Mimada: Filipino Pastries in Adelaide

What started merely as a hobby during the pandemic for both Mimi and Irma, Mimada has now quickly evolved into a sought-after Filipino pastry brand here in South Australia. And true to its Spanish meaning, Mimada is here to spoil everyone with Filo sweetness and goodness.

Story posted on behalf of Spark Community — empowering Filipino entrepreneurs in Adelaide, South Australia.

Hey Paolo: When did you start your business?

We first started in 2020 during the lockdown. Along with the rest of the world during the pandemic, we got bored at home. We started baking and sharing our goodies to our friends — and to our delight, they loved it! We started posting our treats on social media and the interest grew significantly. All of a sudden, friends of friends, and even strangers, want to try our ensaymadas.

Hey Paolo: What are the products that you currently offer?

We offer: seven varieties of ensaymadas, a cheeseroll, and gourmet bibingkas in three flavours (only available during special occasions).

Hey Paolo: What inspired you to start Mimada?

We are inspired by the wonderful feedback that we get from our amazing customers. This makes us more motivated to create more products and to offer more variety. We are amazed at the lengths our customers would go through, just to satisfy their Mimada cravings!

We have regular and repeat customers who travel all the way from Murray Bridge, Kangaroo Island, Port Lincoln & Victor Harbour, and even from interstate just to order a box of ensaymadas. It’s inspiring to see how a simple lockdown hobby can grow into something that can bring joy and happy tummies to our kababayans and even to non-Filipinos too.

Hey Paolo: What were the challenges you’ve encountered while starting your business?

Primarily, time. When we started Mimada, we both had full-time jobs and we can only bake during our day offs. And as the demand continue to grow, we can only accept limited orders based on what we can physically accommodate.

We are also challenged by resources. As this started just a hobby, we had very limited resources and equipment. Our home oven can only accommodate limited baking pans at a time which restricted our ability to bake as much as we wanted. Creating our ensaymadas from start to finish requires seven-eight hours. We eventually decided it was vital to source additional equipment and tools to increase efficiency. Each Mimada piece is still handcrafted individually as we want to ensure consistency in the quality of our product.

Hey Paolo: What’s one business tip you can share to fellow entrepreneurs here in South Australia?  

Starting a business comes with uncertainty. You need to have a positive mindset that will keep you focused. Build your online presence through social media. Think of it as free marketing (Facebook & Instagram), and later on, decide what’s best for your brand. It is important to build your credibility, reputation and brand, and you can do this by having a presence in social media.

Hey Paolo: What makes Filipino entrepreneurs exceptional in business?

We are extremely hardworking and driven.

Hey Paolo: How can people purchase your products?

We have a multitude of resellers that believe in our products, so you can satisfy your Mimada cravings from anywhere in Adelaide. You can also contact us directly on 0415 355 885 or via Instagram & Facebook messenger to place your orders.