I think one of the greatest challenges of foodstylists in the Philippines is finding great produce. Food that looks like it’s just been picked off the stems or maybe even better, still have their actual stems and leaves intact. Philippine groceries, markets and farms seem to still have quite a long way to go considering our neighboring countries. Although it has gotten so much better from 5 years ago, I still do find it quite a struggle when clients call for tomatoes with stems or the perfect salad greens since there are so little varieties to choose from or worse, non at all. This is what I love about going to other countries : seeing their produce and their groceries.
Wooly’s is what most people call this place, everyday is just a big rustle and bustle in this groceries’ very busy isles. They have about an entire isle dedicated to cheese, another 2 dedicated to dairy and a wonderful selection of fruits and vegetables.
They also have take out food ready for heating. This is something I want for our little satellite branches in the hypermarkets someday. Even if they’re in these take out boxes, they have such beautiful packaging with pictures on them. Their ready-to-eat section is an inspiring sight.
Cooking definitely was fun in Sydney, but the grocery shopping was just as interesting! Everything looked like the farm was just net door. I didn’t see beat up greens and already very bruised veggies…everything was off the tree and into this display.
Here in the Philippines, our produce could only get better. Companies like FCA and Dizons have even started organic vegetables. There is a huge section of organic everything in Sydney…this is something they are beginning to embrace. Here in the Philippines, I would think that a lot of farmers still do organic. To my great surprise, I actually found arugula sprouts already being sold by Salad Time in SM Hypermart…this is quite a wonderful sneak peak of what our farmers can do in the very near future.
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