- What is the most delicious
cheese bread in Pampanga? - The most delicious cheese bread
is the one from LBS. - This is the best one. - LBS Bakeshop
is the number one in Pampanga. - It's delicious. - The best cheese bread
in Pampanga is from LBS. - The taste of the cheesebread
is very homey, and with every bite,
it's the same feeling as when your mother's
hugging you. - It's nighttime,
just as the people in San Fernando, Pampanga
are probably tossing and turning in their sleep,
the bakers of the humble bakery
in Barangay Sto. Rosario toss and turn
several kilos of dough for their famed cheese bread
and other pastries, thousands of them,
to be sold in the morning. - I'm Leila Santiago,
the 3rd generation owner of LBS Bakeshop. Our bakery business
originally started with my grandmother baking
in Arayat. We moved from Arayat
to San Fernando. We had a supplier
of bakery ingredients here who offered us their space,
and that’s where we started LA Bakeshop. So, my mother
and the owner of the space, Angeline, became partners. The name came
from their initials, Leoni and Ange,
hence the name LA Bakeshop. My grandmother used
to barter goods from Arayat and bring them to Divisoria. There was a time
when the traders didn't have cash to pay her,
so they paid her with flour. Eventually, we had
so much flour that we decided to open a bakery. That's how
Julia's Bakery started. My parents also learned the trade
because they helped out in the bakery,
and it was eventually passed down to our generation. When my dad got married,
the management was handed over to my parents. My mother and Angeline
were partners in LA Bakeshop, which started in 1985. We were partners for 20 years,
but perhaps God had other plans for us,
so they themselves said they wanted us to separate. It just so happened
that our current location was offered to us
at that time. We decided to use
my mother's name, Leonila B. Santiago,
and added "bakeshop and kitchenette." That's how our LBS started
in 2008. - Run by 3rd and 4th generation
of Santiagos, LBS bakes their cheese bread
fresh every day. A well-guarded recipe
that many have been trying to duplicate but fall short off
every time. - The story of the cheese bread
began when we had a baker apply to us,
and he sort of demoed the cheese pandesal,
that's what we called his creation. Since my mother was really
into the bakery business, they improved the recipe
until we arrived at what the cheese bread
is today. So from cheese pandesal,
it evolved into cheese bread. - To meet the huge demand
of their cheese bread, LBS bakes
their prized golden bites in two batches: one at night to be sold
during the opening hours and another at noon
to be sold in the afternoon. There's only one guarantee
and that is everything will be gone
by the end of the day. - On average,
we produce 8,000 to 10,000 pieces per day,
which translates to around 300 plus boxes a day. Each box of cheese bread
contains 30 pieces, but we also offer a mix
with Spanish bread, with 10 pieces of Spanish bread and 20 pieces of cheese bread. Spanish bread is also one
of our bestsellers. In making cheese bread,
we use basic ingredients like flour, sugar, shortening,
and margarine. However, the special crumble
on top of the cheese bread involves a special mixture
that we make using imported ingredients
which gives it its creamy, soft, and cheesy goodness. That's what enhances
its flavor. Our regular customers
almost buy cheese bread from us every day.
And it's affordable. Even abroad, many people
bring cheese bread home. It's really heartwarming
to see that. There was a time
when someone came from Norway and went out
of their way to get our cheese bread here. Since we were young,
we helped in wrapping the bread we made. Every afternoon,
we sold hot pandesal. It was me, my sister Pai,
and our cousin. The three of us carried
a drum filled to the brim with hot pandesal
as we walked around selling them. We enjoyed it,
and at the same time, we earned a little for our work. We now have
three branches of LBS. Our main branch
is here downtown, and another branch
is along MacArthur Highway. The last branch is located
on Sto. Rosario Street in Angeles City. When they come here,
they also try other dishes like palabok, sisig, and the famous barbeque here
in San Fernando. Of course, that also helps us
Kapampangans. When it comes
to Kapampangan food, it's manyaman (delicious). It seems like it's also
a big deal to bring cheese bread here in San Fernando. You can use it for anything—
family gatherings, parties, gifts, giveaways
for Christmas. That's what we share
with our relatives and friends. When you eat the cheese bread,
you really remember the person who gave it to you.
