Zeelandia, an international bread and confectionery trade company signed a memorandum of agreement with Davao City Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) on Friday to supply baking supplies to the recently-launched Taste of Grace Bakery as part of the jail’s rehab project.
The opening of the bakery was graced by Davao City BJMP Female Jail Warden Superintendent Grace Sun Taculin, Operations Manager of Zeelandia Asia Pacific Nostradamus Payot, Jenny Abasques of Kitchen Pantry Pastry and Cooking Supplies, Zeelandia’s Davao-based distributor and importer and representatives from the city government of Davao City.
Supt. Taculin expressed her gratitude to the individuals and companies that made the partnership possible, adding that the bakery will serve as an income generating project for the inmates to provide financial assistance to their respective families despite their situation.
According to her, Zeelandia has made its way to the BJMP after a visiting chef had seen the potentials of the institution and tapped a friend connected to the company to provide not only baking supplies but technical assistance as well.
Taculin added that Edgar Teh of Maharlika Sports Institute who was a regular partner of BJMP in its sports rehab program, has provided baking equipment such as oven and rollers amounting to P40,000 to P80,000.
Zeelandia Sales Account Executive Imelda Justiniani explained that based on the agreement, Zeelandia will supply the raw materials through its Davao-based distributor Kitchen Pantry Pastry and Cooking Supplies for one year, as well as provide training and assistance to the inmates in baking breads, cakes and pastries.
On the part of BJMP, Supt. Taculin said that they will provide the inmates medical certificates and comply with the requirements for the business to operate.
The female warden further explained that Zeelandia has already sent a technical team on October to conduct a one-week bread, cake and pastry baking lessons and workshop to the first batch of interested inmates which was followed by another batch of trainees.
The outcomes of their training were served during the MOA signing which was also a taste-test if their products will be saleable to the public.
“We will cater outside orders as soon as we receive a permit to operate outside,” said the warden.
The Royal Zeelandia Group, or Zeelandia, is a professional bread and confectionery trade worldwide with high-quality baking ingredients. Founded in 1900 the company’s core business was to produce rusk jelly for local bakers in the Dutch coastal province of Zeeland. Over the following decades, the company steadily expanded its portfolio and international scope, earning the designations ‘Purveyor to the Royal household’ (1925) and ‘Royal’ (1950) along the way.
