It may be Filipino American Heritage Month, but at Fil Bake Shop in Delano, celebrating Filipino culture isn’t confined to October. It’s something that happens every day, one lady finger at a time.
From their baked pork buns, ube rolls, to their famous lady fingers, Fil Bake Shop stays busy all day — and it started with just one person.
Teresita Gabison Patricio, also known as “Tessie”, she opened Fil Bake Shop back in 1981 at the age of 33.
While she’s always had a passion for baking, she says, it wasn’t necessarily her drive for starting the business.
“I saw the needs in our community,” said Tessie.
She’s talking about Delano’s Filipino and Mexican farmworkers.
“I realize that we need some business like this so we can be able to serve them early in the morning, so they won’t go to work with an empty stomach,” said Tessie.
Tessie says every morning she opens shop at 4 am. Although, she says she wasn’t always a fan favorite, often spreading her business through word of mouth.
But 44 years later, and Tessie has constant lines out the door almost every day, selling out of many items around noon.
Aside from this, the bakery has become so popular, they are often supplying community events with their pastries at affordable prices, because to Tessie, it’s never about the money but about sharing her culture with others.
“I promised myself that after all these struggles, if I will be able to make it, I will really have the whole community, and that’s what we are doing right now,” said Tessie.
And it’s not just the locals who have fallen in love with her pastries.
“We’re from Porterville, the lady fingers those are the reasons to come here. That and the ube and cream cheese rolls that they have,” said customer Monica Conley.
As Filipino American Heritage Month is celebrated across the nation, Tessie’s story serves as a reminder of how food keeps culture alive — one roll at a time.
“In our culture, we have this early bread In the morning prepared on our table, this is like the bolio of Mexican people,” said Tessie.
Whether it’s a bag of sweets for yourself or an order for the family — Fil Bake Shop opens bright and early everyday, ensuring the community continues to have a taste of their culture.
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