By Jose Paolo S. dela Cruz
For this hard working lady, the slow down in the tourism sector paved the way to a healthy and thriving food business. And so began her trips to the kitchen.
In a report published earlier this year, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said that the world tourism sector is set to lose at least $1.2 trillion, no thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. And that was just a few months into the lockdowns!
But even before such a report was published, travel operator Gigibeth Santiago of Airspace Travel & Tours Inc. was already feeling the brunt of the new normal. “Our clients were a little hesitant to get on an airplane in recent months. We are facing our biggest challenge yet, but I am confident that we can all bring back those smiles and make travel exciting and lucrative again,” she shares.
If anything, these slow days inspired Gigibeth to put her thinking cap on and, like many of us, came up with an online business that could help her and her family weather the storm. Thus, Hive n’ Thrive was born.
“There is a subliminal message in our brand name. Hive N’ Thrive – which came from my brother-in-law, Christian Dayag – evokes the deep values of family, unity and resourcefulness, which we believe will see us through this pandemic,” says the travel executive, who in previous years spent much of her time touring her innumerable clients around the world, with her husband and children in tow – as her assistants!
Diving into a market rife with sushi bake, ube pandesals, steak-on-delivery and the like, Gigibeth and her merry band of kitchen musketeers created restaurant-quality snacks that are healthy as they are delectable. “Our products are made from choice ingredients and are always freshly prepared right before delivery,” she says, emphasizing that a healthy and balanced diet is very important in warding off potential diseases.
A family affair, indeed, Gigi’s brother-in-law, Peewee Napolda, helped formulate the recipes and menu, drawing inspiration from his extensive work experience in international food outlets. Her son, Matt, on the other hand, put his photography skills to good use by coming up with materials for their collaterals. Her other children are in charge of the logistics.
From its four dishes in mid-June, Hive n’ Thrive has since expanded to include items such as the bestselling grilled chicken wrap and kani salad.
The chicken wrap is a must-have for those who are looking to eat well, without piling on the unnecessary calories. Made of grilled chicken breast wrapped in a soft tortilla, the dish is flavorful yet light to the taste. It’s a guilt-free indulgence, even with full servings of the honey mustard sauce that they create from scratch. An all-vegetable alternative is also available for those who are on an even stricter diet.
Also equally delightful are their plethora of sandwiches, which include the sumptuous Double Philly Cheesesteak sub and the Teriyaki Chicken in thousand island dressing. For those who want to keep the carbs to a minimum, there’s also the kani salad that comes in generous portions, making it more of a meal than a snack, really.
While the food business has offered a momentary respite, Gigibeth remains optimistic that people will want to go out and explore the world once a vaccine becomes available. For the meantime though, it’s back to the kitchen for her and the family – as they hive n’ thrive the pandemic away.
“We are all in it to win the fight against COVID-19, so, cheers to better days ahead. Demand will come back stronger than ever once the situation is over,” she concludes.
