Our Story

The story of the beloved and crowd favorite, Ms. Polly’s chocolate cake, can be traced back to Cebu in the 1950s. As a young girl, Polly, our company’s namesake, grew up watching her mother and older sister whip up baked treats, the aroma of which would waft throughout their home. At the tender age of ten years old, she was given the opportunity to start baking whatever she wished to. Polly remembers that the very first thing she made were Sombrero Cookies - a cookie baked with a large marshmallow on top that came out of the oven looking like a native hat. These forays into the kitchen sparked Polly’s lifelong love for baking and baked goodies. The founding of the business was however, borne out of her love for family.

As a young, married woman Polly decided to quit her job and be with her 2 children full- time. Still, she wanted to contribute to the family expenses and enjoy some financial independence. As Christmas was her favorite time of the year she began baking fruitcakes and prune bars during the holiday season. Encouraged by the success of her seasonal enterprise, Polly started to take baking classes, experimenting with recipes and ingredients until her family (always her first critics) would give their product approval. Slowly other products were offered until she had enough products to fill a sheet of bond paper.

The classic, no frills, Chocolate Cake, was made available in the Shell convenience store in Magallanes (Makati). It became the undisputed public favorite, and soon earned the moniker as the Magallanes chocolate cake. The Sans Rival, Chocolate Cake with Caramel Filling, and the Chocolate Cake with Mocha Frosting (which she named Brown Derby), soon found their own fans.

Ms Polly’s philosophy has always been “Value For Money” - quality products sold at an affordable price to a wide range of people. The company’s logo, The Tree Of Life, supports that vision and so much more. Polly hopes that the enterprise can be a source of some good and happiness not only for her family but also for her patrons and the team working behind it. Ms. Polly’s thanks everyone who has been with us these past decades. We are grateful for your support over the years, and we hope to continue serving you in the future.

Chocolate Cake

Sans Rival