“I want people to try new things" New Filipino bakery opens in the High Peak

Ann-Marie Eastmond moved to the UK in 1989, and has always loved cooking things that remind her of home.

Now she has taken the plunge and opened her own home bakery.

She said: “I love baking, it’s very therapeutic and makes me feel very happy.

“Over the years friends and family have tried my Filipino baked goods and everyone loves them and people kept telling me I should sell them to a wider audience so I thought I’d give it a go.”

The Cherry Pinay bakery operates from her home in Whaley Bridge and offers local home delivery or national delivery via post.

Ann-Marie said: “Bread is very different from the bread over here, it's much sweeter.”

She said it took a few attempts to create the perfect pandesal bread recipe from which the other dishes are created.

There is a very distinct purple bread, or ube pandesal, made with yam jam and the Ensaymada, is a sweet and savory brioche-like bread topped with buttercream and grated cheese.

Ann-Marie said: “There is nothing like this available in the High Peak.

“I want people to try new things and expand their horizons.

“Because things are so different, people ask me how they should be eating certain things, warmed up, on its own, as a bread for a sandwich and that’s great.

“It means people are curious and want to get things right.”

Ann-Marie has to travel to Stockport or Manchester to get the Filipino ingredients.

Some things, she says western substitutes can be used.

Filipino cooking using a lot of condensed milk which was brought over when Americans were in the country.

Now at the start of her culinary journey Ann-Marie does not have plans to open a shop or cafe.

“Maybe in the future but I don’t want to run before I can walk.

“Right now I’m enjoying where I am with the bakery and bringing the taste of my home, where I grew up.”

To shop at the Cherry Pinay Bakery visit cherrypinay.com