AWARD-WINNING cake designer James Anton Uy.

Making it will be no piece of cake, so to speak, but the special baked creation that will highlight the upcoming Bakery Fair 2019 will no doubt symbolize the growth and development of the country’s baking industry.

Held every two years, the country’s biggest “Bakery Fair” will be a fitting post-Valentine event at the World Trade Center this year from 15 to 17 February, with one of its many highlights being the Cakes Competition boasting of 63 talented bakers as participants.

“Bakery Fair 2019” will be ushered in by the ceremonial cutting of a giant cake, 7-feet high, celebrating the theme this year – “Chinese New Year in the Year of the Pig.”

The organizer of the event is the Filipino Chinese Bakery Association, Inc. (FCBAI) which believes this theme is a fitting celebration of good luck and good life as the Chinese New Year officially starts on 5 February.

The cake was created by cake designer James Anton Uy of Cubcakes Bakery. Uy is a respected baking and cake decorating instructor. He was the 2013 winner of the Bakery Fair Cake Display competition where he bested even some of the more established names in the local baking industry. He is a contributor for the internationally known Satin Ice (Satinice.com) for Cake Design Inspirations, as well as in various local magazines like Wedding Essentials, Wedding Digest and Real Brides Magazine.

The three-day fair is a brainchild of FCBAI and features exhibitors, seminars and demonstrations by local and international experts. All kinds of modern baking supply and equipment will be showcased and the public is invited to participate.

It has become the destination for every baking enthusiast in the Philippines. It will not be far-fetched to see celebrities who are also baking enthusiasts like Marian Rivera, Sharon Cuneta, Judy Ann Santos, Bea Alonzo, Maricar Reyes-Poon, Bettina Carlos or Ara Mina joining the excitement come opening day.

“Started in 2001, the Bakery Fair is a biennial event which aims to foster awareness on the importance of updating our industry on the latest trends in baking technology and ideas, new equipment and ingredients, latest packaging concepts and materials,” FCBAI president Peter Fung said. “We, at FCBAI, hope the Bakery Fair can promote, strengthen and also elevate standards of the Philippine bakery industry not only as part of the country’s dietary, lifestyle and culinary culture, but also to help boost economic development through expansion of small and medium-scale enterprises or SMEs.”

The 52-year-old FCBAI is a non-stock, non-profit organization of mostly SME in the bakery industry. Among its objectives include promoting better baking standards and service, also educational and socio-civic projects. Although ethnic Chinese entrepreneurs have been in the Philippine baking industry for centuries, the FCBAI was organized in September 1966 in Manila by a group of entrepreneurs led by its founding president Mariano Sioco.

The FCBAI is also part of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry Inc.

For details, check out FCBAI Facebook account at fb.com/fcbai.ph or their websites www.fcbai.com.ph and www.bakeryfair.com.ph.