Breaking bread with iBakery, Hong Kong social enterprise
Set up by Tung Wah Group of Hospitals and with many disabled employees, iBakery produces the goods
Walk past any of iBakery’s outlets – its original bakery in Kennedy Town, the café in Tamar, or one of the many kiosks and pop-ups around town – and it’s unlikely you’ll miss the colourful, hand-drawn designs that have become emblematic of this Hong Kong business.
What is less apparent is that iBakery is a social enterprise, set up by the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals. About half of iBakery’s employees are disabled, and of that number, about 80 per cent are intellectually challenged.
“Some people say that because it’s a social enterprise with a social mission, the products don’t need to look good. But we strive for high quality in our packaging and our products,” says Livan Wong Lai-kuen, iBakery’s business manager.
“We have training and operations in a number of industries as part of our rehabilitation programmes,” says Jennifer Fung Wui-hing, business development manager at Jockey Club Rehabilitation Centre, the initiative from which iBakery was born. “We thought we’d give bakery operations a try, as it could be broken down into a number of small steps. Those more able could take on more steps, and those less able could take on fewer, making it flexible in terms of job matching. We believe everyone has a talent, and it can be discovered if you find the right job for them.”