Culinary Students Make it Big with Jolly University

As the food and beverage industry becomes more and more competitive, culinary students who aspire to stand out have a chance to make it big with Jolly University. A learning program by JOLLY, one of the leading brands in canned fruits and vegetables, Jolly University encourages students to LEARN essential industry skills, CREATE career milestones, and SHARE inspiring values with others.

Already in its second year, Jolly University harnesses the students’ skills through cooking competitions while equipping them with new knowledge in the areas of Culinary, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Digital Marketing, and Personality Development. Jolly University’s three phases includes a series of School Tours, a weekend Boot Camp, and a Grand Culinary Challenge.

JOLLY UNIVERSITY School Tours 

Since January, Jolly University has visited twelve (12) universities where various talks are given such as the Trends in the Food and Beverage Industry from JOLLY Sr. Product Manager Marilou Acuna, Cooking Demonstration and Filipino Food from Nina Daza-Puyat, The Importance of Social Media by Jay Chiu of Carbon Digital, among many others.  The talks happen alongside an Intra-School Cooking Competition where three teams battle it out to win as the school’s representative and become Jolly University Elites.

Participating schools include San Sebastian College, Technological University of the Philippines (TUP), St. Louis College Valenzuela, Perpetual Help College of Manila, Far Eastern University (FEU), Universidad de Manila, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Arellano University, La Consolacion College, Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), University of Santo Tomas (UST), and National University (NU).

Technological University of the Philippines

St. Louis College Valenzuela

Each team is required to submit a food bazaar dish recipe, using the various JOLLY Food Line products. This enhances the student’s knowledge of the various JOLLY products and its usages. The activity aims to develop their creativity in coming up with innovative recipes that are perfect for a start-up business. Winners are chosen based on the following criteria: Food Execution (25%), Relevant Usage of JOLLY Food Items (25%), Organization and Sanitation (20%), Taste and Texture (20%) and Creativity and Visual Impact (10%). 

In the Intra-School Competition of the Jolly University School Tour, 

three teams compete to represent the school and become a Jolly University Elite. 

JOLLY UNIVERSITY Boot Camp

On February 28 to March 1, the winning teams from each school dubbed as “Jolly University Elites” will go through intensive training and seminar from industry leaders including Fly Ace Corporation President Jun Cochanco, Allegro Beverage Corporation President Leo de Leon, renowned chef Sau del Rosario, multi-awarded Digital Stategist Sheena Ramos, and Etiquette de Manille President Pauli Antoine. Led by the Jolly University Head Master Chef Mitchie Sison, the Jolly University Elites will be equipped with Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Culinary, Digital Marketing, and Personality Development skills – each a required skillset to be cutting edge. After the Boot Camp, each team must present a comprehensive Business Plan, the beginning of every business endeavor.

JOLLY Product Assistant Ralph Rebulanan tells, “Jolly University Elites will receive one-on-one mentorship from industry leaders. This makes Jolly University different from other culinary competitions in the country.” 

JOLLLY UNIVERSITY Grand Culinary Challenge

The culminating event happens on March 7, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Midtown Atrium, Robinson’s Place Manila. The twelve teams of Jolly University Elites will compete against each other in a live Grand Culinary Challenge.  Amidst a big audience, the students must apply the skills they have learned and come up with the best JOLLY dish that can be an actual food business start-up. Cash prizes include Php 5,000 for the 2^nd place winner, Php 10,000 for the 1^st place winner, and Php 15,000 for the Grand Prize winner. Apart from this, winners and the participating schools will receive special prizes from other brand partners. The Grand Prize winner will also participate in several projects with the JOLLY brand including recipe development among others.

JOLLY Food Line Sr. Product Manager Marilou Acuna shares, “Jolly University aims to develop future industry champions who are jolly, passion-driven and values-oriented. With the variety of JOLLY products, we encourage culinary students to ignite their creativity in developing new dishes that will cater to the palate of distinctive consumers and be a key player in our thriving food industry.”

Fly Ace Corporation President Jun Cochanco is confident that Jolly University will go a long way. “We want Jolly University to be a launch pad for distinctive students who want to make it big in their careers. We envision Jolly University to be bigger every year, touching the lives of more and more students nationwide.”

Jolly carries a wide range of canned fruits and vegetables which are staples in every pantry. Jolly Mushrooms is the No. 1 mushroom brand in the country with its consistent quality and variety of cuts – Whole Mushrooms, Piece and Stems, Premium Sliced Mushrooms, and Shiitake Mushrooms. Jolly Cream of Mushroom Soup can be used as pasta sauce or as hearty soup.

There is also Jolly Whole Corn, Jolly Cream Corn, and Jolly Young Corn which locks in the sweetness of high quality corn that Filipinos love.

Opening each Jolly can reveals the choicest vegetables including Jolly Asparagus, Jolly Garbanzos, Jolly Green Peas, Jolly Red Pimiento, Jolly Black Beans, Jolly Straw Mushrooms, Jolly Tomato Paste, and Jolly Water Chestnuts. Favorite fruits are available all year round with Jolly Lychees, Jolly Mandarin Oranges, Jolly Peach Halves, Jolly Grass Jelly, Jolly Maraschino Cherries, Jolly Pineapple, and Jolly Fruit Cocktail.

Armed with the skills to succeed, a winning recipe, and the opportunity to collaborate with one of the biggest fast moving consumer brands in the country, the Jolly University Grand Champion is sure to make it big!

Learn more about JOLLY! #jollyuniversity2015 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JollyFoods

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jollyeatsPH, and Instagram: https://instagram.com/jollyeatsPH/.

Jolly University is sponsored by Solane, Whirlpool, Uratex, Fujidenzo, Technogas, Chef’s Classics, Allegro Beverage Corporation, and Kenwood. Official media partners include Appetite, FOOD, Breakfast, Entrepreneur, Chalk, WheInManila.com, ANC, Asian Food Channel and Food Network.

Fly Ace Corporation is one of the leading food and beverage consumer goods companies in the country today. Propelling limitless multiple-category growth by bringing the best of the world closer to Filipino homes, Fly Ace Corporation’s portfolio of food and beverage products includes house brands and exclusively distributed brands. Learn more at www.flyacecorp.com.