This pastry store celebrates 40 years of baking success 

Everyone generally likes carbohydrates, the sugar molecule releases the “happy” chemical in our brains—serotonin. Filipinos, especially, are carb-loving people. Ours is a nation that enjoys rice, noodles, and bread. Although a universal treat, the last can be considered a healthy staple in the Filipino diet, particularly for breakfast and merienda. Be that as it may, bread can be enjoyed any time of the day considering it is one of the most accessible and convenient food, found everywhere, such as groceries, roadside vendors, and bakeshops. Carried around easily, some could even fit in a pocket. 

When a craving hits, bread seems to be a versatile accompaniment to nearly any meal. A few fond memories include dipping pan de sal in a steaming-hot coffee, turning instant noodles into a carb-loaded sandwich, as well as washing down a piece or two of the pan de coco with a soft drink. 

No wonder the baking industry has been thriving in the country. As bakeries in the Philippines have spread over the past decade, the country's affinity for soft, pillowy treats has become more apparent, to the point of global recognition. One of these business fixers is the Tinpayan Festival, which has been selling an assortment of delicate and sugary bread, cakes, and pastries for 40 years now. 

More than that, the bakehouse has been promoting local agricultural products by manufacturing baked goods that are tasty, cost-effective, and healthy for community shoppers. 

“Forty years is no easy feat, and we are very grateful to all our partners, suppliers, and loyal customers for always being at our side through all these years,” explains Chito Chavez, founder of Tinapayan Festival.

The company's main goal is to be a responsible business, an entity that continues to work closely with both the public and private sectors to uplift the local bakery industry in the country.

‘Forty years is no easy feat, and we are very grateful to all our partners, suppliers, and loyal customers for always being at our side through all these years.’

To further establish its foundation in Chito's hometown of Cuenca, Batangas, the organization celebrates World Bread Day and four decades of dedication to the Filipino community. On Oct. 16, recognized as World Bread Day, organizers from Tinapayan Festival made an extra effort to promote discussions about bread, collaborate with numerous bakers, and give thought to the long-term viability of the local community bakery sector.

The bakery chain had to endure several challenges to get to where it is today, including surviving the ongoing pandemic. Long-term supplier partnerships also helped guarantee decades of its success.

Tinapayan Festival collaborated with Ben Garcia from Unicomm Ingredients Philippines in 1984. Since then, Ben continues to supply ube for the ubelLoaf and other quality materials and ingredients that the pastry shop needs. 

“Ang maganda sa Tinapayan Festival is that they have one recipe, but they were able to come up with different variations that suit the local taste (The beauty that Tinapayan Festival has is that they have one recipe but they were able to come up with different variations that suit the local taste),” says Ben.

A business flourishes if it has a noble cause, in this case supporting various communities. Chito has held this view for a long time. He has long advocated for incorporating locally grown ingredients into their baked goods to bolster local farmers' incomes. 

Tinapayan Festival’s head of production and research, Luis Chavez, aims to revamp over 200 products sold in stores.

“We know how difficult and expensive it is to keep bakeries up and running right now. One way to ensure the bakeries survive is by being smart about raw ingredients. My father has always taught us to think of all possible solutions, and the one that has stood the test of time is the use of crops in what we do. From our local bread options to our cakes, we utilize everything we can to serve our customers,” says Luis. 

Despite having already put in a lot of groundwork, the bread company constantly adds new brands to its repertoire. Within the next few years, Tinapayan Festival will host the debut of several new brands offering specialty baked goods, cafés, pandesal shops, and more.

Tinapayan Festival is at 1650 Dapitan St. corner Don Quijote, Sampaloc, Manila | +02 8732 2188 or +639617152714 | sales@[email protected]. Also available on GrabFood and FoodPanda.