Garden bakery apologizes for chaotic student sandwich record event

Hong Kong bakery brand Garden has apologized and pledged to review its crowd management procedures after a world-record attempt for the largest sandwich-making lesson involving over 700 primary school students descended into chaos. The incident occurred on Sunday at SKH Tang Shiu Kin Secondary School in Wan Chai, as the company aimed to mark its upcoming 100th anniversary.

More than 700 pupils from 100 primary schools across Hong Kong were invited to assemble sandwiches within 30 minutes. However, after the session, parents posted on social media that some adults had pushed the hall doors inward to collect their children, damaging the entrance and nearly causing a stampede. Critics pointed to the lack of separate entrances and exits, and the event overrunning by nearly an hour, as contributing factors to the disorder.

Garden Company confirmed that the crush happened due to large crowds and long waiting times, with some parents causing confusion and shoving. While a door handle came off, the company stated that no one was injured and that front-line staff worked to control the scene. The bakery acknowledged the feedback and committed to a comprehensive review of admission mechanisms and crowd control for future large-scale events.