Three cheers for cheese!
MANILA, Philippines - Here is a number to remember: 5,845. To be able to create that many cheese-based dishes in one day is no mean achievement. It takes skill, organization, hard work and considerable creative gumption to think of diverse recipes that are both palatable and aesthetically pleasing. By partnering to create a feast of 5,845 tasty and unique cheese dishes using the well-loved Eden brand, Kraft Foods Philippines (KFP) and the Magsaysay Institute of Hospitality and Culinary Arts (MIHCA) earned the top spot last December in the Guinness Book of World Records for the “most number of cheese-inspired dishes.” (The previous world record was held by India with 4,668 dishes.)
“What MIHCA and Kraft Foods have achieved is cause for Filipino pride,” said Alex Dan Tacderas, category manager for Cheese and Spoonables of KFP at an activity to install a commemorative marker of the Guinness feat at MIHCA. Not content with the groundbreaking culinary first, however, Tacderas announced that MIHCA and KFP will soon launch Café 5845 at the SM Mall of Asia.
As a first-of-its-kind cheese café that will serve the widest variety of cheese dishes, Café 5845 will run for a month and will enable the public to sample the cheese dishes that were prepared in the record-breaking bid. “The café will serve something different and unique every day,” says Tacderas. “More than serving limitless gastronomical delights at affordable prices, it is a means of celebrating Filipino creativity.” He adds that consumers who are unable to visit the café also have an option of downloading the recipes from www.sarapngbuhay.com, and trying these out in their homes.
Shawn Warren, Kraft vice president for marketing in Asia-Pacific, agrees that “Filipino creativity has been celebrated in more ways than one,” and “affordability is a key consideration for consumers when times are tough.” Because of this, the company has taken the extra effort to deliver the brands that consumers love in more affordable sizes. He shares that the Philippines has been a key driver of growth in the region, and identifies the four pillars of Kraft’s growth as innovation, strong integrated marketing excellence, strong sales and a drive to ensure that a product is the best in its class. “With incremental investments, the right talents and efficient distribution and sales, we will be in place to drive strong growth and development,” says Warren.
For its part, MIHCA has proven to be a worthy and dependable partner for Kraft. “We had the confidence to put our program and students to the test when we decided to partner with Kraft Foods Philippines in breaking the world record,” said chef Giovasco Barlao, MIHCA vice president and head of operations. As a trusted culinary institution, the school provides an experience-based, industry-relevant, globally oriented and career-focused education.
And at a celebratory luncheon where MIHCA chefs and students served a full-course meal inspired by Eden recipes, we were even more convinced that the partnership of Kraft with the school has proven mutually beneficial and delicious. For both, we look forward to more phenomenal successes. Cheers for cheese!
