Fit Food Manila founder Ryan Serrano had his first Ben’s cookie as a pasalubong from Tokyo.
“It was love at first bite!” he said. So he coordinated with the English company last year and got the rights to distribute the famous cookies which were hand-carried from Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong. Ben’s Cookies’ first branch in the Philippines opened on July 16 at The Podium—and they “are the cheapest in the world.”
The cookies come in 14 flavors and sold at P90 each: Dark Chocolate Chunk, White Chocolate Chunk, Milk Chocolate Chunk, Double Chocolate Chunk, Triple Chocolate Chunk, Double Chocolate & Nut, Orange & Milk Chocolate, Oatmeal & Raisin, Lemon, Fruit & Nut, Praline & Milk Chocolate, Cranberry & White Chocolate, Macadamia & White Chocolate, Peanut & Milk Chocolate.
Try all the flavors
For P900, one may buy a box of 15 cookies and try all the flavors, making it just P60 apiece. They’re also available in red tin cans.
Feeling extra? Add gelato and make it a Cookie Monster. Flavors are Cappuccino, Black Sesame, Dark Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry and Matcha.
To ensure quality, the dough is shipped premixed and frozen, and baked fresh in The Podium store which looks fancier than the grab-and-go kiosks in other locations.
“We want it to become part of the local lifestyle—the cookies that parents bring to playdates, the ones gifted to friends, the sweets kept in the jar at home,” Serrano said.
Very British cookies
Ben’s Cookies was named after the son of cookbook author Helge Rubenstein. It was established in 1983 in England, with a logo designed by British artist Quentin Blake who also illustrated children’s books by author Roald Dahl.
The well-loved Ben’s Cookies are known for having generous chocolate chunks instead of chips. They’re rich but not cloyingly sweet, moist and satisfying. It smells so good, you’ll ditch your diet.
—PHOTOS BY IRENE PEREZ
“I believe in balance,” Serrano reminded. “Fit Food helps people eat good, look good and feel great on most days of the week, Ben’s Cookies is for once-in-a-while indulgence.”
Ben’s Cookies is at G/F, The Podium, Mandaluyong. Visit www.benscookies.ph; follow @benscookiesph on Instagram.
