CANDON CITY — More than just any other business venture, ‘Forn de Manila’ is volleyball star Rachel Daquis’ way of giving back to the country she’s long fought for on the taraflex.
Farm Fresh’s newest veteran leader built the first Filipino bakery in Barcelona, Spain from the ground up and was recognized by the Philippine Consulate General in the second-biggest Spanish city.
READ: Something's cookin' as Rachel Daquis prepares for life after volleyball
But RAD’s story of giving Spain and Europe-based OFWs a taste of home away from home began in the confines of her own home during the pandemic.
What dreams are (baked) of
The art of baking requires time and patience. While the pandemic gave most people the luxury of time, it wasn’t one Daquis had a lot of.
Still, fueled by her grandparents’ longtime love for the craft, she’d go on to ignite a new passion of her own with the help of her two aunts.
Then came the idea of taking Filipino breads and pastries to a country that is also a known melting pot of cultures and cuisines.
“Nagsimula akong mag-bake nung pandemic, pero wala pa du’n ‘yung passion ko talaga kasi very active person ako. Hindi ako masyadong may time kasi sa baking, kailangan mo ng patience. Gusto ko noon ‘yung kakain na lang ako agad,” Daquis shared with SPIN.ph.
“Naging fan ako ng mismong breads, ‘yung products namin na bine-bake talaga ng tita Arleen [San Pedro] at tita Nari [Moreno] ko. Du’n nagsimula lahat.
“Nagkaroon kami ng idea na, ‘O tara, magtayo tayo ng bakery.’ As in, super yes ako and sobrang happy ako sa outcome.”
Not just a piece of cake
There’s no one specialty in Forn de Manila, yet Daquis takes pride in their best-selling point: freshly-baked pastries, day in and day out.
“Lahat ng bread natin, pinipilahan. Ang pinaka naging edge natin kaya naging special ‘yung tinapay natin kasi laging freshly baked. Walang frozen bread sa’min,” Daquis said.
“Ang ginagawa namin, minamasa namin siya on the day itself kung kailan namin ilalabas ‘yung mga tinapay and sine-serve namin siya nang mainit.”
Their main offerings? Hot and ube cheese pandesal, Spanish bread, kababayan, munggo and cheese ensaymada, pianono, buko pie, kalihim, classic, pandan, and ube mamons, crinkles, pan de coco, toasted siopao, ube coco bar, cinnamon roll, cheese bread, cassava cake, hopia, coconut macaroon, homemade peanut butter, and so much more.
But if she was to pick a few of her own favorites, it’d be some Filipino classics one can never go wrong with.
“I love mamon. Mahilig ako sa mamon, and then ‘yung ensaymada kasi sweet tooth ako. Gusto ko rin ‘yung hot pandesal kasi ‘yun ‘yung talagang OG breads natin sa Philippines,” she shared.
“Kung ano ‘yung mga local breads ng mga Espanyol, plano din namin i-serve eventually.”
Start of a long 'cakewalk'
Just as Daquis is committed to the game she’s grown to love, her mission to bring a taste of the Philippines to the world has only just begun.
In fact, the Farm Fresh veteran sought for a sharper culinary arsenal by entering the International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management (ISCAHM) in Quezon City to learn all there is to know about such a delicate craft.
And it won’t just be about breads and pastries the rest of the way, as the next phase of her venture involves a gradual expansion to a café, featuring an assortment of home-brewed Filipino staple beverages.
“Long-term vision for Forn de Manila is to expand. Sobrang na-overwhelm kami kasi may mga nagme-message sa’min na mag-open kami sa London, mag-open kami all around Europe. Kami, ‘yun ‘yung plano namin," she shared.
“Before namin siya ipa-franchise or anything, gusto naming magkaroon ng café. Gusto naming mag-serve ng mga barako na coffee, ‘yung mga nami-miss ng mga kababayan natin sa Europe."
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