Payal Tyagi
From her banana ketchup to her black bean chilli paste, Roni Bandong’s Filipino sauces have been making waves in the UK since she launched her business in 2017. Thanks to RoniB’s (pronounced as roh-nee-bees) Kitchen, Filipino flavours are becoming more widely known across Britain, France and Spain.
Roni says, “We need to educate the unfamiliar audience in the UK about the Filipino flavours to increase its demand and popularity here.”
We caught up with Roni to find out the story behind her business.
What is the story behind your brand name – RoniB’s Kitchen?
I used my name as the brand name because our family recipes and my memories of home highly inspire the products.
When did your journey begin?
My journey began in 2016 when I went on Channel 4’s Kirstie Allsopp’s Handmade Christmas Show, where my Filipino dish (rellenong manok) won the “Best Alternative Christmas Dinner” award. Winning this award confirmed to me that Filipino food has a place in the culinary landscape of the UK.
What inspired you to start your business?
My love for Filipino food motivated me to begin because I felt that other Asian cuisines have always shadowed it. In addition, when I took a Philippine dish to a friend’s party, everybody appreciated it, which was another motivational factor for me.
Who supported you in establishing your business?
My life partner, Steve McSorley, constantly encourages me throughout my entrepreneurial journey.
How do you ensure the quality and authenticity of Filipino food in your business?
To ensure quality, I partnered with a UK manufacturer, meaning they are bound to abide by all the UK food safety standards and regulations.
I don’t want to use the word “authentic” because authentic means “made or done traditionally or originally,” implying that I would have to use the same ingredients used in the Philippines for my products. I would rather say true to traditional flavours whereby we use ingredients nearest to the original based on their availability in the UK.
What challenges did you face along the way, and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge I faced and am still facing is the recognition of Filipino food or flavours in the UK. It is always being compared with other Asian cuisines such as Thai or Chinese. We need to educate the unfamiliar audience about Filipino food to increase its liking and demand, which is also challenging in execution.
What advice would you give to our aspiring food entrepreneurs to motivate them?
Do your research. Speak to business owners doing something similar to what you want to do.
How would you like our website visitors to contact you?
Visit www.ronibkitchen.co.uk for more information, and email us at sales@ronibkitchen.co.uk. Follow us on social media X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook @ronikitchen; Instagram @ronib_kitchen.
About the author
Payal Tyagi is an experienced content strategist currently volunteering with Tinig UK as an editorial assistant. She is working on her dream project, “Travel to Muse,” a travel website that inspires, guides and entertains people who have a travel bug and even those who haven’t begun their journey yet.
