“So-called butter” — Diner shocked at tiny pieces of butter served at $41M Tampines coffee shop; says “shrinkflation had seriously set in Singapore”

SINGAPORE: A man posted a photo of the slivers of spread he was given with the toast he ordered for breakfast. He was shocked they were so small.

For Sri Nair, this was “definitely” an example of shrinkflation, which happens when the amount of a product is decreased, but consumers are still charged the same price.

The post author had ordered Kopi O kosong and Milo kosong, along with toasted bread, at a coffee shop at Block 201 Tampines Street 21, for which he paid S$4.70.

“I didn’t want kaya for the toasted bread. I expected margarine or butter for the bread spread. See what I got. A set of thin and short slices of so-called butter. Definitely, shrinkflation had seriously set in Singapore,” he wrote.

He noted the particular coffee shop also made the news in June 2022 after it changed hands for an eye-watering record price of S$41.6 million.

Read related: Tampines coffeeshop sold for record S$41.6 million, hawkers leaving as rent rises to S$10k a month

In the photo Mr Nair posted, the pieces of butter are nearly as small and thin as matchsticks and do not look like they would make a satisfying meal.

Facebook users commenting on the post were also dismayed by the tiny size of the butter serving.

“Why need to be soooooo stingy?” asked one, while another pointed out the spread was thinner than a single French fry.

A netizen described the portion serving as “miserable,” while another said the stall staff might as well not serve the spread at all. “This is definitely not acceptable,” one wrote.

Another commenter wrote the size of the spread “is the exact representation of my patience,” and he added sarcastically that a toothpick was even thicker.

One called the stall’s owners “penny-wise (but) pound foolish,” as scrimping on the butter might save some money but would ultimately drive customers away.

Others said they would avoid the coffee shop in the future.

One joked that slicing butter this thinly was a “skill” and it “took courage” to serve it, but added they would not visit the coffee shop.

A few commenters noted that different stalls had come and gone at the coffee shop after just a short time.

Another longed for the old days when butter was served in “one thick triangular slice” around 3 to 5 millimetres thick. /TISG

Read also: Shrinkflation woes: GST increased just 1% but food reduced to “kids meal portion” that looked like “leftovers”