Future

Dream
Y O U N G
Entrepreneur
This presentation was created by: TECNO BD4a
Passion
Kitchen Story of
Michael "Miko"
Aspiras
Who is Michael (“Miko”)
Aspiras?
Micheal "Miko" Aspiras (Pastry Chef)
A Successful Filipino PASTRY CHEF started out
young when he observed his aunt run a catering
business. Even though he always wanted to be a
chef, ending up on the “sweet side of the
kitchen” happened by chance.Now have more
than 20 stores and seven concepts (including
franchises) across Manila. From helping his aunt
crush the graham crackers for a New York
cheesecake as a child to being a Forbes 30
Under 30 and running his own business,
Tasteless Food Group, Chef Aspiras has come a
long way.
He now works as the Executive Pastry Chef at Hilton
Sydney while running his own chain of restaurants in
Here are some questions from the interview of Miko Aspiras
Interviewer: Rakshitha Arni Ravishankar, an associate editor at
Ascend
You decided you wanted to
How and when did you decide to
be a chef very early on in
start your own business,

?
life. What drew you to
Tasteless Food Group?
cooking?

Did you always want to be What’s a good place to

a pastry chef? start exploring a pastry business
for a young chef?

HBR (Harvard Business Review)

 You decided you wanted to be a chef very early on in life. What
drew you to cooking?
Aspiras: I have realized that I had a calling in the kitchen. I
was raised and lived half of my life in a large Filipino family.
Wherein we had big family gatherings, often times my
grandmother cooked the meals. But it was my Aunt Annie who
really exposed me to the intense “work” side of cooking. She
ran her own catering business when I was around six years old.
I remember waking up on weekends to the smell of her freshly
baked cookies. I would help her crush graham for her New York
cheesecake and whisk her Caesar salad dressing. It was fun,
nostalgic and it tickled my imagination. In my high school, we
had a food technology subject instead of home economics that
further enhanced my interest. And then, finally I decided to do
a BS-HRIM or Bachelor of Science in Hotel, Restaurant and
Institution Management Major in Culinary Arts at the College
of Saint Benilde in De La Salle.
 Did you always want to be a pastry chef?
Aspiras: Not really. I always wanted to be in the “hot kitchen
side” making savory dishes. I developed my skills as a savory chef
first before I learned about anything pastry. One of the turning
points is that I joined my first pastry competition in school, Young
Hoteliers’ Exposition. I initially wanted to participate in a savory
category but all the slots for that were already filled. So, I decided
to join whatever slot was available and ended up in a cheesecake
competition! At that time, I had no experience in baking. But I
took on the challenge.
I practiced at home every day while developing my concept – a
strawberry fondue cheesecake. During the elimination round, one
chef even said that my entry was not edible. I thought I’d be
eliminated but the judges gave me a chance and a spot on the
final round because they said my concept was strong and they
saw potential in me. With tons of practice, I finished the
competition as the champion of the best cheesecake category. It
was an incredible experience and I have never looked back since!
 How and when did you decide to start your own
business,Tasteless Food Group?
Aspiras: I was working in Manila’s Fairmont and Raffles hotel in
2013. It was my second year in the dual-hotel property and I had
five years of work experience then. I was doing a consultancy job
with Unilever Philippines when my now business partner Charles
Paw offered me a chance to open a small dessert shop in (then)
his developing food hall “Hole in the Wall.” At first, I was very
hesitant because, like most chefs working in a hotel, I was very
comfortable working 10-to-11 hour shifts, five days a week,
participating in global competitions, and earning some money.
One day, I was talking to a (then) colleague, Kristine Lotilla, who
was six years my junior, and she told me about her dream of
opening her own business. I took a leap of faith and discussed
Charles’ offer with her, and we instantly decided to become
partners! We both resigned that same month, and the rest is
history. Now we have more than 20 stores and seven concepts
(including franchises) across Manila.
 What’s a good place to start exploring a
pastry business for a young chef?
Aspiras: At home! You don’t need to
pay extra for rent (at least for most).
You have control over the time you
spend on baking. You can sell products
online. I believe it is the best way to
develop your entrepreneurial skills
and your products at the same time
and learn more about your target
market without a huge capital
investment.
What are a couple of things that young pastry chefs, especially those
who’re trying to run their own business keep in mind?

Believe in your concept 3 4 Do not complain!

Be hands-on. Train, train,

Listen to your market 2 My Advice
5 train!
would be:
Do not lose hope when
Learn your target market 1 6 you face failure or
challenges
 What challenges have
this entrepreneur faced
during pandemic and
how they adapted to
overcome them?
2. What lessons can be learned from the success stories of these young
entrepreneurs, and how can they inspire other aspiring business owners?
 Future
T H A N K Dream
Y O U !
Passion
Please be inspired.
creative.
successful.