EM&M MARCH 2018 BREAD AND CAKE BAKING WORKSHOPS

THE 6Ps of BAKERY AND BREAD BUSINESS IN THE PHILIPPINES

PRODUCT - Basically its all about breads, different variations or types to choose from but one stands-out among the rest, specifically here in the Philippines. It's the Bread of Salt or locally called Pan De Sal. Yes, as we commonly bought from nearby neighborhood bakeries, the Pandesal we admired must be delicious, soft, fresh and yes... HOT! The business evolve from the principle that Pinoy eat bread first, the moment they woke up. From frequent snacks in a day, we consider first buying bread to fill up our stomach before rice meals. As we always emphasize the importance of making delicious Pandesal in our baking sessions, before or even trying to make other breads with or without flavors, topping or fillings we make it sure to perfect the Pandesal, it's taste and consistency. If not, then improve the recipe, research, ask for feed backs and practice more on the techniques. Then sell it proudly, hot and fresh!

PLACE - Bread Business is not a quick-rich opportunity. It's a process, its a journey and importantly putting up your place of business in accessible to people from all walks of life. Location is the step to  your success. You may have all the skills, manpower and resources but you don't have a good place for this business, the success seems so slow or none at all. Unless you're considering doing it somewhere, like at home then look for someone to deliver or distribute it for you, then good! Bread supply business sometime don't need physical store and display. Importantly it requires strategy. A well known motivational speaker was asked in one morning TV talk show with a question, "what's the most important factor to succeed in a business?" then without hesitation he said: "number 1 is location, number 2 is location and lastly, number 3 is location!

PEOPLE -From all ages, from A to E classes of our society, everyone eats breads. Its a matter of how your business attract consumers, how your products are presented and how you want your breads to be a must in every family's table. The bakery business in the Philippines can be connected to Sari-sari store business, where varieties of items are sold as consumables. Bread does not select particular market. Negosyong pang-masa ito, pang-mayaman o mahirap! Lahat puedeng kumain ng tinapay! 

PRICING - In the monetary aspect of this business, pricing must be given extra care as well as emphasis. It defines not only the product or the place of the target market. It also reflects what quality, how good or how people will accept it. "Ano ba talaga ang binabayaran sa'yo? Some will say "Ay kaya pala mura, hindi naman pala masarap! or "Ang mahal naman, hindi naman masarap!" Two different things, when you're selling commercial breads, people always look for value of their money. They always look for consistency, the taste and the appearance. The size (if its big but cheap, then Ok)  and how delicious (masarap at malambot, mas Ok!) they got, for every cents they're paying.

PROMOTION - Remember the word "suki system". Establishing your  market seems so easy. You can think of several ways to attract consumers... nice place, good price, quality product or services are important factors to build your business. But how to sustain the flow of costumers is a different thing. People loves to hear the word, discount, buy-1-take-1, less, off and many more strategical gimmicks to attract people. it’s not the other way around the you should depend to “by words” and foot traffic. You must do it for yourself. Do what you’re not usually doing, ikaw gumawa ng paraan para mabenta ang tinapay mo. The secret is - know your product very well. You don't need a celebrity to endorse or promote your product. Ikaw mismo ang artista, pag tinanong ka; "masarap ba yang tinapay n'yo? Yes of course! Alam mong umarte ng totoo! And not to say; "sabi nung huling bumili masarap daw!

PRODUCTION - totally it depends on these, how many you’ll gonna produce in a day? You just can’t produce plenty if there will be few buyers. You can’t just settle for few breads, but more buyers want to purchase your breads. It’s a different thing, we’re talking here of food that  have expiration or have the tendency to lapse if not consume immediately. Kailangan maingat sa pag-gawa, you must be aware of  “Calculated Risk”. There will be time during the course of your operation or bread production that you’ll get tired, because no one or seldom buy your breads. Mas nakakapagod ang konti lang ang ginawa tapos walang bumili, Kaysa marami kang ginawa pero naubos naman.

Well, with all these in mind make sure all your efforts and resources will not be wasted. It’s a daily commitment. Hardship, errors and mistake will push you to perfection, you must also give importance to service. Yes it’s a service you must love and put your dedication on it The business will be easy, fun and exciting if you enjoy what you’re doing, and that is --- BAKING while earning!

by Edgar Mejia
EM&M Bread Baking Workshop and Tutorial

AN AUTHENTIC TASTE OF HISTORY

Pagdating sa tinapay, lalo na ang mga Filipino Breads, hindi maikakaila na kabisado na mga Pinoy ang lasa nito. Saan dako man tayo ng mundo makarating, hahanap-hanapin natin ang kakaibang amoy at ang tradisyunal na lasa (authentic taste) partikular ang ating kinalakihang at kinasanayang -- Pandesal.

Ilan beses na rin akong natatanong, "Sir saan galing ang recipe n'yo po ng inyong tinapay, lalo na ang Pandesal?" Mahabang istorya, ilang salin-saling kuwento at sobrang daming experimento, yun lang ang sagot ko. Pero kung ang inyong Lolos, Lolas, Titos and Titas ay nanirahan sa Marikina panahong 1950's to 1980's tiyak hindi maikakaila na ang namayagpag at nakilalang mga tinapay noon ay nagmula sa TAPAT BAKERY (tinatag taong 1946 sa Sto. Nino at nalipat sa Kalumpang, Marikina Rizal nung 1949), na pag-aari ng mag-asawang Bonifacio Chu-Ching (D) at Gertrudes TAPAT (D) mga anak, Aweng, Cesar, Gloria, Andoy (D), Toto, Nora (D), Nene, Solly at Ensoy (D). Ang ina naman ni Edgar Ching Mejia (EM&M) ay si Nora Chu Mejia (nasa Picture). Wala pang Metro Manila noon, wala pang mga fastfood chains at malls. Hindi puedeng hindi ka bibili ng sikat na "Monay ni Tuding" pag ikaw ay nagawi sa Marikina.

Wala ng nakapagpatuloy sa mga anak, pamangkin at apo ng panaderya. Naging busy na ang lahat sa kani-kanilang propesyon at mga buhay. Hanggang pinaupahan (Maunlad Bakery) na lang ang puesto, kagamitan at tuluyan ng namaalam nung late '80s.

Makalipas ang ilang dekada biglang sumulpot ang EM&M Bakeshop - October 2012. Nagulat at natuwa ang ilang angkan Chu-Ching. "Ikaw nagmana ng pagbe-bakery ng Lolo Pasyo mo!" Galingan mo sa Pandesal at Monay, sarapan mo, dyan makikilala ang bakery mo!" wika ng panganay na anak (Tita Aweng) kay Edgar. "Saka mo na galingan sa mga matatamis at pang-estante."

"Wala akong maalalang timpla (recipe) ng Lolo mo, taga tinda at bantay lang naman kami sa panaderya ng Nanay mo, basta ang natatandaan ko lang nakaka-200 sako ng harina dati ang Tapat Bakery araw-araw." ang kuwento naman ng isa pa nilang kapatid (Tita Gloria). Ang Pandesal kailangan hindi matamis, kaya nga Pan-de-SALT ito" pahabol nya.

Sa isang okasyon, February 2013, nagdala kami ng aming "bestseller" monay. Pinatikman ko sa aking Tatay, na nag-bakery rin nung 1980's (Nora's Store & Bakery) at ito naman ang kanyang sabi. "Masarap ito, pero malayo sa lasa ng tinda namin dati ng iyong Nanay at sa Lola Tuding mo." Meron siyang pinabago, pinadagdag at pinaalis na mga sangkap, pinaliwanag ang dahilan at tinanong ko, paano sukat ng mga ingredients, paano ang proseso, at paano ang teknik. "Bahala ka na, kapain mo na lang! Basta sundin mo lang ang bilin ko, sasarap at gaganda yang tinapay mo!" dagdag pa niya.

Ngayon (EMMBAKING 101), ang aming recipe ay pinagsamang traditional na timpla at resulta ng maraming trial and error. Hindi naging madali, marami kaming nasayang pero naging makabuluhan ang lahat, dahil sa aming mga palpak ay natuto kami para maging perfect ito. Ang aming tinuturo ay mga laban namin sa buhay na walang videos sa Youtube. Lahat tama, lahat totoo at lahat pang-negosyo.

Discover the secret and experience the taste of the Authentic Pinoy breads. Exclusive from EM&M. See you in one of our Bread Baking Training!

EVERYDAY WAITING FOR A SIGN

Year 2012 Marso, ang negosyo namin ay hindi tungkol sa pag-gawa ng tinapay, nasa network at online marketing kami noon ng aking upline-misis. May produktong kailangan kaming ibenta at may mga taong kailangan kumbinsihin para magbenta rin nito. Medyo tagilid na ang katayuan ng company at papunta na sa pagsasara. Suma-sideline sa mga Art Workshop at Art Contest Judge paminsan-minsan. May tangap na catering services, pero hindi kasing dalas ang minsan. Sa isang salita, walang tiyak na raket. Sumadya kami ng Redemptorist Church sa Baclaran. Naiisip namin ang pagtatayo ng bakery pero hindi pa kami handa, at totoong wala kaming alam sa negosyong ito. Ang naalala kong ipinagdarasal ko ng mga oras na yun ay "Lord, bigyan mo kami ng SIGN kung ano ba talaga ang negosyong tama at nilalaan Mo para sa amin."

Sa hindi akalain o talagang ang senyales na hinahanap namin ay maririnig pala namin sa homily. "Ako ang TINAPAY NG BUHAY, ang sinumang lumapit sa Akin ay kailanman ay hindi magugutom..." wika ng paring nagmimisa. Parang nagliwanag ang isip ko nun, at nabanggit ko sa aking katabing future master baker (misis) ko, "...ito na yata yun! Ito na ang sign na hinihintay natin, TINAPAY daw!" Ituloy na natin kung ano man ang ating mga plano, at siguro may nilaan Siyang maganda para sa atin.

Mahigit apat na taon kaming biniyayaan ng lakas at pagpupursigi para harapin ang bawat araw-araw na pagsubok at hirap. Mahabang pasensiya sa pakikiharap sa mga tao. Lakas ng loob na kayanin lahat ng bigo at tagumpay. Trial and error ang aming puhunan, perfection ang aming ultimate goal. Pangalawa na lang ang kita, una muna ang kailangan sa baryang ibinabayad sa aming produkto kapalit nito ay kasiyahan, ngiti sa aming mga suki at patuloy na pagtangkilik nila.

Yung mga sagot sa aming panalangin nakuha sa hindi naming inaasahan pagkakataon. Naging mahirap pero kinaya, may mga naging palpak pero naging masaya at may mga pagsubok pero bawat pagkakamali ay naging aral para maging tama ang lahat. Mga pinagdaanan naming pagsubok na siyang nagpatatag. Na balang araw pala gagamitin Niya kaming instrumento para sa mga kagaya rin namin na noo'y naghahanap ng sign sa pagsisimula ng negosyo.

Hindi madaling magturo, lalo na kung ang tuturuan mo ay mas marunong pa sa'yo, na minsan hinihintay kang magkamali. Hindi madaling magturo kung ang tuturuan mo ay never nakahawak ng harina at hilaw na tinapay sa buong buhay nila. Hindi lahat ng nag-aral ng high school ay kayang ituro ang natutunan nila nung high school. Puede kang maging magaling na dancer, singer o basketball player, pero yung skills mo ba epektibo mong maituturo kahit kanino? Teaching is talent different from skill. March 2012, anim na taon na pala ang nakalipas, yung SIGN na binigay sa amin ni Lord ay patuloy na nananariwa sa bawat nagme-message sa'min ng: "SIR/MAAM, KAILAN PO KAYO MAY BREAD BAKING TRAINING?"

Sa tunay na Mentor namin sa taas, Thank You po sa walang katapusang SIGN!

(Blog Entry, March 20, 2018)
by Edgar C. Mejia (EM)

EMPOWERING BAKER-ENTREPRENEURS, LETS DO THE BUSINESS THIS 2018

2018 February EM&M Bread and Cake Baking Workshop