Two companies have teamed up to promote baking among millennials, by holding the second Tinapay Natin Pinoy Bread Baking Competition.
The competition is an initiative of flour mining company Pilmico Foods Corp., together with Max’s Group Inc. In its second year, the competition was expanded to accommodate a more diverse pool of participants including all non-professional home bakers who want to share their bread stories.
“The passion and dedication that we saw to the different teams [last year] showcased their bread baking skills; and their local delicacies gave [the organizers] comfort that the future of [the] baking industry of this country is in good hands,” says Pilmico vice president and chief operating officer Tristan Aboitiz.
Max’s Corner Bakery chief operating officer Ariel Fermin says the organizers hope that through the competition, young participants will be able to share the inspiration, struggle and the hard work involved in bread making.
Last year’s winners, Roy Tabocolde and Greegy Cabarrubias, who received full scholarship from their school St. Therese MTC College, say they did their best in honor of their school despite the pressure in competing at the national level.
“We were nervous when we reached the national finals. We were afraid that we would not be able to perfect the bread, as we did in the elimination round. We didn’t want to disappoint our school,” the champions say.
Tabocolde and Cabarrubias’ creations—cream cheese ensaymada, caramel sesame roll and Cagayan de oro pastel—were sold exclusively nationwide in all Max’s Corner Bakery starting July 23.
“We hope that with this competition, we are able to encourage the public to keep the bread-making tradition alive, promote creativity and innovation among Filipino bakers, and of course support the local bread industry just as we and Max’s Corner Bakery do,” Aboitiz says.
The competition invites bread enthusiasts ages 18 and above to create a regional bread recipe and a traditional bread recipe with a modern twist.
Out of those who will submit their online entries together with their bread stories, only 12 teams will be selected to join the live bake-offs that will happen on Sept. 30 in Davao City, Oct. 6 in Bacolod City and Oct. 14 in Baguio City.
The top two teams out of the regional bake-offs will then move on to the grand finals to be held in Manila on Nov. 16, 2017. The winners will receive cash prizes, trophies, medals and the honor of having their breads sold nationwide on Max’s Corner Bakery.