Siblings Luisito and Liliane Louise Barcelon serve their mom’s special bakes through brand Platefuly
Coming back to Manila after a trip down south, be it Tagaytay, Laguna, or Cavite, calls for boxes of warm buko pies (coconut pies) as pasalubong. It is not a must, but it is tradition. And while many are now loyal to well-known buko pie brands, especially in the areas mentioned above, a newbie is entering the scene aiming to have its share of the buko pie market through a mother’s tried and tested recipe.
Established in 2020, Platefuly is a Tagaytay-based food business that is led by siblings Luisito and Liliane Louise Barcelon. With their family recipes and baking secrets in mind, the brother and sister duo are on a mission to feed Filipinos their mom’s comforting creations. Starting out as something they served to family and friends, their products eventually reached Manila, enabling them to produce 50,000+ pies in 2021. After a series of food partnerships, Platefuly now has two independent physical locations and a number of collaborations with other Tagaytay businesses.
Its champion dish is the beloved Filipino dessert buko pie. While they tried to stay away from it, as there are giant competitions already, making it part of the brand’s menu is just a necessary step.
“We really focused on our savory hand pies, but as more and more customers were discovering our signature pie crust, we were getting requests for a bigger version of our hand pies and also to create our own version of buko pie,” Luisito tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. “It was when we created our version of buko pie that we experienced significant growth as people really enjoyed it. Since then, we have been increasing the production of our Premium Buko Pie.”
That they did by bringing the buko pie experience to the next level with other local flavors. In the process, they have created two versions of their buko pie, one with ube (purple yam) flavor and the other with pandan. The texture is important in their baked goods, and they have achieved it by partnering with local suppliers that carefully select tender young coconuts for their products. This resulted in a creamy buko filling that is delectable whether eaten fresh from the box or chilled days after its delivery.
But the true secret to their bakes’ success lies on the crust. With the recipe remaining faithful to their mother’s formula, the brand's signature crust is light, flakey, and buttery with just the right amount of sweetness that compliments the filling. As the co-founders describe it, “It’s an experience that starts from the crust.”
“Platefuly is always looking for new ways to elevate the customer experience, which is why we continue to collaborate with other local businesses and brands. We want customers to have more value with their purchases through a positive and new experience,” Luisito explains. “This is why we make sure that our products are fresh, don’t contain preservatives, extenders, lard, and only made using the best ingredients.”
Apart from the sweet pies, the brand’s savory hand pies also deserve a space on the plate. Its Classic Chicken, El Paso Beef, Greek-inspired Spinach (perfect for vegans) hand pies, while they are small, pack some big flavors. Soon, new creations such as Peach Mango pie and Mushroom hand pie will be included in its menu.
“Platefuly’s slogan is ‘homemade but like never before,’ this is what we continuously aim for with every batch of pie that we bake and the same for our other dessert products,” Luisito says. “We value our customers and we always make sure that what they eat is something that the whole family will enjoy.”
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