The tranquil grounds outside the National Museum of Singapore are a marked contrast to what is happening inside its newest café.

Within the pastel interiors of Café Brera at Reunion, some 20 or so seniors are gathered in groups of threes and fours, carefully working cake batter into a thick mix. There is excited chatter as café employees circle the place to guide nervous hands.

The space within Cafe Brera is designed to be used for activities to engage the elderly.

The months-old café is a collaborative effort of Bakery Brera, Fine Foods and the National Museum Singapore. In addition to being a café that marries old-school local fare with French viennoiseries and artisanal breads, it is the first purpose-built dedicated social space for seniors in a local museum.

The café and its mission to be a gathering place for the aged is a dream come true for its owner Thrina Low who has been running bakery Bakery Brera since 2016.

Cafe Brera has partnered organisations like Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), Dementia Singapore and AWWA.

“I am also getting older. So I’ve always wanted to create a space for the old folks to relive memories and do some of the things they used to do in the past, to go back to the old days when things are not so performance-driven,” said Thrina, 58.

On this weekday morning, the elderly have come for a programme organised to engage them and keep them active.

They are making madeleines. The French tea cakes is a nod to the French bakes for which Bakery Brera is known.

The activity’s link to the past is in the kueh bahulu (Malaysian sponge cake) moulds they are using.

In a meeting of East and West, the seniors learnt to make French tea cakes in traditional kueh bahulu moulds.

Through activities that evoke the good old days, Cafe Brera fosters a kampung spirit amongst the elderly.

“We want to re-live the happy kampung (village) days when people would make comfort food to share as one kampung,” wrote Thrina on the café’s social media page.

“One of Café Brera at Reunion’s missions is to conduct seniors’ favourite food workshops and to rekindle the good old spirit of kampung days.”

Kampung girl at heart 

Although Thrina is known for the sophisticated French pastries Bakery Brera serves, she is a self-described kampung girl at heart.

She grew up in a Malaysian kampung with 10 siblings. Though the family lived on the modest income of her lorry driver father, her mother was generous and hospitable. Neighbours could always count on her to whip up delectable food which she readily made available to neighbours and friends.

“My house was like an open house,” Thrina recalled.

During festive occasions like Chinese New Year, her mother would prepare a buffet that would last three days for anyone who cared to walk into their house.

Her kampung days may have long passed but Thrina’s desire to create a warm community has never abated.

“The reason I accepted this collaboration is precisely because it’s centred around seniors who have challenges – wheelchair-users or dementia – that are often part and parcel of ageing.

“This open house concept – serving comfort food – to me is a very big thing because this is how I grew up. I feel there is so much kampung spirit when we help old folks relive memories.”

To make the space welcoming to the elderly, careful thought was given to its design.

The colours of the interior, the choice of furniture and the dining ware of Cafe Brera were all selected with dementia patients in mind.

The soothing palette that washes the interiors is mixed with light textures to evoke the shophouses of old Singapore that seniors would find familiar. .

Accents in mustard, magenta and navy create contrasts that help depth perception – something seniors with dementia and cognitive disabilities struggle with.

Artefacts and art from the past dot the place to remind elderly customers of the good old days. Even the cutlery and dishes are chosen with seniors in mind – lightweight, colourful and sturdy.

“We want to make this place like a kampung come alive.”

Their playlist includes retro hits from singers like Teresa Teng and there are old school games such as chaptek (shuttlecock), gasing (top) and five stones to allow customers to experience play from the past.

Thought was also given to the menu which features classics like soft buns filled with kaya, coconut, red bean and curry – flavours with which seniors likely grew up. The curry set comes with a choice of soft breads on top of the usual baguette to accommodate the elderly who may prefer softer foods.

Soft foods suitable for the elderly are part of Cafe Brera’s menu.

There is even a section on the menu created by GentleFoods where old favourites like chicken rice and nasi lemak (coconut rice), and local desserts are pureed or minced to make them friendly for those with swallowing issues. 

But what makes Café Brera a truly safe space for all is Thrina herself.

Conversations and faith legacies

Those who know Bakery Brera also know Thrina for her kind conversations, internships for young bakers, fundraisers for those in need, community exchange drop zones, and care packages to healthcare and migrant workers.

This same love for people and genuine warmth now have a larger space to play out at Café Brera at Reunion.

“The café allows for deeper conversations because people stay longer. I do pray for divine appointments and I have gotten them quite a number of times,” said Thrina who regularly chats with her customers.

Recently a young man came to the café looking clearly dejected. Thrina noticed him immediately.

“Why would a young person appear on a weekday during office hours all alone? Either you took the day off or something happened.”

In a conversation with Thrina, he told her that he had just been retrenched. She encouraged him and gave him some advice.

“By the time he left, I could see that he was completely different from when he walked. He was suddenly very hopeful, his burden was lifted, his self-worth was back.

“I love the opportunity to be able to connect with people and to hear their stories. We want more encounters like that.”

On a different occasion, another man came into the café and Thrina struck up a conversation with him. As they spoke, she discovered that he was a Lions Befriender providing care and friendship to seniors. They realised that there was synergy in their efforts.

“Now he has become my strongest advocate because he found someone with whom he could partner. He talks to people about this café all the time.”

The man also told her that he was a Christian but did not have a church he regularly attended. Thrina invited him to her church. Now he is attending a cell group in her church as well.

He is not the only one. Thrina has helped families looking for a church by introducing them to churches she knows.

“Through casual conversation with the customers, I found out that this family from Malaysia had been looking for a church for two years.

“I shared my personal experience bringing my four children to church. I feel like I have given them a faith legacy.

“It’s about connection and linking up.”

Community of care

Thrina’s community of care extends to those she hires. Of the 20 people on her payroll, 60% are seniors. Her oldest employee is a 72-year-old who works as a kitchen assistant.

In support of the elderly, Cafe Brera’s staff includes seniors.

Thrina admits that working with seniors requires some patience. Their hours at work cannot be as long as those who are younger because they tire more easily.

Instructions may need to be repeated several times.

Some 60% of Cafe Brera staff are elderly.

“But I’m also older,” said Thrina. “I experience these myself. I can feel myself slowing down, I’m very forgetful, my eyesight is failing. So I appreciate their situation when they get the orders wrong or forget this and that.

“We should allow them to be themselves, to enjoy and chat. We just need to learn to listen and slow down with them.”

Some older employees are also less flexible. Thrina takes this in her stride.

Cafe Brera has earlier closing hours that are elder friendly, giving their older staff enough time to return home to rest.

“They may have limitations. They may be choosy about what they want to do. I respect them I cannot demand an all-rounder. Instead I cater to their needs and use their strengths to complement the weaknesses of other workers.”

Even the café’s opening hours are designed to accommodate the elderly employees. They close at five to give employees time to go home to rest.

“They have a lot of old memories – a wealth of experience and skills. Allowing them to share what they do and talk about things they enjoy is what I love about the café.”

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