Highlights
- Before heading to Australia in 1989, Brenda worked as a pastry chef for Philippine Airlines' in-flight centre catering.
- She admits that she is old school and credits her children for helping promote her offerings.
- Brenda feels that the market is calling for an elevated version of Filipino delicacies.
"If you're going to put up a food business, it's important that there's a uniqueness to what you have to offer. You have to have an identity that makes you different from everybody else."
With thirty years under her apron, Pastry Chef Brenda Morilla knows how to do unique. She knows what techniques to use, what ingredients to add, and what special twists to integrate in order to elevate even the most basic recipe.
"If you're going to put up a food business, it's important that there's a uniqueness to what you have to offer." Source: Brenda Morilla
30 years of experience
"Before we moved to Australia in 1989, I was working for years as a pastry chef in the Philippines. My job before leaving the country was with Philippine Airlines' in-flight centre catering."
Settling in Australia, Brenda found work in the canteen at the News Limited office in Surry Hills; then later on, at the Intercontinental Hotel.
"I took a bit of a break from baking for a while after. My husband and I wanted to explore Australia and baking took too much of my time. I was still reading a lot though, still jotting down ideas and recipes in my notebook.
"Before we moved to Australia in 1989, I was working for years as a pastry chef in the Philippines." Source: Brenda Morilla
"I then decided to do a bit of catering and people would always comment about how delicious the food was and that I should start selling my baked goods. So I started making mamon [Filipino chiffon cake] and suman [glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk and typically wrapped with banana leaves] for my friends."
Suman with Brenda's secret caramel sauce Source: Brenda Morilla
The home bakery
From her two specialties, Brenda's children encouraged her to create more products.
"Their encouragement inspired me to come up with more than 35 new creations and build a home business around those. That's how Tita's Cakes began. We started operations in April this year."
Amongst Brenda's many cakes, kakanin [rice-based Filipino delicacies] and bread offerings are Banana Turon [bananas wrapped in spring roll wrappers and fried] cake; Guava cake; Lychee rose cake; Lecheroon [macaroon with flan]; Macapuno Cassava [jelly-like coconut over cake made with grated cassava, coconut milk and condensed milk]; Cathedral Window [coloured jelly encased in a white jelly]; Sapin-Sapin [colourful layered rice cake]; and Bicho-Bicho [twisted donuts].
"Luckily, I think I have a gift for looking at a recipe and being able to improve on its techniques and ingredients. It has become instinctual for me. And because the market is calling for more elevated, sophisticated Filipino flavours, I think that's why we sell out every day. We're getting more and more orders."
Some of Brenda's creations Source: Brenda Morilla
Despite the flurry of orders coming in, Brenda continues to be the sole baker of the business.
"Initially, I was on my feet five hours a day. Now, it's a lot more than that," she laughs, adding, "But I'm used to it. My training with Philippine Airlines especially taught me how to be quick on my feet without losing precision."
The familial gift of creativity
While she may be the one baking and on her feet the whole day, Brenda credits her family for helping her get the word out about her home business.
"I'm old school. I don't really know much about social media or promoting the business online. The help I get from my family has been such a plus.
"The help I get from my family has been such a plus." Source: Brenda Morilla
"My husband helps me with anything I need - like installing the signage outside our house.
"My kids are creative too. My son does my ads and videos. My daughter is a designer and she helps me with the aesthetics of my products. She was actually the one who really got the word out about the business."
From a home-based, collaborative effort, Brenda is hoping to put up pop-up stores after the pandemic.
From a home-based, collaborative effort, Brenda is hoping to put up pop-up stores after the pandemic. Source: Brenda Morilla
"We want to able to hire more people and expand in the future," Brenda shares, adding, "But of course, I'll still continue baking at home. Nothing beats the smell of freshly-baked goodies wafting throughout the house!"
ALSO READ / LISTEN TO
