Ambassadeurs du Pain names Chef Kris Edison Tan as PH's Bread Ambassador
MANILA, Philippines — Chef Kris Edison Tan, owner and bread master of Masa Madre Bakehouse and Fabrique Bakery, has just been recognized as Bread Ambassador of the Philippines by the Ambassadeurs du Pain.
It is an organization based in France that preserves and promotes the traditional craft of bread-making and its nutritional and gastronomic values, not only in France but also in other countries. It also recognizes chefs who stay true to the classic method while at the same time combining it with contemporary ingredients and modern technology.
Chef Kris is only the third Filipino chef to have been recognized as Bread Ambassador of the Philippines. He is trained in classic bread-making while at the same time injecting fresh new ideas into traditional breads. He loves working with sourdough.
The Ambassadeurs du Pain have been familiar with his “works” for many years now. Chef Kris has competed twice in Mondial du Pain, a bread-based competition put together by the organization, in France in 2017 and 2019 as part of the Philippine delegation.
The late Chef Danilo Basilio, who was Chef Kris’ mentor, was the first Bread Ambassador of the Philippines.
The second officially recognized Bread Ambassador of the Philippines was Chef Buddy Trinidad, president of the Pastry Alliance of the Philippines (PAP). Chef Buddy nominated Chef Kris for the title. Since Chef Kris’ works speak for themselves and his string of achievements in the field of baking has been phenomenal and widely recognized by fellow chefs, especially pastry chefs of top caliber, the honor was bestowed upon him.
“I’m so honored,” said Chef Kris, who also revealed that his late mentor’s dream was to open a boulangerie school in the Philippines that will teach the traditional methods of baking.
While running Masa Madre and Fabrique on a full-time basis, Chef Kris is also a competition coach. He is coaching two teams. One is a team from Lyceum of the Philippines (LPU) Laguna, where he currently teaches. The team will compete in the “World Skills Bakery” category of Mondial du Pain in France next year.
The other team is from Chef Kris’ very own Masa Madre Bakehouse, including its head baker and chef de partie, who will be representing the Philippines in France in 2025. It is his way of giving back to the industry that has been good to him since he decided to become a part of it.
