THE country’s leading culinary education institution Center for Culinary Arts (CCA Manila) held its inaugural ‘Tikim Weekend Food Market’ last October 3 and 4 at the Brittany Hotel in Bonifacio Global City (BGC).
The event celebrated Filipino gastronomic artistry and innovation in action, while serving as a launchpad for aspiring food entrepreneurs and future chefs.
More than a food fair, ‘Tikim.’ was a dynamic learning and business platform where culinary passion met real-world opportunity through live discussions, mentorship from industry pioneers, and marketplace exposure for promising food brands.
For CCA Manila, the festival reinforced its 28-year mission to train world-class Filipino culinary talent through academics, experience, and entrepreneurship.
Business workshops, real-world insights
THE two-day festival featured Tikim Business Workshops where participants learned from seasoned entrepreneurs and culinary leaders who have built successful ventures from scratch. Speakers included Cyrill Chan of Panero, who talked about scaling a bakery business, while Chef Menoy Gimenez explained menu engineering and profitability. Princess San Diego of What’s Your Flan? discussed passion-led concepts evolving into multi-franchise businesses.
CCA alumna Chef Danica Lucero of Say Halo! also inspired the audience, as she made waves when she impressed Chef Gordon Ramsay with her innovative rendition of the halo-halo during his visit to the Philippines.
Aaron Limpe-Aw of Destileria Limtuaco shared ways Filipino heritage flavors can succeed globally, while Chit Juan of ECHOStore highlighted sustainability and branding through local sourcing. Practical sessions on financial management, operations technology, and food safety rounded off the program.
‘These workshops reflect CCA Manila’s long-established approach to culinary education that goes beyond recipe execution. Tikim became a learning space, as much as it is a celebration,’ said Dr. Veritas F. Luna, Chancellor of CCA Manila. ‘By bringing together entrepreneurs, chefs, alumni, and foodies, we hope to highlight the hard work and creativity that go into building food businesses. This event reflects CCA’s vision of nurturing Filipino talent and shaping leaders in the culinary sector.’
Kitchen showcases, culinary storytelling
ON Day 2, the program shifted to the Tikim Live Kitchen. There, guests witnessed culinary artistry in action through interactive demos by celebrated chefs and CCA Manila alumni, presenting food as both craft and storytelling.
Heritage dishes by Chef Reggie Aspiras and Chef Martin del Prado shone the spotlight on Filipino culinary roots, while Chef Sharwin Tee showcased global-meets-local innovation. Chef Anne Atanacio wowed the audience with her dessert innovation, inspiring creativity in modern pastry.
Tikim Food Market ran on both days, which featured more than 30 curated food brands from alumni, emerging entrepreneurs, and established culinary names.
The diversity of merchants-from artisanal bakeries to modern Filipino café concepts-reflected the country’s fast-evolving food culture. The marketplace also served as a real-time business learning avenue for CCA students, who were encouraged to engage with vendors, observe best practices, and witness firsthand how culinary craftsmanship connects with consumer behavior.
Empowering next generation of chefs, entreps
WITH campuses in BGC and University of the Philippines-Diliman, and accreditation from the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation, CCA Manila has long been recognized as the training ground for award-winning chefs and founders of globally recognized food businesses.
‘Tikim.’ is a direct extension of this mission-a living classroom where students gain exposure to entrepreneurship, innovation, branding, operations, and trend dynamics, beyond traditional kitchen practice,’ explained Dr. Luna. ‘Many alumni leading ‘Tikim’ sessions, from global restaurateurs to micro-enterprise founders, began as CCA Manila students who transformed culinary passion into profession.’
The center’s alumni have earned global acclaim, leading hotel and cruise-ship kitchens and elevating Filipino cuisine worldwide. Dr. Luna remarked that ‘CCA Manila continues to be proud of its graduates’ diverse and successful career paths. They are garnering awards, leading kitchens of top hotels and cruise ships, and elevating Filipino cuisine to greater heights.’