MANILA — At Bridgetowne in Pasig, Mercato Centrale has built a following as a late-day food market, with small vendors rotating through its stalls and drawing steady evening crowds.
Last weekend, the space was given over to a smaller field.
Ten food startups took part in the final round of The Next Big Food Entrepreneur (NBFE) 2026, each operating a stall and serving their products to the public while judges evaluated entries based on flavor, concept, execution, and market response.
PokéBee was named the grand winner. The concept, run by a husband-and-wife team, focuses on Hawaiian-style poke bowls with fresh fish, customizable toppings, and house-made sauces.
Agepan Japanese Fried Bread placed second, while Ancestre, a ready-to-eat Filipino food brand based on a family recipe dating back to 1965, placed third.
Other awards went to Jhay’s Kitchen, which received the Magnolia Culinary Edge Award, and Cube Bread MNL, which took the GCash Business Rising Award.
The program is part of Mercato Centrale’s efforts to develop small food businesses. Several brands that started in its markets have since expanded into standalone restaurants, including Mama Lou’s, Merry Moo, Sunrise Buckets, Thai Mango, and Tokyo Tempura.
Mercato CEO RJ Ledesma said the program looks for concepts that can scale beyond a single stall. More than 60 entries were submitted to this year’s edition, beginning with a nationwide call and followed by product tastings and a business bootcamp covering pricing, branding, and operations.
The program concludes with a final round where finalists present and sell their concepts directly to the public. As the grand winner, PokéBee receives six months of free rent at a Mercato Centrale site, along with mentorship and partner support.
