I took a tour inside the Gardenia Bread Factory…

Ah! Gardenia! So many memories come to mind when I think about Gardenia. From my elementary days back when my yaya prepares it for my baon for school and merienda when I get home, to out of town road trips while snacking on sandwiches with tuna spread, and of course the midnight cravings back in college on late night crams where all you had was white bread . The list goes on and on, and almost always, Gardenia breads play a part in the story, except for that one time I will not forget – during last year’s holiday season.

I was going back home to my province for my leave because my Mama had sent my little sister and I on an errand – buy bread and other essentials a day before New Year.

I witnessed an urgency of people to shop like we were in a pre-zombie apocalypse stage. People were literally rubbing elbows, vying to finish their holiday shopping as fast as the next, only finding the shelves half stocked, with all your favorite brands gone. Upon entering the grocery slash hunger games arena (hehe!) and seeing the long snaking line to the counter, I immediately instructed my sister to get in line, and after breathing in and making a mental to-get list, I established my game plan.

First, get the most important thing on Mama’s list – bread! With my family’s go-to brand in mind, I rather haphazardly grabbed a shopping basket, and apologizing profusely to the person (or two) I bumped along the way, I headed to the bakery section – only to be met with dismay because although I could see the familiar red and blue packaging, our favorite white bread, alas, was out of stock. Then again, it is only expected as it is a household brand and top-of-mind, bread lover or not. I had very little time but still had a lot on my list so I settled for the best looking alternative and went on to finish my grocery shopping list.

Fast forward to January 1^st on the way home from our annual visit to Mama’s province in Nueva Ecija, my ever so active stomach started growling, and being the strong, independent woman that I am…I looked behind me and asked my Mama for a sandwich (Haha!) Being a total goldfish, I completely forgot about the happenings the day prior, and after biting into my carbohydrate rich tuna filled snack and expecting the soft feel and great taste that comes with our favorite Classic White Bread, my taste buds were greeted with a rather anticlimactic burst of plain, boring bread flavor…with an extra thick crust. Already knowing the answer, I still asked, “Ma, ito ba yung binili ko kahapon sa grocery?”, to which my Mama replied, ”Oo, ang kapal ng crust, noh?” before turning to my Papa to explain that Gardenia was out of stock for that day and how Mama, quoting the famous tag line to my delight – loves to eat it because it’s “masarap kahit walang palaman.”

Long story short, we got the shorter end of the bread(stick), so to make amends (albeit only a bit) I shared with them another favorite Gardenia memory, my much anticipated trip to the Gardenia Factory!

The Gardenia Symphony

1. Amazing Black Forest Loaf

2. Classic White Bread

3. High Fiber Wheat Raisin

4. Premium Pandesal

I never knew there were so many kinds of bread available at your disposal all under one brand! If I wanted to, I could have a different Gardenia bread every day for a very long time.

Obviously, I am a huge bread lover and I love every single kind of bread, so just imagine my joy when my boyfriend took me to their school’s field trip in Laguna, where one of the stops included having a tour inside the Gardenia Bread Factory. I was ecstatic, more so after we climbed up the stairs to the auditorium area where the air was enveloped in the warm, glorious smell of bread.

I love all Gardenia Breads (I went home with almost all of the variants, special thanks to my boyfriend’s Mom for buying them for me!). My favorite would have to be the Gardenia Pandesal, the perfect pair for my morning coffee, and the Black Forest Loaf for a sweet snack at work!

There were a lot of noteworthy breads that are surefire as good as my favorites. The Wheat Raisin Loaf is basically the healthy bread, with a personality. The Classic White on the other hand, can be very good on its own, but I didn’t want it to be alone so I took a picture with it (haha!).

Personally, any bread from Gardenia, would make me happy. Basta Gardenia, masarap kasi!

Regardless if you grew up with the brand, or a new curious customer, I’m sure you’ll find a Gardenia Bread for you!

P.S.

I envy the kids with us on the trip, they were able to experience the bread fortress at a young age. If you have kids, nephews, nieces that would enjoy such a treat, you might want to check out the online registration for Gardenia Kiddie Workshop at https://goo.gl/m6hiXU. The Gardenia Bread Factory will be having their 2nd Kiddie Workshop this year wherein there will be storytelling, art sessions, even proper hand washing and healthy eating habits just to name a few

This is a sponsored post. View my full disclosure policy here.