Ana Lorenzana de Ocampo: Changing lives with delicious food

‘Wildflour has been one of the strongest and most vocal supporters of the farm-to-table movement’

You could say that Ana Lorenzana de Ocampo was destined to be in the world of food. She grew up surrounded by people who were passionate about food on both sides of her family. Her father’s side owned Lorins Patis. “They ran several hospitality businesses, so the food industry was always in our lives growing up.”

And because their father had always encouraged them with his entrepreneurial spirit, it came as no surprise that Ana and her sister Margarita started to dream of opening their own business. “We had always dreamt of one day putting up our own simple corner café serving homemade pastries, cakes and sandwiches—which eventually became Wildflour and all of the restaurants we now operate.”

De Ocampo, president and CEO of Wildflour, operates 15 restaurants, with its 16th store in Alabang set to open.

It is Wildflour’s constant innovation and quest for growth that helped them during the pandemic, a trying time for the restaurant industry. “We were extremely fortunate that a few weeks before the pandemic, we were able to preempt the shift to setting up our own delivery arm, Wildflour To-Go, via an Instagram shop that we launched with a payment system that allowed upfront payments, which turned out to be crucial.”

Thanks to this system, even though dine-in was put on halt, Wildflour’s restaurants continued to function as delivery hubs.

Better life

There are many things to be proud of but, De Ocampo said, “I’m proudest of the people I’ve managed to help create a better life for through this business, including our employees, our suppliers, our partners and everyone in between. While Wildflour was originally my and my sister’s dream, it has become so much more than that over the years and has allowed others to live out theirs, too.”

For over 10 years now, De Ocampo has been working with local farmers. “Wildflour has always believed that anything it can source locally at the volume and fine quality it needs, it will and it should, as not only will it entail fresher food for customers, but it means supporting local industries, as well. Thus, Wildflour has been one of the strongest and most vocal supporters of the farm-to-table movement.”

They have worked with over 60 farms including various community farms. “Many of them can attest that because Wildflour orders from them as their bread-and-butter customer, this allows them to supply other players in the industry, as well.”

They even procure produce from far-flung sources who have no other means to sell their goods. Now Wildflour sources its tomatoes exclusively from Ifugao and has expanded its reach to the Benguet area, supporting 150 family farms in the process.

De Ocampo said, “We do our best to make good use of our reputation to bring exposure to these producers, to hopefully shine a brighter light on their livelihoods and allow their businesses to grow together with us.”

People’s growth

De Ocampo loves seeing the growth of the people in her company. “As a woman, what inspires me most is seeing the people I work with succeed and rise from the ranks. There’s nothing more fulfilling than watching someone I’ve worked with grow and develop, knowing that I’ve been a part of their journey to success.”

She is also inspired by the women farmers she’s worked with. “I’ve witnessed firsthand the challenges they face. However, despite these challenges, these women farmers never fail to inspire me with their unwavering resilience, determination and hard work. Their ability to overcome adversity and succeed despite the odds is truly remarkable, and it’s an honor to be able to work alongside them and support their efforts towards sustainable and equitable agriculture.”

De Ocampo isn’t just passionate about food and business; she also finds joy in giving back and helping people succeed. She’s on the board of trustees of Habitat for Humanity Philippines, the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital Foundation and Young Musicians Development Organization, and she’s also a mentor for GoNegosyo.

“There’s something deeply fulfilling about being able to make a positive impact on someone’s life, no matter how small. I hope to be able to continue to impact others’ lives in a positive way and share our God-given blessings with more people as we go through this journey,” she said.