March is all about National Women’s Month, and what better way to celebrate than to get to know a little bit more about the empowering women behind Sweet Success!
It all began with Zeny Tong, a full time homemaker and mother of four, who chose to focus on baking despite having her start in the catering industry. In 2010, Marjorie Tong-Ko, her youngest daughter, left the corporate world and joined the business full time to lend her mom a helping hand. Today, the Sweet Success dream lives on as they whisk away in their home kitchen with creativity and passion.
Ever wondered what got them into the art of baking in the first place? We asked them for you in a quick round of Q&A:
How did you first learn how to bake?
Zeny: I enrolled in baking classes when my children started going to school and I had more free time to learn things which interest me.
Marjorie: I got my interest for baking because of my mom. I remember at a young age, we would spend a lot of our time in the kitchen helping her. I’ll be her assistant in breaking the eggs and sifting and measuring the ingredients. On summer breaks, my mom would enroll me in short course baking and cake decorating classes.
What do you love most about baking?
Zeny: Baking is like a quiet, moving meditation for me. Because it is an exact science and I also work alone, I am focused and concentrated in the process to get a perfect result. I’ve been baking regarding regularly since giving the goodies to family and friends, who, in turn, asked me to teach them. Together with Marjorie, we started teaching young wives and children how to bake and decorate.
Marjorie: I love the science aspect of baking. You get different results every time you bake. It makes you yearn on how to perfect the recipe. Baking is also fulfilling for me, especially when you get to see the satisfaction and happiness from your family and friends after eating your dessert.
What is one thing you haven’t baked yet but want to try out soon? Why?
Zeny: I am fond of breads but finding time for me to bake them regularly is a challenge.
Marjorie: There are cakes that we are in the process of developing and researching. This is also the reason why I enjoy doing customized cakes as I get to be creative. I love meeting the requirements of my clients and at the same time, I still get to unleash the artist in me, playing with colors and exploring design techniques as each cake has it’s own challenges.
