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- Elevating bakery course at First Academy in Philippines
Elevating bakery course at First Academy in Philippines
The Culinary Arts of First Academy (CAFA) in the Philippines is dedicated to the art and science of baking and pastry making. The programme aims to develop young adults into world-class bakery artists and has collaborated with PUM to establish a robust curriculum. After an initial visit, PUM expert Allard Jacobs introduced the academy to the Hans Blankert Fund, resulting in co-funding for essential course equipment .
The First Academy in Bacolod City, Philippines, offers comprehensive culinary training through its CAFA programme. This vocational course covers everything from fundamental to advanced culinary techniques, kitchen management, and food presentation. Students benefit from hands-on training and theoretical knowledge. CAFA actively participates in the local community, contributing to the culinary culture of Bacolod City by participating in food festivals, charity events, and other community activities. Additionally, the faculty supports job placement and career advancement for its graduates.
Development of Baking and Pastry Arts
While pastry had already been part of the curriculum for training cooks, the academy aspired to establish a separate Baking and Pastry Arts course. To achieve this, they contacted PUM representative in the Philippines, Nancy Pestano and were matched with bakery expert Allard Jacobs, who visited the school at the end of last year. This new programme focuses on the art and science of baking and pastry making, including bread, cakes, pastries, and dessert creation.
Allard’s visit aimed to set up a basic bakery training and provide workshops on the basics of 10 bread baking products. The selected products were familiar to the Philippines and utilised locally available raw materials. The theoretical component covered the basics and importance of kneading, rising, forming, and baking dough and bread
Hans Blankert Fund
Allard noticed that the academy’s equipment was not optimal for baking high-standard bread and professionalising the course. He connected the academy to PUM’s Hans Blankert Fund (HBF) to secure co-funding. HBF is dedicated to supporting clients in investing in growth, innovation, and sustainability. They awarded a grant to CAFA for purchasing modern equipment, such as a planetary and spiral mixer to adequately energise the dough and a professional oven to brown the dough perfectly and achieve a beautiful golden colour.
Excellent formation
The academy has since purchased and installed the recommended equipment. Allard will soon pay a follow-up visit to finalise training on the full bread-making process and explore the creation of more complex or unique breads not commonly made. The Culinary Arts of First Academy, as a premier institution for culinary education in the region, is highly satisfied with the collaboration with PUM.
Interested in this project? Get in touch with
Nancy Pestaño
Representative Philippines, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental
