MANILA, PHILIPPINES — For the past two years, Filipinos have seen the rise of home-based food businesses. From sweet pastries to hearty dishes, comfort food to artisanal beverages, numerous Filipinos have ventured into the world of entrepreneurship. But what does it take for a food business to succeed amid a global pandemic?
To inspire more Filipinos to build their food businesses, La Germania is launching a video project called Food Babies. Starting this February, La Germania will be releasing special features on food businesses that survived and thrived amid all the challenges thrown their way. This video project will be exclusively available on their Youtube channel and Facebook page. As a preview of the upcoming project, these food businesses spilled some of their secrets to success with La Germania.
Use social media to stand out against the competition
Claudia’s is a passion project turned popular online bakeshop that offers chunky and gooey baked cookies and blondies. According to Founder and Owner, Claudia Tagle, business owners must focus on their social media content to stand out against competitors, especially since customers “eat with their eyes.”
“It’s important for you to get those really good shots of your food or the products that you’re selling,” Tagle explained, which involves investing in food photography and social media content. “I do have slower days or slower months, and I think that consistency is key. You just need to learn how to market or promote your products more because your loyal customers will come back.”
She also shared how valuable it is to engage and build relationships with one’s customers. “What really keeps me going is my customer’s feedback, and when they tell me they really enjoy the cookies or the blondies. Getting feedback about what they like and don’t like about your products can help you improve further.”
Believe in your product
Butterboy Bakehouse focuses on different kinds of croissants and baked goods to make pastries more affordable and accessible for everyday Filipinos.
Head baker and owner Hilder Demeterio credits his businesses’ wins to two key ingredients. “You should seek knowledge from everywhere, like YouTube videos or classes. You should just try to absorb whatever you can,” he said.
Growing up, Hilder was always a lover of food from a distance. It wasn’t until 2018 that he finally began to experiment with baking after meeting his boyfriend, Jason. An architect by profession, Hilder took lessons from his relatives and sought knowledge online, beating the misconception that you need to be a professional cook to start a successful food business.
Moreover, he believes that it’s important for aspiring foodpreneurs to believe in their products as if they’re the brand’s number one fan. “In the middle of the pandemic, I was 6 months unemployed. I borrowed money from my parents, and I emptied pretty much all of my savings. Pati sa boyfriend ko. So during that time, I took a leap of faith and I bought all my own equipment, tapos ayun, we jumped into the unknown with only the knowledge na ‘I think we have something good here’.”
To aspiring foodpreneurs, it is your faith and confidence in the uniqueness of your products that will help your business survive all the ups and downs of the current landscape!
Cook with passion
For restaurateurs Wendel and Portia Habaluyas, The Purple Wok began as a way to support their loyal kitchen staff who were laid-off due to the pandemic. “These people have been loyal to us for many years now, so it was very painful for us to see them feeling hopeless,” said Portia.
For the power couple behind The Purple Wok, it’s all about following your passion. “The most fun part of running a food business is doing what I love to do. Our recipes were created out of passion. They were made out of love. We’ve perfected the recipes, and we do not compromise the quality of our food,” the couple told La Germania.
As for what advice they would give aspiring entrepreneurs, Wendel says: “Never create a recipe just for a business and just to create money. Especially nowadays, we noticed that Filipinos are willing to pay a premium or extra for good and quality food. If there’s one piece of advice we can give to people who want to start a food business, it is for you to cook with passion and prepare your food with passion.”
These tidbits of wisdom are only some of the valuable lessons viewers can learn from the La Germania Food Babies series. While each featured business owner may have their specialty and recipe for success, what they all have in common is that the most important aspect to your brand’s success is investing in high-quality kitchen equipment like La Germania!
Built according to the highest European standards in terms of construction and design, La Germania appliances allow you to prepare a multitude of dishes in an efficient and easy way. With guaranteed durability and superior quality, they’re a good investment for you to bring out your inner foodpreneur and climb the ladder to culinary success.
La Germania products are available online through La Germania’s official e-commerce website and e-commerce platforms on Shopee and Lazada. You may follow the trusted kitchen and appliance brand’s official Facebook and Instagram accounts for more information on La Germania and its products.
