S'pore primary school canteen vendor, 27, not renewing stall's lease after complaint over 'viral' video

A primary school vegetarian canteen stall vendor known for his online videos documenting interactions with students has announced that he will not be renewing the contract once the lease expires at the end of the year.

Rayner Tan, 27, who goes by @veg.eng on social media, cited uncertain business income, as well as difficulties with parents and the authorities for the decision.

Struggles aplenty

In a now-deleted Nov. 18 TikTok announcing his decision, Tan revealed that the school received a complaint over his "viral" video and a request for it to be taken down.

He also said it has been "difficult" dealing with parents and the authorities.

"Despite there also being pleas and commendations about my work, we were obligated to take it down, along with other videos," Tan told his followers.

He has since uploaded a re-edited video addressing the closure.

Tan also cited struggles with sustainable income as one of the reasons for not continuing with the venture.

He thanked his audience for their support and mentioned that he will give an update once future plans are in place.

Saddened

Tan has been documenting his journey as a young school canteen vendor on social media since August 2025.

He runs a vegetarian stall in Mee Toh School.

Earlier in November, Tan posted a video in which he gently corrected a student for throwing money and yelling while patronising his stall.

The video, which racked up 2.5 million views, has since been removed.

Commenters were saddened by Tan's announcement and showered him with encouragement.

A couple of them pointed out that their children loved Tan's food, while others expressed that they will miss Tan's social media content.

Some said they will miss watching Tan's interactions with students, with one saying that it was refreshing to see the canteen vendor's rapport with kids.

Top image via @veg.eng