BAKING is a very competitive industry in Cagayan de Oro City, and it shows as bakeries, pastry and cake shops are visible almost everywhere in the city and even online.
However, shops with premium cakes made from quality ingredients are only a select few. One of which is Chef Geni Labadan's Chefly Yours.
Chefly Yours, which celebrated its second anniversary on February 14, is a baking business that provides convenience along with quality-baked goods to customers who lack the time to prepare tasty cakes and desserts for every occasion.
"You know Cagayan de Oro, congested kaayo ang mga bakers, and then very competitive kaayo ang baking industry," Labadan said. "Mao na ang challenge dinha, how to attract more clients nga sa amo gyud sa Chefly Yours sila mag order."
With several competitors in the city, Chefly Yours assures its clients with premium cakes baked from quality ingredients mixed with love and passion, and top services not just for the customers but also for those interested to learn the art of baking.
Said services include consultations, wherein it specializes in giving advice and solutions to customers or students' baking issues; exclusive one-on-one hands on workshop for beginners and professionals who want to learn and enhance their baking skills; and an online tutorial done via Skype and Messenger.
According to Labadan, some of her students are overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), some came from New Zealand, Qatar, Australia, Canada, among others, who traveled to Cagayan de Oro just to have a one-on-one baking class with her.
The year 2020 is Chefly Yours' year, Labadan said. She shared that she was supposed to close Chefly Yours when 2020 started to take some time off. However, as the month of January began, the cake shop had received an influx of orders.
"But I changed my mind. Pagtungtong sa January, orders are coming in and di na ko ma-stop. I don't know what happened in 2020 but this is my year," Labadan said.
"The business is good pag start gyud sa 2020. I decided not to stop. In order to be productive, I've decided to continue Chefly Yours. I'm so happy nga with that decision, naka help ko sa akong staff," she added.
Chefly Yours specializes in customized birthday cakes, anniversary cakes, wedding cakes and basically any happy and special occasions.
For inquiries, check the "Chefly Yours" Facebook page or keep in touch with them at (088) 880 6672.
About the chef
Chef Geni Labadan started from being a chemical engineer by profession, a licensed teacher, and now a professional pastry chef.
She learned baking when she enrolled at the Monster Kitchen Academy (MKA), a well-known baking and culinary school in Cagayan de Oro City. She worked in Monster Kitchen for eight years and was recognized as the Baking and Pastry Program Head in 2015.
Her experience in teaching gave her the chance to mentor various baking competitions. In fact, she was part of the team that bagged the highest award during the Philippine Culinary Cup in 2009.