The holiday crowd at The Westin Manila will find a familiar ritual taking on a new character this season. The hotel’s afternoon tea, introduced last year as part of its wellness-minded amenities, returns with a menu that places Filipino artisanal ingredients at the center of its offerings.

This year’s version is the result of a collaboration with The Great Food, a homegrown brand known for thoughtfully crafted spreads and condiments. Rather than mirror previous concepts—including a low-carb, sugar-free edition developed with Chrisha’s Kitchen—the new set draws inspiration from local flavors and the stories behind them.

Those stories begin with founder Mich Ongpauco, whose early immersion in her family’s restaurant kitchens helped shape her approach to food. “My dad’s family owned a chain of restaurants, and as kids, he had us start helping out in the kitchen—washing dishes, helping out with the chopping, cooking, cleaning,” she says. “And I really like playing around in the kitchen, inventing recipes, and all that, and I think from there, food just became really ingrained into me.”

Mich later trained at Cordon Bleu and eventually developed products at home with her twin daughters. Their playful kitchen experiments produced the brand’s first two runaway hits: The Great Ube Butter and The Great Truffle de Bola. “Those two never really last on the shelves [before they’re sold out]. They go well with a lot of different dishes,” she says. What began as a “passion project” now includes 32 products distributed across Metro Manila.

Westin Manila’s culinary team weaves several of these items into its holiday selection. The Great Calamansi Curd, described as tangy, buttery, and slightly sweet, brightens the Smoked Salmon Eclairs, while The Great Tuyo lends savory depth to the whipped cream cheese filling. The Great Strawberry Jam provides a finishing gloss to Keso de Bola, a Gruyère cheese parfait.

Around these are seasonal accents meant to echo holiday traditions: a lemon-and-herb chicken sandwich shaped like a Christmas tree; the Christmas Red Velvet Gift Box; the Santa Hat; Rudolf; and a Mini Fruit Cake made with nuts, candied fruit, and spices. Classic scones, berry compote, Chantilly cream, and a choice of coffee, tea, or Moscato complete the experience.