“Mortgage” book of salary to realize the dream

After several appointments, I finally met Nguyen Thi Hoa last weekend to listen to her sharing about the charm and procedure to bring the waffle to homeland.

She recalled the happy moment long time ago when 5 children in her family received the waffle as the gift from their parent after each time they went to market for selling things. Since then, the flavour of the rustic cake has reminded Hoa about the hard childhood.

Nguyen Thi Hoa inspects the waffle quality.

After graduating from the college degree of National University of Art Education 2011, Hoa has worked as an Art teacher at Gateway Primary School (Hanoi city).

“After going to work and earning salary, I spend a part to my parent and a part to satisfy my journeys to discover the country land. In 2014, I had a chance to taste the waffle in a trip to Ho Chi Minh city and wished to bring the cake to my homeland in order to create more job to my family and keep the traditional flavour”.

Then Hoa searched to buy two machines to press waffle. When returning to Hanoi city, she researched the waffle making recipe and offered her friends to taste the cakes as well as sold them online after the teaching time.

In the middle of 2016, good feedback from customers inspired Hoa to persuade her parent to allow her to use the front yard as the shop. Then, Hoa mortgaged her book of salary to borrow 70 million VND (3,000 USD) from bank to invest in building the factory, buying 50 pressing machines and materials to realize the dream. To improve the productivity, Hoa and her boyfriend renovated the coal driven machine to power one.

Preserve the soul of traditional cake

Gradually Hoa found out the secrete of waffle making to satisfy the customers’ taste. In April 2019, she completed all procedures to establish Hung Phu Cooperative under her chair.

From initial 50 machines, she expands the production model up to 200 pressing machines, create stable jobs and incomes to 13 local labourers. Together with the traditional round waffle, Hung Phu Cooperative produces long waffle with various tastes of coconut, green tea and cinnamon.

Hoa shared that it is very important to make the powder and mix condiment while the makers should spend enough time for each step so that the waffle is not too solid.

To expand the market and promote the product on social networks, Hoa has built 12 distributors in the Northern provinces, helping sell out all products. recently, she has transported the first batch of waffle to the Southern region.

Monthly, Hung Phu Cooperative produces 5.5 – 6 tonnes of waffle. Excluding the production cost and workers’ salary, Hoa gains nearly 30 million VND per month.

“In 2019, Ong Phu waffle made by Hung Phu Cooperative was recognized by the Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee as the typical rural products. In 2020, I was granted with the title of outstanding ethnic youth by the provincial Youth Union which is great award for me to continue the dream to introduce the waffle further,” Hoa said.

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