There isn’t anything that this local bakeshop won’t do to help put the Philippine baking industry on the global map. For over 40 years since its establishment in Manila, Tinapayan Festival has offered its slew of soft and sweet baked products ranging from bread, cakes, and to pastries. This time around, they celebrate not only World Bread Day but also four decades of commitment to the Filipino community it is a part of, with the aim of further cementing its roots in the founder’s hometown of Cuenca, Batangas. 

“40 years is no easy feat and we are very grateful to all of our partners, suppliers, and loyal customers for always being at our sides through all these years. We have seen so many things change in the local bakery industry from the price increase of raw materials to the lack of resources and tools. Our goal as a responsible business and entity is to continue committing to work closely with both the public and private sectors to uplift the local bakery industry in the country,” shares Lucito ‘Chito’ Chavez, Founder of Tinapayan Festival. 

As many celebrate World Bread Day on October 16th, Tinapayan Festival makes a conscious effort to talk about bread, work with many bakers, and put priority on the future of the local community bakery industry. 

40 strong years and surviving a pandemic

Tinapayan Festival has been a journey of a lot of ups and downs to make it to where they are now. From having several stores pre-pandemic, to just starting out with one main branch again in 2021, this bakeshop has stood the test of time. 

“It was not an easy journey for us. We had to take care of our employees most especially when the pandemic hit. But we realized we needed to continue serving our community during one of the toughest times in all our 40 years, even introducing other products that many of our customers have requested and grown to love. It has helped us a lot to be working with longtime partners and suppliers to get through the difficult days” recalls Chavez. 

Surviving and thriving for decades is brought about by long-term partnerships with trusted suppliers. Ben Garcia from Unicomm Ingredients Philippines, Inc. is one of those that they have worked with since 1984. He has always supplied quality materials and ingredients, including ube that is used for Tinapayan Festival’s Ube Loaf. “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,” Garcia says. 

Supporting local economy

A business flourishes if it supports the community it is a part of. Such was a thought shared by Chito Chavez for many years now. He has always lobbied for the inclusion and use of agricultural products and crops into their baked goodies to help support farmers in their livelihoods. 

As early as 1985 and even during the early 2000s, Tinapayan Festival has been at the forefront of promoting and pushing for the use of local agricultural products to make baked products not only yummy and cost-efficient but also to support a healthier lifestyle for our community buyers. 

In its local production, Tinapayan Festival Head of Production and Research, Luis Chavez has gunned for the innovation of almost 200 products that they make available in their stores. “We know how difficult and expensive it is to keep bakeries up and running right now. One way to ensure that 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 really stood the test of time is the use of agricultural crops in what we do. From our local bread options to our cakes, we utilize everything that we can to serve our customers,” shares Luis Chavez. 

Aiming for a bright tomorrow

While many plans are already being set in place by the founders of Tinapayan Festival, they are equally excited to share expansion plans and the introduction of new brands under their belt. 

In the next four to five years, Tinapayan Festival will be launching new brands that focus on different offerings – premium baked products, cafe, pandesal shop, and so much more. 

Visit Tinapayan Festival at 1650 Dapitan St. corner Don Quijote, Sampaloc, Manila or call +02 8732 2188 or +639617152714 to place advance orders. Send them an email at sales@tinapayan@gmail.com. Tinapayan Festival is also available in GrabFood and FoodPanda. To learn more about Tinapayan Festival’s new products and treats, follow them on Facebook or Instagram.