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Unilever Foodsolutions feeds Boracay’s culinary passions
through Food Business Summit

The passion for food is probably one of the most exciting passions that sustain those that live by its philosophy. From the intricacy of food preparation to the final glory of flavour, no one can deny the passion that drives the culinary world is one that is full of life, love, and absolute creativity.

Passion Feeds Passion

Such devotion to the craft is what fuelled Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS) to pursue a campaign that celebrated the relationship of chefs and restaurant operators with a partner who understands the truth about the food industry — from the economics of running a kitchen to the daily difficulty of ingredient preparation versus time management. Entitled ‘Passion Feeds Passion’, the campaign launched in April 2008 and has consistently pursued projects that offer total solutions to its clients.

“Our commitment to our clients goes way beyond providing them with quality products. We do more than simply observing a meticulous and precise process in developing ingredients for their recipes. We are also very keen on effectively offering them solutions that address the actual needs of their respective businesses,” explained Zafer Ünver, managing director of UFS.

“Such ‘passion’ for work and product excellence prompts UFS to service its clientele of chefs, restaurant owners and caterers in a way that allows them to pursue their own passions — the perfection of their culinary craft and the growth of their business. This is what the ‘Passion Feeds Passion’ campaign seeks to communicate and ignite among its target stakeholders, in keeping with UFS’ vision of being its clients’ partner for success,” said Ünver.

“At Unilever FoodSolutions, we believe in the power of chefs to harness their skill and creativity to create the grandest of creations,” added Pinky Laurena, UFS’ marketing manager. “But we also understand that in order for them to reach and maintain their full potential as artists, they need a partner that would help them address the demand for consistent quality. It is this ideal that has inspired us to go beyond simply providing service and spurred us into spreading what we believe is a culinary philosophy worth living. It is one we hope to instill in the lives of every chef, caterer, and food business that seeks to be successful in the industry. Together, we can move to deliver food offerings that echo the inspiration of a chef’s artistry and the tenacity of successful entrepreneurs.”

Exploring New Flavours in Boracay

Last July, UFS sought to bring the philosophy of ‘Passion Feeds Passion’ to unchartered culinary territory — Boracay island.

It’s no secret that Boracay island is renowned for its gleaming sand and endless sunshine. But beyond the perfect holiday package is an undiscovered treasure trove of culinary delights. Over the last few decades, the food industry of the island has grown with as much speed and variety as the island’s tourism, but the verdant foodfare is eclipsed by Boracay’s fame as one of the best beaches in the world. Armed with culinary expertise and the desire to share it, UFS brought a brand new idea to Boracay’s shores: to help Boracay’s local chefs and operators make their mark and place the Philippines’ favourite tourist destination on the culinary map.

A Passionate Partner for Success

Exploring New Flavours: UFS Food Business Summit 2008 took place from 8 to 9 July 2008. The two-day affair aimed to provide Boracay’s food industry professionals with valuable insights on potential operational and culinary problems faced by local businesses, as well as the solutions that can help address these concerns. UFS tapped into its wealth of experience as a global foodservice expert as it endeavoured to help every local food business in Boracay make its mark on the culinary map. UFS’ chefs and special guests from Manila’s esteemed pool of culinary experts conducted sessions that tackled topics designed to provide fresh ideas and product support to Boracay’s foodservice industry.

The Summit was open to all owners, chefs, and cooks of any Boracay establishment. For the duration of the two-day event, delegates were provided key insights on menu and recipe development, proper food safety/sanitation and hygiene, and development of world-class service.

“We wanted to celebrate Boracay’s local cuisine and make it equal to the island’s reputation as an international beach destination,” said Mariam Chan-Brimer, UFS’ channel marketing manager. “However, we also wanted to maintain every restaurant's originality among Boracay’s unique charm and identity. Through the Food Business Summit, we sought to help each local business reach their full potential by promoting their creativity in menu development and sharing information on proper sanitation and hygiene. Boracay’s food industry is brimming with potential, and that’s exactly what we wanted to grow and place on the culinary map. In line with this effort, we hope that these establishments will come to see the products and services of UFS as their partner for success.”

Over 200 delegates representing about 40 of Boracay’s local establishments attended the various seminars that took place during the summit. Key local speakers included Mayor Ciceron Cawaling and Chef Binggoy Remedios of Dos Mestizos, one of Boracay’s famed restaurants. From Manila, insights and expertise in food safety and international service standards were discussed by Brian Ybanez, a food safety specialist from Johnson Diversey, and Angelo Lacson, an instructor from DLSU-College of St Benilde.

Besides discussions on the necessary care and service that must be taken while cooking and serving, the summit also provided opportunities to see the lessons in action. Chefs Brando Santos and Mike Yap from the Centre for Culinary Arts (CCA) in Manila shared their personal expertise with the delegates through a cooking and plating demonstration of Filipino cuisine. Continental cuisine cooking demonstrations were also conducted by UFS Executive Chef Joanne Limoanco and UFS Sous Chef Martin Kabigting. Every course prepared by the chefs used a variety of Knorr and Lady’s Choice products, which lessened the cooking time of every dish and ultimately sought to standardise the cooking process to ensure consistency in taste.

Since every activity was designed to be a key element in a journey dedicated to growing Boracay’s local food businesses, the event’s culmination sought to measure the impact of the summit by challenging local restaurants and hotels to continue the journey begun by UFS and make their mark on Boracay’s culinary map. Eight of Boracay’s local establishments got caught up in friendly competition and tasked to prepare their very own signature Boracay drink and signature Boracay dish supplemented by UFS products as the base ingredient of their creations.

Club Paraw’s signature Boracay dish garnered the judges’ praise and won them a one week culinary crash course on Western and Asian cuisines in American Hospitality Academy in Manila for all three team members. Signature Boracay drink winner Bamboo Lounge went home with a bar showcase worth Php10, 000. Other runner-up contestants were awarded for their participation and their desire to place their restaurant on Boracay’s culinary map with consolation prizes that included a Php15, 000 gift coupon from KLG, a Php 5, 000 gift coupon from Cardinal Ceramics, and UFS Gift bags worth Php 2, 500 each.

For more details on the event, log on to www.TheCulinarians.com.

Unilever Foodsolutions makes its mark
via Passion
Feeds Passion Campaign

Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), the foodservice arm of Unilever Philippines, Inc, has embarked on the ‘Passion Feeds Passion’ campaign to further make its mark in the local foodservice industry.

UFS carries a strong foodservice heritage dating back to 1975 when California Manufacturing Co put up Caterplan to address industry requirements at the time. Caterplan was integrated with all foods businesses of Unilever when the latter acquired Bestfoods in 2000. Upon acquiring full control of all operating companies in 2004, Unilever Bestfoods Foodsolutions became UFS.

“Our commitment to our clients goes way beyond providing them with quality products. We do more than simply observe a meticulous and precise process in developing ingredients for their recipes. We are also very keen on effectively offering them solutions that address the actual needs of their respective businesses,” explained Zafer Ünver, managing director of UFS Philippines.

“Such ‘passion’ for work and product excellence prompts UFS to service its clientele of chefs, restaurant owners and caterers in a way that allows them to pursue their own passions — the perfection of their culinary craft and the growth of their business. This is what the ‘Passion Feeds Passion’ campaign seeks to communicate and ignite among its target stakeholders, in keeping with UFS’ vision of being its clients’ partner for success,” said Ünver.

Dedicated Corporate Chefs

Adding the necessary kitchen insight into Unilever Foodsolutions products is a roster of full-time chefs who are highly involved in every step of product development, from researching the latest trends to product testing and kitchen demonstrations.

The UFS team of passionate chefs is comprised of Senior Chef Joanne Limoanco, regional chef for culinary innovations and training Rebecca Disini, Regional Sous Chef Dennis Hipolito, and Sous Chefs for Culinary Applications Paolo Sia, Ryan Lastra, Datu Pendatum, and Martin Kabigting.

UFS’ clients stand to benefit from the wealth of culinary information that these chefs provide not only due to their diverse background but also resulting from their access to Unilever’s global network that spans 80 countries.

UFS’ products include Knorr bouillons, seasonings, sauces, and soups, Lady’s Choice and Best Foods dressings, Carte D’Or desserts, Lipton Tea, and Selecta ice cream in packaging formats that correspond to the needs of the hotel, restaurant, and catering segment of the foodservice market.

“These products have the Unilever mark of quality which assures our clients’ good results for their various food requirements,” said UFS’ Marketing Manager Pinky Laurena. “Moreover, new UFS’ products are scheduled to be launched within the year as part of the ‘Passion Feeds Passion’ campaign.”

Culinarian Website

UFS also launched www.theculinarians.com, an online portal where people who are passionate about food and cooking can gather virtually. A key component of the ‘Passion Feeds Passion’ campaign, the website offers information on new restaurants, latest culinary trends, innovative recipes and handy kitchen management techniques.

“The idea is to create a spirit of camaraderie among people who love what they do and want to bring the entire foodservice industry to even greater heights. They’ll inspire each other to keep on pursuing and improving their craft. Through this exciting exchange of ideas and stories, our website becomes a space where passion really does feed passion,” explained UFS’ Senior Chef Joanne Limoanco.

Pastry Chef James Antolin, an instructor at the Centre for Culinary Arts and a member of the Philippines team who competed in the Valrhona Asian Pastry Cup in Singapore agreed with Chef Limoanco, citing that he welcomes the UFS website as another valuable tool that he can tap to further improve his craft by providing him with information he can use in his culinary classes.

Spreading the Passion

Taking place on 22 to 25 April 2008 in Singapore is the Food&HotelAsia (FHA) 2008 Culinary Challenge. The FHA Culinary Challenge is an exceptional opportunity for chefs to hone and exhibit their skills in an international arena. In 2007, the same Philippines team was sent to the Hong Kong International Culinary Classic and bested the competition to bring home the gold for the Gourmet Team Challenge category. It was a feat they seeked to replicate through the FHA Culinary Challenge in 2008.

The members of the Le Toques Blanches (LTB) Philippines culinary team were given their official send-off at the UFS ‘Passion Feeds Passion’ launch. LBT manager, Chef J Gamboa of Cirkulo and Milkyway Restaurants, said the team had joined the individual live cooking, plated display, and pastry showpiece events during the competition in April.

Chefs, caterers, and every member of the foodservice industry looked forward to an exciting 2008 as ‘Passion Feeds Passion’ goes into full swing throughout the year. Log on to www.theculinarians.com to keep abreast of current and ongoing initiatives.



###

Media Reference:
Mel Garrovillo/Rossana Unson
mel.garrovillo@ogilvy.com
rossana.unson@ogilvy.com
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide/Manila
Tel: 885.0001
Wok-king With Yeung

Bringing Cantonese flavours closer to home

In line with the thrust of offering fresh ideas and solutions, we invited the executive chef of Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS) Hong Kong, Chef Billy Yeung, to do a series of cooking demonstrations for the top operators here in the Philippines.

A live cooking demonstration for the hoteliers, restaurateurs and caterers was held on 16 July at the Top Shelf of Fully Booked, located at Bonifacio High Street Branch. Over 70 foodservice clients from the different parts of Metro Manila were present to witness Chef Yeung, along with our local UFS chefs, demonstrating six authentic Cantonese recipes using Knorr Hoisin Sauce, Knorr Oyster Sauce and Knorr Chicken Powder.

Cocktails and a friendly social gathering followed after, where the operators had a chance for a one-to-one encounter with the chefs to ask questions and get useful tips and suggestions for their operations.

Chef Yeung also conducted an exclusive cooking demo the following day for the top foodservice customers of Makro, one of the largest modern trade channels here. In order to get an invite for the exclusive demo, Makro’s foodservice customers had to buy a Chinese pack consisting of Knorr Hoisin Sauce, Knorr Oyster Sauce and Knorr Chicken. Chef Yeung’s recipes were very well received, thus contributing an increase in sales for the Makro’s Chinese pack right after the cooking demonstration.

Over 90 people attended the cooking demonstration, with guests coming from areas as far as Batangas. Also present was the top management of Makro. Rice from Lucky Choice and spatulas from Gurnamal & Sons were awarded to the lucky winners.
UFS Philippines ‘Passion Feeds Passion’ Campaign

UFS makes its mark via ‘Passion Feeds Passion’ Campaign

UFS, the foodservice arm of Unilever Philippines Inc, has embarked on the ‘Passion Feeds Passion’ campaign to further make its mark in the local foodservice industry.

UFS carries a strong foodservice heritage dating back to 1975 when California Manufacturing Co put up Caterplan to address industry requirements at that time. Caterplan was integrated with all food businesses of Unilever when the latter acquired Bestfoods in 2000. Upon acquiring full control of all operating companies in 2004, Unilever Bestfoods Foodsolutions became UFS.

“Our commitment to our clients goes way beyond providing them with quality products. We do more than simply observe a meticulous and precise process in developing ingredients for their recipes. We are also very keen on offering them effective solutions that address the actual needs of their respective business,” explained Zafer Ünver, managing director of UFS, Philippines.

“Such passion for work and product excellence prompts UFS to service its clientele of chefs, restaurant owners and caterers in a way that allows them to pursue their own passions — the perfection of their culinary craft and the growth of their business. This is what the ‘Passion Feeds Passion’ campaign seeks to communicate and ignite among its target stakeholders, in keeping with UFS’ vision of being its clients’ partner for success,” said Ünver.



Dedicated Corporate Chefs

Giving the necessary kitchen insight into UFS’ products is a roster of full-time chefs who are highly involved in every step of product development, from researching the latest trends to product testing and kitchen demonstrations.

The UFS team of passionate chefs is comprised of executive chef Joanne Limoanco, regional sous chef Dennis Hipolito, and sous chefs for Culinary Applications — Paolo Sia, Ryan Lastra, Datu Pendatun and Martin Kabigting.

UFS’ clients stand to benefit from the wealth of culinary information that these chefs provide not only due to their diverse background but also resulting from their access to Unilever’s global network that spans 80 countries.

UFS’ products include Knorr bouillons, seasonings, sauces and soups, Lady’s Choice and Bestfoods dressings, Carte D’Or desserts, Lipton Tea, and Selecta ice cream in packaging formats that correspond to the needs of the hotel, restaurant, and catering segment of the foodservice market.

“These products have the Unilever mark of quality which assures our clients’ good results for their various food requirements,” said UFS marketing manager Pinky Laurena. “Moreover, new UFS products are scheduled to be launched within the year as part of the ‘Passion Feeds Passion’ campaign.”



Culinarian Website

UFS also launched www.theculinarians.com, an online portal where people who are passionate about food and cooking can gather virtually. A key component of the ‘Passion Feeds Passion’ campaign, the website offers information on new restaurants, latest culinary trends, innovative recipes and handy kitchen management techniques.

“The idea is to create a spirit of camaraderie among people who love what they do and want to bring the entire food service industry to even greater heights. They’ll inspire each other to keep on pursuing and improving their craft. Through this exciting exchange of ideas and stories, our website becomes a space where passion really does feed passion,” explained UFS senior chef Joanne Limoanco.

According to chef Limoanco, pastry chef James Antolin — an instructor at the Centre for Culinary Arts and a member of the Philippines team competing in the Valhrona Asian Pastry Cup in Singapore — said he welcomes the UFS website as another valuable tool in which he can rely on to further improve his craft as it provides him with information that he can use in his culinary classes.



Spreading the Passion

Taking place from 22 April to 25 April 2008 in Singapore is the Food Hotel Asia (FHA) 2008 Culinary Challenge. The FHA Culinary Challenge is an exceptional opportunity for chefs to hone and exhibit their skills in an international arena. In 2007, the same Philippines team was sent to the Hong Kong International Culinary Classic and made the best of the competition to bring home the gold award for the Gourmet Team Challenge category. It was a feat they seek to achieve again through the FHA 2008 Culinary Challenge.

During the UFS ‘Passion Feeds Passion’ launch, the members of the Le Toques Blanches (LTB) Philippines culinary team were given their official send-off. LTB manager, chef J Gamboa of Cirkulo and Milkyway Restaurants, said the team took part in the individual live cooking, plated display and pastry showpiece events during the competition in April.

Chefs, caterers and every member of the foodservice industry can look forward to an exciting 2008 as ‘Passion Feeds Passion’ goes into full swing throughout the year. Log on to www.theculinarians.com to keep abreast of current and ongoing activities.

###

Media Reference:
Mel Garrovillo / Rossana Unson
mel.garrovillo@ogilvy.com / rossana.unson@ogilvy.com
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide / Manila
Tel: (632) 885 0001
UFS and Crocs Bistro combine great food with great comfort for fearless cooking

UFS, the foodservice arm of Unilever Philippines Inc, recently partnered with Crocs, the manufacturer of comfortable and superior-grip shoes, to provide chefs with no-slip footwear ideal for working in the kitchen.

The partnership is one of UFS’ efforts at providing total solutions to their clientele. “The benefits of Crocs Bistro have already been lauded by UFS Culinary Chefs who swear by the combination of great food made in great comfort,” said UFS managing director Zafer Ünver. “It is a partnership that is very much in line with the convenience and precision that our products offer.”

Aptly called the Crocs Bistro, the recently launched footwear line is designed specifically for people who are on their feet all day and working in potentially greasy environments. Built with the signature Crocs™ lock tread for a solid grip and Croslite™ material that conforms to the foot for custom fit, chefs are left relaxed and fearless in their work as they focus on the food being prepared.

Crocs Bistro certainly meets the foodservice industry’s slip resistance standards while its hip design and colours appeal to the chefs’ aesthetic sense. It is no surprise then that Crocs was able to get ‘iron chef’ Mario Batali as an international endorser for the Batali Edition Bistro available in his signature colour orange.

Together, UFS and Crocs provide passionate solutions from the kitchen table to the kitchen floor. The partnership was launched on 27 May 2008 through The Fearless Kitchen Challenge, a fun competition that gave media partners a chance to familiarise themselves with the fearless cooking experience that the UFS and Crocs have to offer in tandem.

Held at the Cilantro Kitchen in the Unilever head office in Manila, media partners participated in a friendly competition that tested their skills at cooking using UFS’ gold mine of ingredients while donning their very own chef jackets and no-slip Crocs Bistros.

The judges for the competition were Centre for Culinary Arts’ very own chef James Antolin, chef Mike Yap and chef Brando Santos. “As chefs, we know that the right ingredients can make all the difference,” said chef Yap. “That’s something we discovered with UFS. From their simple base ingredients like industrial pastes such as the one kilogram of chicken broth and beef broth, we are able to whip up outstanding and unique creations that are flavourful yet affordable and not time-consuming. It is the combination of these elements that make very efficient kitchens.”

Chef Antolin and chef Santos agreed likewise, adding, “With this new partnership between UFS and Crocs, we can expect even better solutions that can really benefit us as chefs, and the Fearless Kitchen Challenge is a great way for a first-hand experience of how these solutions can really work.”

The challenge took place in a span of two hours, giving each team (guided by the expertise of UFS’ corporate chefs as team leaders) enough time to create a special seafood dish with UFS’ ingredients. The winning team won specially-designed trophies, heralding them as fearless kitchen champions who ‘cooked without fear.’

Without a doubt, UFS and Crocs are must-have kitchen essentials that provide total solutions. Log on to www.theculinarians.com, an online community where people who are passionate about food and cooking can gather virtually to share their culinary passions and learn more about the foodservice industry.

Mindanao Culinary Festival
5-6 October 2007, Davao City

The recently concluded seventh Mindanao Culinary Festival and fourth International Hotel, Restaurant and Home Expo for Trade Advancement is sponsored by Hotel and Restaurant and Davao Tourism Association (DATA). It was held in NCCC Convention Hall, Davao City on 5 to 7 October 2007 and brought us, Unilever Foodsolutions, acknowledgement and familiarity of our products to hotel, restaurant and caterer business channels in Mindanao.

Unilever Foodsolutions sponsored three events, namely, UFS Market Basket (Pinoy Fusion) in which chefs from five establishments participated and 3-S (soup/ salads and sandwich) competitions for both professionals, represented by six establishments and nine schools for student category.

All free seminars and demonstrations for the benefit of the public in general were jam packed with participants. Our very own Chef Datu Shariff Khalid Pendatun conducted a free hour-long seminar entitled “Add Spice to Life”, a workshop on the flavuors and spices of Mindanao. There were 52 participants who attended the seminar. Food tasting and product demonstration commenced after the discussion.

What did we gain from the Mindanao Culinary Festival?

Ø The event brought us closer to the hotels / restaurants / caterers / practitioners and enabled us to find potential customers to our business. We had a total of 22 profiled accounts and eleven new accounts.

Ø We were able to promote our products to our target operators through one on one selling with sales consultants and highlighted usage of the products. We gained 37 new product introductions.

Ø It was an informative event in terms of new food innovations and trends in Mindanao’s food industry which provided us new insights from our competitors and operators as well.

Ø The activity gave us the chance to meet potential customers coming form different areas of food and tourism industry.

By:John Robles (Area Manager-VISMIN)

“Twist to Your Usual Cook-off Challenge.”
By Gino Cruz

We all know that chefs are competitive in nature. A chef wants to emerge and consider oneself better than the rest. He wants to feel that he’s the king of his kitchen and of others’ as well.

This insight brought about the execution of the most excruciating and challenging of cook-off events organised by the Bistro Group Restaurant Concept, local franchisers of America’s casual dining restaurants like T.G.I. Friday’s, Italianni’s, and Fish & Co.; and Unilever Foodsolutions. On the 20 June 2007, everyone gathered in Unilever Foodsolutions’ Cilantro Kitchen to find out who would be the champion in the Bistro Group culinary challenge.

The concept was for the three kitchens (Friday’s, Italianni’s and Fish & Co.) to come up with dishes in the following categories: starter, entrée and dessert. But this is far different from cook-off challenges like Hell’s Kitchen and Iron Chef as there are hurdles and twists before winners of each category are declared. First, participants must work as a team as each kitchen will be represented by a staff of chefs. Secondly, a featured item must be used in each category – starter: prawns, entrée: tuna and ox tail, and dessert: chocolate. Thirdly, selected UFS products have to be featured. Lastly, each kitchen has to present its dish to the judges in a creative manner.

The judging of each category was based on following criteria: 50 percent for taste, 30 percent for visual presentation and 20 percent for creativity and originality. There were also the hard-to-please respectable culinary personalities on the panel of judges: Norma Chikiamco, the editor- in-chief of Food Magazine; Michaela Fenix, the food columnist of the Phil. Daily Inquirer; and Nancy Reyes-Lumen, editor-in-chief of Cook Magazine.

Despite all these criteria, line-up of judges and twists, the spirit in the Cilantro Kitchen was described to be high, exciting and fun. Teamwork was apparent and the participants kept in high spirits in front of the camera as the event was happening.

Finally, the winners were declared. For starter category, Fish & Co. with its dish, “prawn top”. For the entrée category, Friday’s won for its “tuna with wasabe chantilly cream” and Fish & Co. for its “BBQ oxtail”. For the dessert category, Fish and Co. took the honours for its mini-indulgence. Overall, the winner was named Fish & Co. Cash prizes were given away (Php5,000.00 each for starter and dessert, Php10,000.00 each for entrée seafood and meat), but what seem to be the most highly-coveted item that day was the title of being the king of Bistro Group.

For Bistro Group and Unilever Foodsolutions Philippines, it was considered a win-win situation. They were able to execute this challenge using the Cilantro Kitchen and human resources. Unilever Foodsolutions Philippines, was able to further build our relationship with our operator with no outlay of resources. Furthermore, our presence in Bistro kitchen stood stronger as the winning dishes are now featured in their menus.

Photos of the Bistro Group Culinary Challenge

Zafer Unver (managing director of Unilever Foodsolutions) and Liza Ronquilo (Marketing Director of Bistro Group) having a piece of the winning dish.

Who says you can’t have poise (and fun) under pressure? Fish & Co. team beaming until the end.
Unilever Foodsolutions’s Cilantro Kitchen – a world-class kitchen that is ready for the limelight.
FOTS
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