bantay bread

The holiday season is upon us, and with it comes a certain sense of nostalgia for days gone by.

Some of my favorite childhood memories involve snacking on classic Pinoy delicacies for merienda during my holiday break.

Merienda, or sometimes called minindal, may refer to either the mid-morning or mid-afternoon light snack eaten to fill in the gap in-between meals.

Luckily, we Pinoys grew up with a myriad of food items that we enjoy for during this snack time. Some of the classic merienda fare may have been overshadowed by Western snacks over the years, but I’m glad to see that many are regaining popularity, spurred by the efforts of foodies and these food entrepreneurs.

Ferino’s Bibingka

Ferino’s Bibingka started in pre-war Tondo, Manila when Mang Ferino Francisco started selling kakanin outside his family’s home. While most of his stores closed with his passing, the Ferino’s Bibingka brand was revived by his grandson, Sonny Francisco, who began to operate bibingka dine-in and takeout stores in 2016.

Ferino’s version of bibingka, the Bibingka Extra Super, is made of pure galapong mixed with two fresh eggs, topped with salted eggs and kesong-puti.

Ferino’s Bibingka accepts orders via:

Phone: +63 2 76227104
Mobile: +63 917 6502331
Facebook Messenger
GrabFood

More deets on Ferino’s Bibingka here.

Ka Mely’s Bibingka, Atbp.

This Cainta-based food business got its start when the Alcantara family matriarch Amelia – also known as Ka Mely – decided to expand her Bibingka-selling business to include the production of native delicacies. Today, it is a well-established food manufacturer with three physical stores as well as regular resellers.

Ka Mely’s Bibingka is more of a rice cake made with sticky glutinous rice topped with caramelized sugar and coconut cream.

Ka Mely’s Bibingka, Atbp accepts orders via:

Phone: +63 2 85155467
Mobile: +63 917 8533766 and +63 908 8876992
Facebook
Instagram

More deets on Ka Mely’s Bibingka, Atbp here.

Mama Lola’s Suman sa Latik

Foodpreneur Thirdee Duran turned her mom’s recipe for suman sa latik into a thriving food business during the quarantine.

A box of Mama Lola’s Suman sa Latik contains six pieces of banana leaf-wrapped suman and a generous helping of latik, more than enough to satisfy your suman craving.

Mama Lola’s Suman sa Latik accepts orders via:

More deets on Mama Lola’s Suman sa Latik here.

This Ilocos-based family business started out in 2010 as a local panaderia supplying morning pan de sal to its patrons. During quarantine, the family behind Bantay Bread set about pivoting their business to operate in their new business environment by expanding its product offers and its coverage areas to now include Metro Manila.

Its Pianono – named after Pope Pius IX also known as Pio Nono – is basically a sponge cake roll with a sweet buttercream filling

For more details on its product offerings and availability in your area, follow Bantay Bread on Facebook and Instagram.

More deets on Bantay Bread here.

Pampanga’s Cheesebread

The Metro Manila reseller of Pampanga landmark LBS Bakeshop, it has brought its famous Cheesebread to the metro.

These golden, cheesy and sweet balls of bread defies description. You simply have to taste it for yourself.

Pampanga’s Cheesebread accepts orders through its Metro Manila reseller – Pam via:

Facebook Messenger
Viber: +63 998 9694531

More deets on Pampanga’s Cheesebread here.

Tita She’s Bakery

Pan de Sal, the most common bread roll in the Philippines, is made with flour, yeast, sugar, eggs and water and is a staple many breakfast tables.

Its softer, longer and more buttery and sugary version, on the other hand, is called Spanish Bread.

Antipolo-based foodpreneur Tita She’s Bakery adds delicious and colorful twists to these classic breads by integrating cake flavors into them such as ube, cheese, ube cheese, ube choco, choco cheese, choco hazelnut, banana cake, banana hazelnut and carrot cake.

Tita She’s Bakery accepts orders via:

Mobile: +63 967 7613909
Facebook

As you can see, there’s quite a lot of options for merienda treats in the metro that will bring back pleasant childhood memories. Try them out and let me know what you think!

Baked goods do tend to elicit a feeling of happiness. From their appetizing scents wafting to our nostrils, the sight of them laid out on the table to their sweetness as we bite into them, baked goodies sate our hunger while also calling to mind fun memories from our childhood.

These kinds of baked goodies are what Ilocos-based bakery Bantay Bread specializes in.

This family business started out in 2010 as a local panaderia supplying morning pan de sal to its patrons.

In response to the changes brought about by the pandemic and its resulting community quarantine, the family behind Bantay Bread set about pivoting their business to operate in their new business environment.

First, they expanded their product offerings to include much-loved Pinoy desserts, some of which my family and I were recently able to sample. These include:

Kabayan. Bite-sized butter muffins shaped like the Pinoy salakot. My daughter – a middle-aged Asian tiger mom trapped in the body of a Gen Z girl – developed a liking for it as it is not too sweet.

Hopiang Baboy. A Filipino pastry, that contrary to the name, actually does not contain pork meat. This flaky pastry is actually filled with onions caramelized in pork fat and combined with flour, sugar and milk. Hubby likes to munch on these during his coffee break.

Pianono. Interestingly, this pastry is actually named after Pope Pius IX whose nickname was Pio Nono. Of course, we Filipinized its name to pianono. It is a sponge cake roll with a sweet buttercream filling. I recall having this as my baon for recess when I was in grade school. My son – a sweet tooth like me! – likes having this for dessert.

Another way Bantay Bread was able to pivot its business is by expanding its availability beyond Ilocos. In Metro Manila, for instance, Bantay Bread fans can just contact these local resellers to order the objects of their baked good cravings.

Marikina: +63 916 7760087 or +63 927 8657119
Parañaque: +63 917 8438012
Alabang: +63 917 8068027
Pasig/Fairview: +63 908 8887417

So if you’ve got a hankering for home-grown Pinoy baked goods for merienda, dessert or for munching on anytime of the day, bring home some happiness from the north and get a box of Bantay Bread.

Bantay Bread’s main branch is located at Buquig, National Hi-way, Bantay, Ilocos Sur, open daily from 8am to 7pm. For inquiries or to apply to be a reseller, call or text +63 917 7007696. For more details on its product offerings and availability in your area, follow Bantay Bread on Facebook and Instagram.

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to elicit honest feedback.

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