GMA actress and Encantadia Chronicles: Sang’gre star Rhian Ramos has long been associated with femininity and sweetness –traits often linked to baking skills. Baking is traditionally seen as a feminine art, a delicate craft that exudes warmth, care, and creativity. It’s no wonder that many interpret baking as a reflection of a person’s gentle, nurturing side. But for Rhian, what started as an accidental curiosity turned into a thriving business that now delights many with her cookies.
Going back to the “basics”
As she shared, “Well, I’ve been baking these for years. Right when the pandemic started, that’s when I started making these. The story is, I had just gotten home here from the US and there was this cookie that I was so addicted to in New York. It made me emotionally feel better whenever I got homesick. Mga ganun. Hindi ko siya super ma-achieve or makopya. But what I came up with is something that, for me, is perfect for my taste buds. It’s crunchy on the sides, it’s gooey in the middle, and it’s salty on top. So that’s what I love about it.'”
From personal comfort to business
Her love for baking began as a personal comfort. “Some of my friends and family members would start ordering it from me because s’yempre kapag may mga Christmas get-together party, I bring it out. Hanggang may mga nag-order na sa ‘kin. And then this one Christmas, I was so tired and I was like, you know what? I can’t do this alone. I need to make it a business. I need professional bakers,” Rhian shared. She realized that her homemade cookies could become more than just a hobby. “And then it became a business! And so, now, I supply multiple cafés around Metro Manila. It’s available in Incanta The Vibe, Deer Claus, in all of their branches. Actually, umabot na siya sa Bataan, Tagaytay, and now, Luxxe White Cafe. So, I hope that as Luxxe White Cafe grows, they’ll bring me with it.”
File photo
Major collaborations and new flavors
Rhian’s chocolate chip cookies are now featured at Luxxe White Cafe at the Frontrow International headquarters on Quezon Avenue in Quezon City. This partnership is under Frontrow International — owned by RS Francisco and Sam Verzosa. In case you missed it, Sam is Rhian’s boyfriend, adding a personal touch to the collaboration. In fact, Sam was very much involved during the launch.
Is she working on new flavors? Rhian responded, “I’m working on some Pinoy flavors that are, I guess weird-sounding for some people, but to me, they make sense. So I’m trying to work on a cheese-corn flavor.” Interestiiing.
Focus on the classics and baking process
Currently, Rhian’s focus remains on her classic chocolate chip cookies. “For me kasi, that’s why it’s called Bās Bakes because I love basics. So, I really try to go for the most classic version of something before anything else.” You may ask, does she still do all the baking herself? Rhian said, “Hindi na. Thank goodness! Because that one Christmas, it was driving me nuts doing everything myself. So, now, I have professional bakers who are way better than me. And even if we do deliver, we have a website, people order there, we deliver by dozen, ganun. But I still recommend, no matter how great we are at baking, I like it when people order the frozen dough and they bake it themselves ‘cause there’s nothing like a freshly baked, gooey homemade cookie.”
Unexpected beginnings and loyal customers
Rhian’s journey into baking started unexpectedly. She had viral photos baking cookies in a bikini in 2021, at the height of the pandemic. “Yun na nga, actually, doon nag-start siya maging business. We were all in bikinis but ako lang ‘yung nasa picture. So, I was baking for my friends, the photos went viral, and then people outside of my friend group started ordering na rin like, ‘I heard about this. Is it just hype? Is it ‘cause of the photos? Is it actually good?’ Parang ganun.” She recounts her loyal customer base, mentioning, “I think my first most powerful and most faithful customer was Dra. [Vicki] Belo. And she would always buy multiple dozens. That’s why I was like, I need help!”
Rhian also mentioned Dr. Belo’s own baking venture. “She also bakes. She has Scarlet’s Sweets. I think I’m getting that right. She has lace cookies. I think she calls it oatmeal lace cookies. And those are excellent. So, baliktad kami. My favorite is hers, their favorite is mine, and whenever I go to their house I ask for theirs but they ask me for mine.”
Sustainable indulgence
When asked about health-conscious options, I was surprised when Rhian admitted she believes that treating oneself is part of a balanced lifestyle. “At the moment, no, I don’t plan to make a healthier option yet of the cookie because I feel like sustainable health is also about treating yourself once in a while. So, even if I eat healthy in terms of other things like I like to eat more high-protein stuff to keep me sane. Hindi maganda kasi ‘yung naaawa ka sa sarili mo and you end up bingeing. So you need to give yourself a treat once in a while,” she explained.
Her cookies have received high praise from critics and customers alike. “My God, thank you!,” Rhian happily remarked when Philippine Star writer Milo Severo told her in the vernacular, “Your cookies are the best I’ve tasted.” When asked where people can order her cookies, she shared, “We have a website. Right now, it is https://basbakes.cococart.co and people order from there and we just deliver around the metro. So, we bake it the same day, deliver it the same day within Metro Manila. But Deer Claus, they have in Bataan and in Tagaytay.”
Rhian’s preferences
Rhian described her cookie-eating preferences, “Kung mainit [the cookies], then I’ll have cold milk. I actually think they’re good kahit galing sa ref. Minsan gusto ko rin ‘yung may bite ‘yung chocolate.” She also takes her journey further, detailing how she found the right recipe, “You know what, nabaliw ako. I was doing it for months, I was testing different combinations of flour to get the chewiness right. So, I was mixing all-purpose and bread flour and cake flour and gan’on. ‘Yun ‘yung kabaliwan ko talaga at the time. And then, noon nagustuhan ko na ‘yung texture, ang dami ko nang na-try na different brands of chocolate and whatever and for me this is the best chocolate cookie combo that I like. And a lot of the people that order it, what they really like about it as well is it’s guaranteed nut-free.”
Rhian emphasized, “Sometimes, I know when you purchase chocolate, if they make lots of different kinds of chocolate, they can’t guarantee na ‘yung chocolate is completely nut-free. But this one is.”
Balancing act
Balancing her acting career and her business isn’t easy. Rhian shared, “It’s hard. It’s hard and you know, to be honest, sometimes, I don’t. I’m not successful in balancing it. ‘Yung pinakasakit ko kasi, I think, I’m a perfectionist and that’s why I always put things off. I don’t want to do it. It’s not perfect yet. It’s not perfect. But this experience has taught me na make it exist first, make it perfect later.” She added, “There are lots of parts that I had to learn along the way and there are the times like I forget to promote it. Rookie mistakes of a business person like you’re running the business and everything and you’re like ‘Oh, wait, I didn’t promote it.’ Or ‘Oh, I didn’t run an ad this month or anything like that.’ So may mga ganun that you just kind of learn along the way.”
On family and tips for fans
Rhian credited her hardworking attitude to her mom. “I think it’s from my mom. So, my mom has taught me and my sister to depend on ourselves. We’re like an all-girl family. It’s a lot of ano femininity. She’s always taught us to be thrifty, to depend on ourselves and make sure that we’re really independent,” she explained when asked where she developed her value for hard work.
Additionally, Rhian offered some words of wisdom for aspiring home bakers or those interested in starting their own business. “So, I guess the first one was what I said, just make it exist first and then make it perfect later because sometimes experience talaga is the best teacher. And then second, I think in any business, you’re only as good as your marketing. And sometimes, marketing even goes further than how great the product is. Not to say that this isn’t a great product, ‘cause it is, but marketing really, really goes a long way.”
Looking back and moving forward
Rhian recounted how her viral photos and gimmicks, like being a barista for a few hours, helped her gain visibility. She made it clear, though, that the bikinis going viral were unintentional. She did not have plans of starting a business then. “It was just like we were doing a girls’ trip. We got an Airbnb so we knew na may kusina, may oven. So kanya-kanya kaming pakulo. ‘Ako magdadala ng steak!,’ ‘O gawa tayong salad! Ganun.’ This was one of my pakulo. Tapos ready na kami to go swimming. Umulan. Nag-bake. ‘Yun na ‘yun. The rest is history. So, you really can’t plan these things. It’s a God move,” Rhian emphasized with a smile.
Rhian’s story is proof that sometimes, the best opportunities come from spontaneous moments, ones we don’t expect but remind us all that doing what you love, sharing it genuinely, and having a little faith can lead to extraordinary results.
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