Oprah Winfrey can’t live without bread. In fact, one innocent tweet she posted about losing 26 pounds while still eating bread every day on her Weight Watchers plan earned her $14 million in one day. Her enthusiastic love of bread raised the stock of Weight Watchers, and so, defying the odds of this bear market, she was able to lift the value of her stock.
But I’m sure she is even happier to eat all that bread than she is about her newly minted millions. Bread is just that good. Think about it: it’s the only food that’s mentioned in a prayer. It is divinely ordered that we have our fill of daily bread. Every great civilization has created its own version of bread. And so, the story of bread is the story of humanity itself.
Bakers Maison illustrates just how universal and how primal and nourishing bread can be. It is an Australian brand that combines the French word for “house” and English for the homely craft of transforming flour and water into soul-deep goodness, to show just how internationally good bread can be. Brought to the local market by Gardenia Breads, a firm favorite of Filipino bread lovers, Bakers Maison is an accessible gourmet destination, a way to elevate the daily experience of enjoying a hearty treat.
At the recent launch of the metro’s newest purveyor of bread and all manner of baked goodness, Bakers Maison, the line of the day was “Taste the world.” As Filipinos are great travelers, this line will surely resonate with us. Part of the great delight in traveling is tasting the world’s different gustatory indulgences, and at Bakers Maison, Danish pastries, French (via Austria) croissants, Italian focaccia and American muffins are all given a modern and artisanal touch to satisfy even the most discerning carb addict.
To celebrate the truly staggering variety that Bakers Maison offers, The Bread Parade, an abundant array of bread, was served to the guests and it was a true feast of baking prowess as standards such as the croissant and muffin were given new flavors such as the pistachio croissant and the multigrain baguette. The host advised the guests to just take a “prim and proper bite” of the various breads, but some guests couldn’t help themselves and just enjoyed all that was on offer.
Another highlight was the launch of the Bakers Maison app, with more than a baker’s dozen of interactive features. The AR, or Augmented Reality, allows users to create a digital overlay on the actual shop to make the shop experience richer and more nuanced.
My personal favorite feature of the app was Breadtime Stories, which details the history of the many kinds of breads that we have all grown to love. The croissant, for example, actually began as a symbol of the desire of the Austrians to overthrow their Ottoman rulers. Bread lovers can also upload their own stories or just write which Bakers Maison products move them to wax lyrical.
Making the rounds and smiling at the guests was the master baker of the season, Nigel Sanders. He had the jovial and avuncular air of Santa Claus, and rightly so, as there is something so comforting and reassuring about bread. If we just have some daily bread, somehow it feels as if all is right with the world, even if for just that moment.
The first-ever Bakers Maison bakery-café is now open on the second level of SM North City Center. Soon, at least 100 stores will be open nationwide to let every Filipino taste the world.