Chef and social media personality Ninong Ry’s love affair with Knorr Chicken Powder began 14 years ago when he first encountered the seasoning while working in a restaurant.
“That was my first exposure to chicken powder in 2009. And there was no looking back since then,” Ninong Ry, Ryan Morales Reyes in real life, told Manila Standard Cravings.
The Filipino chef turned online content creator, whose video on kare-kare with funny commentary on the side has amassed over 550 million views on Facebook alone, was such a fan of the product, which he described as the “best kept secret” of restaurants and hotels across the country.
He would feature Knorr Chicken Powder in several of his videos, prompting one of his fans, who have adopted the moniker “Mga Inaanak Ni Ninong Ry,” to put his photo across three cans of the seasoning in February 2021.
Ninong Ry gamely reposted the fan-edited photo on his Facebook page, with the caption: “KNORR, BUKAS ANG AKING PM, DM, EMAIL. HAHHAHAHAH #BakaNaman !! Knorr Philippines”
Two years later, Ninong Ry found himself doing a cooking demo as Knorr Professional’s first-ever endorser in its “Sarap That’s Truly Yours” campaign.
“Ever since Ninong Ry started vlogging, we’ve seen how he taught many cooks the right techniques and recipes that elevate ordinary dishes. We’ve seen him – unprompted, unseeded – really use Knorr in his cooking, even teaching his followers this best-kept secret in restaurants. And of course, we’ve seen how he not so subtly said “Knorr, baka naman…” whenever he used it,” said Nicki Gutierrez, Unilever Food Solutions Category Marketing Head.
“Of course, we at Knorr got excited, and we thought, here’s somebody who really embodies foodservice operators and chefs, is a loyal user of Knorr, and is not afraid to share his secret,” she added.
During the cooking demo, Ninong Ry served fried chicken marinated in brine prepared with Knorr Chicken Powder and sisig made with bacon cured in Knorr Liquid Seasoning,
“It feels amazing to represent a brand I’ve always believed in,” he said.
“All you have to do is watch my videos from the past to know that Knorr has always been part of my craft as a chef. I’m hoping food operators like me see just how big of a difference Knorr makes in ensuring the dining satisfaction of our customers.”
“Consistency is the greatest challenge for food service. Consistency is now within reach with Knorr. It is also easy and convenient to use,” Ninong Ry added.
Gutierrez noted Knorr’s “conscious and purposeful shift to cater to the specific and special needs that food businesses have.”
“We consider the scale, the diverse palates of diners and customers- both old and new – and most importantly, how to keep the industry afloat despite challenges. Restaurateurs are at risk of falling short of giving diners a satisfying experience without ingredients that bring out the authentic delicious taste of dishes,” she said.
“That is why for the rest of the year and the years to come, Knorr Professional will position itself as an essential and revolutionary culinary partner that will transform the way food businesses prepare and serve dishes – making customers feel like the dining experience was made just for them, and in turn, future-proofing the industry,” Gutierrez added.
(Knorr Professional is one of the most recognized brands of food seasonings in the world, and is part of the collection of star brands of Unilever Food Solutions, the global giant Unilever’s foodservice arm.)
