Sibu : Cold Storage Businesses

The first cold storage in Sibu was Kim Guan Siang, which sold good frozen food to mainly the British Colonial, the Roman Catholic Priests and some missionary families. It was established in 1925 and my father was one of Mr. Cheng's favourite customers. Kim Guan Siang was one of the first businesses to start along Cross Road which was a newer road than Channel Road or Market Road.

There was one particular item that many Foochows liked to buy in the 1960's from Kim Guan Siang. That was the frozen pig's stomach. It was interesting how the Foochows loved to eat pig's stomachs.

Also in those days, slow cooking and braising was fashionable and many families enjoyed eating braised stomach and hard boiled eggs. The Foochows also love to eat pig's stomach soup with lots of black pepper.

Later our family friends,including Ah Huat, started Hua Huat Cold Storage at Jalan Khoo Peng Loong. The cold storage businesses prospered and more started to come into the Sibu scene, especially the  Central Cold Storage belonging to the Tiong family. They had a very extensive prawn business and also ice manufacturing business.

Mum would always send us out to,on our bicycles to buy what she would like to cook from the different cold storages.

Frozen food was so much cheaper for those who were budget conscious.