Man Kee Shing Pork Shop’s Mr Cheung came from a family engaging in pork-selling business. From his grandfather to his parents, then to his two elder brothers, the business continues as they successively operated pork stalls in Central Market. Considering that they were all in the pork industry, Cheung went for other occupations to avoid competition with his brothers. Though with keen interest in butchery since early years, he tried not to get involved until turning 30. He returned to help his father full-time, and later even shouldered the debts of one of the family’s stalls. Staying confident in the pork industry, Cheung’s perseverance took Man Kee Shing Pork Shop on Gage Street to thrive. He started off with half of a butchery table, and gradually made a solid foundation for his business. As a passionate butcher, he values connections with people and this is probably why he outshines his competitors.

Passion Turns Crises into Opportunities

“In 1993, one of my brothers wanted to switch to other industries, so I decided to come back to work as a full-time employee of my father. Due to market fluctuations, however, our shop later suffered from a loss of a few hundred thousand dollars. We had to repay debts and my father intended to close the business. Yet I was confident to turn things around so I sought out a shared shop on Gage Street. I began my business with half of a butchery table, while the other side of the stall was taken up by a fishmonger. I started everything from scratch.”

Under Cheung’s dedicated efforts, he did not only manage to pay off the debts with earnings from running Man Kee Shing Pork Shop, but also helped the stall to make profits. Other family stalls then also merged with the shop as what we see today on Graham Street. The stall has been well-sustained despite a bumpy path of inheritance.

20 years and still counting, Cheung carries the motto 'caring for people' regardless of the peaks and valleys in life. He values care and communication on top of selling quality products when operating a business. Over these years, he has established close bonds with customers which he finds rewarding. Though the business may not be inherited to his next generation, Cheung never stops serving customers with care and in return making them satisfied. He manages the shop with great enthusiasm because for Cheung this is not just a business, but something he is passionate about.