FCBAI Bakery Fair 2009
Sugar Arts, 1st placer.
The FCBAI Bakery Fair 2009 was a successful event held at the World Trade Center.
There were 408 booths – for cake displays; machinery and equipment; bakery ingredients, tools and processing machinery; refrigerated display showcases; restaurant equipment; bread and pastry, cakes and confectionery; biscuits and chocolates; coffee and beverages; and gift boxes and cake boxes. There will also be an international pavilion, seminar halls, and prestigious contest. As with previous years there will were international speakers who shared their experience, knowledge and insights on baking, baking supplies and equipment, bakery operations and the baking industry in general.
Sugar Arts, 2nd placer.
The last FCBAI Bakery Fair 2007, which had 343 booths and 138 exhibitors, and attracted more than 25,000 visitors, has risen to the highest-profile bakery shown in the Philippines. Majority of the visitors where investors, followed closely by traders and bakeries, and then by consumers, students, and others.
By raising the bar for product quality, business ethics and dignity of the baking profession, FCBAI has bought about a new level of excellence never before seen in the industry.
What started in 1996 as am alliance of bakery owners forged to address certain business-threatening issues (such as high price and scarcity of flour and local government closure orders allegedly due to inadequate sanitary practices, etc.) the non-stock, non-profit Filipino-Chinese Bakery Association, Inc. (FCBAI) has since grown into a well-respected organization that has consistently contributed their share to empower the people in the local bread-making industry.
Sugar Arts, 3rd placer.
In 1986, the FCBAI Board bought the piece of land on Rizal Avenue, Sta. Cruz, Manila (between Tayuman and Herrera Streets) on which the building that would house its offices and baking facilities was to be later constructed. In the year 2001, not content with the seminars and demonstrations held in its offices, FCBAI spearheaded a non-profit trade exposition that they envisioned to be a biennial affair. Called “FCBAI Bakery Fair,” the trade expo – which indeed has since been held every two years – is participated in by bakers and other entities engaged in the bakery trade like ingredients suppliers, manufacturers of baking equipment and packaging materials, wholesale bakeries, franchisers, etc. who take has exciting opportunity to exhibit their products of bakery owners and interested entrepreneurs intending to go into the bakery business. Such a bold undertaking has validated even more FCBAI’s commitment to uplift the local baking industry; so much so that reaching out to more entrepreneurs and student and helping them become better bakers became a consuming passion for group.
Rey Ponsaran.
Soon enough, FCBAI found its facilities inadequate and too small for their learning and working requirements – a new place had to be found. Or made, like all hopes, seeing it come into fruition is like having your care and eating it, too. Thus, in 2006 FCBAI inaugurated its new Technical Baking Center that would be a principal contribution to the group’s efforts in growing with the technological advancement in baking. Complete with up-to-date baking equipment and state-of-the-art audio-visual recording equipment, it is the most effective way of imparting knowledge and greater understanding and appreciation of baking principles.
In fact, the FCBAI Baking Center has been chosen by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) under the office of the president as one of the Assessment Venue Centers in the National Capital Region (NCR) for baking competency certification for overseas bakers and international instructors. Here, basic and advance basic courses offered to students who intend to enter the trade and those who want to work abroad. Likewise, a “Flour Analyzer Center” will be put up in the near future to help all the bakery owners in mixing and baking procedure.