the flow of making drinks.

Damion: I work second shift too, so I jump straight into the deep-end! I throw on an apron and start flipping patties. I also orientate myself in the kitchen that was organised by the teammate from the earlier shift.

What do you think Brewhouse and the butteries represent to our community?

Damion: Before or during COVID-19? Before, it was a vibe, a community space where people could gather. Now, it is different because of the restrictions but at least we are still able to serve the community and somehow add value to their experience at Yale-NUS.

Jeanette: Well, I think they make college life more complete. What would a college be if it does not have its own food place? I think many community members really treasure these spaces because they provide a fun place to get food and drinks, and socialise to some extent.

Neel: Yes, I think there is still continuity and familiarity. Times are changing, but we will still be there, same time, same place.