Son of Wing Lok Noodle Factory founder hopes to revamp Hong Kong business and revive sunset industry
Decades-old brand supplies restaurants across city, but is converting from wholesale to retail and attracting young blood to keep dying tradition afloat
Angus Chan, 30, used to hate the noodle factory his father founded 42 years ago, now located in an industrial area in Kowloon Bay. “I never got to see my father. The noodles took him away from me,” he says.
He recalls his father, Chan Keung, spending all his time at work building his small business from scratch. The senior Chan dedicated his life to perfecting the art of making Chinese noodles, a traditional dish adored by many but made by few.
“I used to see my father working 365 days a year without rest,” he says. “It’s hot here with water splashing everywhere, and you need to move heavy things around all the time. It’s very tiring.”
That was why, as a child growing up, he longed for something beyond his father’s dull factory walls, which would lead him into a jet-setting career in aviation logistics.
But two years ago, after his fathers’ knees degenerated and he lost the ability to walk, Chan found himself at a crossroads – his father’s condition meant he was unable to lead the business in a sunset industry. And a labour shortage now looms, with few young people interested in learning the art of noodle making.
