This year’s KAINdustriya Convention, with the theme “Ang Panalong Sangkap for Success,” added a different flavor to its annual food business convention by catering to the young market and launching competitions to ignite the millennials’ inner entrepreneur.
Included in KAINdustriya 2018 is the second year of KAIN U and Mix Masters. KAIN U is an inter-school food business competition featuring promising food ideas and businesses of college students and Mix Masters is a “flairtending” and mixing competition featuring young and talented mixologists and flairtenders in the country.
During the two-day Kaindustriya Convention last Sept. 18 and 19 at the World Trade Center, organized by OutBox Media Powerhouse Corp., the finalists had the chance to make their business dream a reality when they set up booths and sold their original products.
The first Kaindustriya Council was launched to mentor the finalists from the eliminations all the way to the grand finals.
KAIN U participants were mentored by “edupreneur” Euclid Cezar, who started the Famous Belgian Waffles franchise here and abroad. He is a lecturer at the Philippine Trade Training Center under the Department of Trade and Industry, and trains and delivers lectures on entrepreneurship and business around the country.
Mix Masters finalists were mentored by chef Kalel Demetrio, co-owner of Agimat Foraging Bar and Kitchen and one of the top “mixologists” in the metro.
Our Lady of Fatima University-Valenzuela bagged the grand prize at Kain U with their Itadaki Meal. First runner-up is University of Caloocan City (Yusisi Entrenapa) and second runner-up is Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (Pan De Pizza).
The grand winner for Mix Masters is Marecel Lacerna, who received a mobile bar as grand prize. Runners-up are Arjay De Alva, Regibert Christian De Guzman, and Aden Raphael.
Although Puregold is expanding to cater to the younger market, it still upholds its advocacy to help entrepinoys through its annual cook-off, The Search for KAINtrepreneur 2018.
The finalist were mentored by celebrity chef Kennedy Alfonso, head of operations and executive chef of Bueno Tapas and Wine Restaurant.
The contestants were paired with a chef or cooking expert from the country’s biggest food companies, including Nestle Philippines, Unilever Food Solutions, CDO Foodsphere Inc., Nutri-Asia Inc., San Miguel Foods Inc., Monde Nissin Corporation, Bounty Fresh, Alaska, Del Monte, Century Pacific Foods Inc.
Grand Winner was Jay Jay Brinoza and Chef Paulo Sia (Unilever Food Solutions). Runners-up are Amelia Sunga and Chef Christopher Kai Vingona Padilla (Alaska Milk Corp.) and Joebel Rosal and Chef Michael Roland Mico Cabrera (Nestle Philippines).
KAINndustriya is a segment under Puregold’s flagship membership program – Tindahan ni Aling Puring.
Now on its fifth year, it has been promoting Kain, Kita and Kabuhayan to small and medium-sized food business “entrepinoys.”
Puregold Price Club has always been in the forefront of helping food micro-entrepreneurs and supporting the country’s small medium enterprises through KAINdustriya.