Amid the sea of high-tech wonders at this year’s Computex, something other than technology would be offered to visitors: the opportunity to enjoy delicious pastries and tea.
For the first time, SunnyHills has been invited to participate at Computex, one of the largest computer and technology trade fairs, which is to be held in Taipei from June 4 to 7, giving people a chance to “enjoy Taiwanese pastries,” SunnyHills founder Michael Sheu (許銘仁) said.
Apart from distributing welcome packages filled with pastries to overseas guests, SunnyHills would also provide one free pineapple cake and a cup of tea to everyone who visits its lounge.
Photo: CNA
This mirrors the unique service offered at SunnyHills’ branches, SunnyHills CEO Joe Shih (施宏漳) said.
The company wants to showcase “something other than technology” that Taiwan has to offer by demonstrating great hospitality, Shih said.
Sheu and Shih are no stranger to this kind of occasion, as the duo have had years of experience in the technology industry.
Sheu is the founder of Asian Information Technology Group, which became a part of WPG Holdings in 2009, one year after he established SunnyHills in his hometown in Nantou County with relatives, including his younger brother, a farmer, and his uncle, a pastry chef.
Shih previously worked as a manager at a few technology companies. He was Taiwan country manager for Conexant Systems, Inc before joining SunnyHills in 2012.
When asked if he specifically sought out individuals with backgrounds in technology to run the brand with him, Sheu said it was not intentional, “but the people I know are all tech people.”
Sheu spoke of the technology involved in some of the products, such as the fine, high-pressure cut from a water jet cutter which ensures that the flavor of banana — a fruit that is difficult to process, as its flavor is easily lost when heated — is retained during the cutting process.
Another example is extending the shelf life of the signature pineapple cakes from 15 days to 45 days by adding a layer of aluminum oxide, a material used by some Japanese companies in semiconductor manufacturing, to the new packaging, Sheu said.
The new packaging is also more than 90 percent more efficient in blocking air and moisture compared with the previous packaging, he added.
“I come from the countryside, and I understand the challenges facing Taiwan’s fruit industry... We have so much good fruit, but we often end up with a surplus,” Sheu said.
It is difficult to sell fresh fruit to overseas markets due to storage issues and import regulations, he added.
Processing fresh fruit would allow it to be stored for longer, and can also be turned into various kinds of desserts which could generate high value, he said.
Sheu said he hopes the brand could introduce Taiwanese fruit to overseas markets in the future.
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