Highlights
- Bago siya pumunta ng Australya noong 1989, nagtrabaho bilang pastry chef si Brenda para sa Philippine Airlines' in-flight centre catering.
- Aniya, ang mga anak niya ang tumulong sa kanya na mag-promote ng kanyang mga produkto online.
- Naghahanap ang mga tao ngayon ng elevated na bersyon ng Filipino delicacies.
"If you're going to put up a food business, it's important that there's a uniqueness to what you have to offer. You have to have an identity that makes you different from everybody else."
Alam ng pastry chef na si Brenda Morilla kung papaano maging kakaiba. Alam niya ang mga tamang techniques at sangkap kung papano gawing mas masarap pa ang pinaka-basic na recipe.
"If you're going to put up a food business, it's important that there's a uniqueness to what you have to offer." Source: Brenda Morilla
30 taong karanasan
"Before we moved to Australia in 1989, I was working for years as a pastry chef in the Philippines. My job before leaving the country was with Philippine Airlines' in-flight centre catering."
Nang makadating si Brenda sa Australya, nagtrabaho siya sa canteen ng News Limited sa Surry Hills; at pagkatapos, sa Intercontinental Hotel.
"I took a bit of a break from baking for a while after. My husband and I wanted to explore Australia and baking took too much of my time. I was still reading a lot though, still jotting down ideas and recipes on my notebook.
"Before we moved to Australia in 1989, I was working for years as a pastry chef in the Philippines." Source: Brenda Morilla
"I then decided to do a bit of catering and people would always comment about how delicious the food was and that I should start selling my baked goods. So I started making mamon and suman for my friends."
Suman with Brenda's secret caramel sauce Source: Brenda Morilla
Ang home bakery
Mula sa suman at mamon, pinalakas ng kanyang anak ang kanyang loob na gumawa pa ng mas maraming produkto.
"Their encouragement inspired me to come up with more than 35 new creations and build a home business around those. That's how Tita's Cakes began. We started operations April this year."
Amongst Brenda's many cake, kakanin and bread offerings are Banana Turon cake; Guava cake; Lychee Rose cake; Lecheroon; Macapuno Cassava; Cathedral Window; Sapin-Sapin; and Bicho-Bicho.
"Luckily, I think I have a gift for looking at a recipe and being able to improve on its techniques and ingredients. It has become instinctual for me. And because the market is calling for more elevated, sophisticated Filipino flavours, I think that's why we sell out every day. We're getting more and more orders."
Some of Brenda's creations Source: Brenda Morilla
Kahit parami ng parami ang mga orders, si Brenda pa rin ang sole baker ng kanyang negosyo.
"Initially, I was on my feet five hours a day. Now, it's a lot more than that. But I'm used to it. My training with Philippine Airlines especially taught me how to be quick on my feet without losing precision."
Ang malikhaing pamilya
Habang nagtatrabaho siya sa kusina buong araw, saad ni Brenda na malaki ang naitutulong sa kanya ng kanyang pamilya.
"I'm old school. I don't really know much about social media or promoting the business online. The help I get from my family has been such a plus.
"The help I get from my family has been such a plus." Source: Brenda Morilla
"My husband helps me with anything I need - like installing the signage outside our house.
"My kids are creative too. My son does my ads and videos. My daughter is a designer and she helps me with the aesthetics of my products. She was actually the one who really got the word out about the business."
Mula sa home-based, collaborative effort, umaasa si Brenda na makakapagtayo siya ng mga pop-up stores pagkatapos ng pandemya.
From a home-based, collaborative effort, Brenda is hoping to put up pop-up stores after the pandemic. Source: Brenda Morilla
"We want to able to hire more people and expand in the future. But of course, I'll still continue baking at home. Nothing beats the smell of freshly-baked goodies wafting throughout the house!"
BASAHIN / PAKINGGAN DIN
