Ask people to name a crave-worthy food and bacon will top many lists. But given the passion that it inspires, isn’t it curious that bacon is chiefly regarded as a morning dish? You might see it as a burger topping at lunch, or occasionally crumbled over a salad, but mostly, bacon means breakfast.
Hoping to change that is branding visionary (and bacon lover) Rachel Carrasco, founder and CEO of Philippine food company Baken. As the world’s first all-bacon snack range, Baken wants to see the beloved food item crossover from breakfast to all-day parts and become a modern pantry staple.
Rachel Carrasco (centre), CEO and founder of Baken. Photo: Handout
That proposition generated a buzz during August’s HKTDC Food Expo Pro at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Baken used the high-profile industry platform to perk up the palates of dozens of senior food professionals with a portfolio of category disrupters: award-winning Real Bacon Crisps, Bacon Cookies and Bacon Jam.
With its “premium appetite and high-value consumer base”, Hong Kong is “the ideal place to begin scaling our international footprint”, Carrasco said.
Baken’s dinner at the Michelin-starred restaurant Louise. Photo: Handout
The gustatory surprises didn’t stop there. On the second evening of the expo, Baken hosted an intimate dinner at Hong Kong’s Michelin-starred restaurant Louise for industry figures, media, business associates and Philippine consular representatives.
Louise at PMQ in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout
The menu was designed to showcase the creative possibilities of the Baken range: scallop crudo with Bacon Jam; Oita egg with smoked potato and bacon foam; Hong Kong chicken rice, with Real Bacon Crisps for added crunch; and banana turon millefeuille finished with Bacon Cookie ice cream. “Baken is a unique and creative product that keeps the essence of bacon while opening new possibilities for chefs,” said executive chef Loïc Portalier. “It was exciting to build a menu around a single ingredient.”
Baken’s dinner at Louise in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout