Business Survival: The Barrio Fiesta Story

I remember every Barrio Fiesta meal I had. Now that I’ve been confined in my home, I remember several bowls of puto’t dinuguan (pork blood stew), ginataang halo halo, inihaw na liempo, lechon kawali, ensalada, mangga’t bagoong and kare kare that always had my attention. I also keep a stash, pieces of Barrio Fiesta products at home which eventually ends in Balik Bayan boxes to send to the US, or just with me because I adore their sweet chili bagoong for all the right reasons.

Speaking of which, Prime Global Corporation is taking steps to adjust to the new normal. They are very optimistic to see how Filipinos have risen up to the occasion and have done home based online food businesses, food deliveries and take outs to augment the needs of Pinoys. They’re taking their packaged foods online and diversify it. The lovely shrimp paste now gets more attention with the new sauces, spreads, dry mixes and snacks. PGC Marketing Head Ms Rachelle Gigante says “We are seeing growth opportunities with the rise of new home chefs. This would bring interest to lutong bahay recipes and we all want to be there for them. This is why we have also shared our recipes and tips on our social media channels, to also help people who have lost their livelihood.”

They also cancelled their on ground efforts and shifted online. This include opening bulk orders on their Facebook page so whole communities can get them easily. Aside from that, they also have these products on Barrio Fiesta stores, huge groceries and supermarts too. They also maintain high quality and authentic taste, which makes them execute their strong business model here and international markets claiming almost 65 percent market share in shrimp pastes. PCG President and CEO Vincent Ace Villa-real says “Our goal is to further dominate, aspire to be the top company for sauces, dressings, condiments and packaged food categories. We are not a single product company so expansion and partnerships are a given. We are a strong retail brand with superior taste and quality. We have strong fundamentals and are taking advantage of that!”

Earlier this year, they started manufacturing the Barrio Fiesta Gourmet series Patis (fish sauce), Barrio Fiesta Tubasuk (Spiced Cane Vinegar), the Crispy Joy Breading Mix, the Peanut Butter Spreads, Fiesta Chicken and Beef Broth Cubes. For kicks, they also have the new Barrio Fiesta Jumbo Roasted Peanuts. Undeniably, they do really good products which I consider staples at home. 

Make sure you follow their social media accounts to get their really good recipes. 

You’ll love what’s happening with Barrio Fiesta, and the good things they plan to have for you soon!

The New HEINZ Asian Sauces

This has been no stranger to my cupboards as they've made each french frie piece extra special with their HEINZ Ketchup. Just a few days ago, the brand launched something new, a whole new line of Asian sauces. They had us at Tong Yang Plus which is a cool hotpot and yakiniku place, though this time they got us tons of bottles of their sauces on the table. We wondered how this would turn out.

I got a few ingredients, my personal favorite was the Cheese Meatballs. I also got Tofu Skin, Chicken Dumplings, Bok Choi, Noodles, Corn, Strips of Beef, Pork with Barbecue Sauce, whilse my friends had the fish, innards and shrimp. I got the Saté broth for the hotpot so it would be a little mild. I then prepared the pot by turning on the table induction cooker. When it boiled, I got the ingredients all in. 

The broth was a little bland so I got the Heinz Golden Mark Oyster Sauce, Heinz Light Soy Sauce and a little Heinz Blended Sesame Oil in it. Tasted a spoonful, and it was already perfect. 

On the side, I prepared two sauces. The Heinz Sweet Chili Sauce and the Heinz Garlic Chili Sauce. I used the first for some of the strips of beef I got in the grill while the other was for the tons of things I got in the hotpot. You usually do get a little tired of things in the grill but since I got it all a little spicy because of the sauces, I had about 4 servings of it in one go. I also had about 3 servings of hotpot and kept coming back for the Cheese Meatballs, ahh, it was heaven!

But really, it was a great idea to have these things used for dishes we're used to. It brightens up the flavor of each dish, making it even special and not just settle with the usual things we have in the kitchen. These noodles were actually prepared by the Chef using Heinz Golden Mark Oyster Sauce, Heinz Premium Light Soy Sauce and the Heinz Blended Sesame Oil.

For fried stuff like this fish, they got it on a batter and put the Heinz Sweet Chili Sauce, and voila! You can have restaurant quality dishes at home.

They also have Heinz Soy Sauce, Premium Oyster Sauce which you can use with noodles, mushroom, veggies, and a little flurry. Those Chinese dishes would be easy because you've got them all figured out with Heinz' new Asian sauces. 

The Heinz Premium Light Soy Sauce, Heinz Soy Sauce, Heinz Blended Sesame Oil, Heinz Premium Oyster Sauce, Heinz Golden Mark Soy Sauce, Heinz Golden Mark Soy Sauce, Heinz Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, and Heinz Garlic Chili Sauce is nothing but a great addition to what you have in your pantry. Everything you've had during breakfast, lunch and dinner would be just better, price wise they're also very competitive. I could even say, they're even better than those popular ones in the Asian section. I am so inlove too with the Garlic Chili Sauce, a bottle didn't last me for 3 days because I loved how spicy my dishes became after a dab of that. 

Now it's your turn, go find them on the shelves of your favorite groceries and try them, trust me on the Garlic Chili Sauce. You've got to try that!

ITALY ON A PLATE Using Contadina Pasta and Sauces

It was a fine afternoon and we got invited to a fun shopping blitz over at Robinsons Selections in McKinley Hill. Our friends from Contadina challenged us to a shopping spree and a cooking challenge and I think I've been able to step on the plate and whipped up ITALY ON A PLATE. My original idea was to do something with pesto but when I got there, I got overwhelmed with the tons of ingredients I could choose. SO instead of doing just one dish, I decided to do 3 to signify the colors of the Italian flag!

You see, I love three types of pasta that I usually cook for celebrations. So why not put them together and make it pretty right? It was super easy to prepare too because I used Contadina pasta. I just cooked it according to the package directions, and it stayed al dente even if I cooked it a little over 8 minutes. The sauces were also all bottled so I didn't have to put in that much spices because it was already good as is. So basically, no more chopping, no more hours spent in simmering tomato sauce because it's already in a bottle. You just have to cook the other things like chicken, tuna, beef, and bacon. I also added butter, olives and capers to give it a more authentic look. I did the video too so check this out!

So you see, it's not hard to cook. I even have one it without slaving away two days in the kitchen because sauces come in a bottle, and the pasta is easy to cook. Plus, it tastes great! That's what easy looks like, that's what CONTADINA gives guys too. Premium pasta goodness like what your Mom used to make!

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