Beyond the baker
In the quiet language of hospitality, it is often the unseen hands that shape the experience. The ones that work before guests arrive. They fold, measure, wait, and taste. These are the baker’s hands. And in the case of Trisha del Rosario-Lacson, founder and baker of 50 & Co. Bakery, those hands have been at work for longer than you’d think.
It began not with ambition, but with familiarity. Growing up, she would watch her grandmother bake in their home in Marikina—a quiet, formative image that stayed with her. Years later, while living in the Bay Area, she could not find the ensaymada she grew up with. So she made it herself.
And what began as a craving, or a longing for something familiar, became a craft.
From 50 Shades of Dough to 50 & Co. Bakery
Ensaymada, now one of her bestsellers, was her first creation and first teacher—in patience, precision, and restraint. It taught her the value of consistency.
The original name, 50 Shades of Dough, reflected that early spirit of exploration. Then the evolution into 50 & Co. Bakery came naturally as the work expanded beyond one person.
No moment captures that growth better than the presence of Yaya Ning, her nanny in San Francisco, who became her first assistant and collaborator. What began as two people in a home kitchen has since grown into a small, devoted team—many of them connected through Yaya Ning herself. They arrived through trust, loyalty, and relationships that long predate any business plan.
No shortcuts—just intuitive baking and a taste of home
Del Rosario-Lacson’s philosophy is rooted in restraint and intuition. She believes in intuitive baking—the kind that comes from experience: reading dough, understanding fermentation, recognizing when something is ready without needing to be told.
Shortcuts are not part of her vocabulary. 50 & Co. even mills its own grain to create its flour blend. For her, understanding the process fully is what allows instinct and precision to become one.
And that philosophy now has a home. 50 & Co. Bakery operates from a creative space at the New Solid Building on Jupiter Street, Makati City. It is, in every sense, the right address for something worth seeking out.
“For Trish, it was more of a challenge than an inspiration—to challenge the idea that a commissary has to feel purely operational,” says designer Carol Karthe.
The space is anything but utilitarian. Outside, a terrazzo bench stamped “50&Co” sits beside an umbrella stand. Inside, a hot pink chandelier with black velvet lampshades sets a playful tone that feels entirely her.
An Ito Kish lamp stand, inspired by cathedral candelabras, offers a subtle nod to how good pastry has a way of brightening someone’s day. Home accessories by House of O add craft and texture, while curated objects soften the space with warmth and whimsy. Del Rosario-Lacson’s personality is present in every corner—someone who loves food, takes her craft seriously, and knows how to have a good time.
It’s all in the details
For her, hospitality is care and consideration. Her earliest memory of feeling truly welcomed is tied to a table that felt abundant yet effortless, something she now tries to reflect in her own work.
It is not designed to grab attention yet it leaves a lasting impression through quiet precision and care.
The food follows the same logic. Bread, pastries, cakes, savories—they create pause, reason, and rhythm. Her creations stay close to the Filipino palate not by chasing trends, but by refining what already works: better ingredients, small adjustments, and deep respect for what her clients grew up eating—gently introduced to a broader market.
For planned gatherings, office meetings, or spontaneous get-togethers, 50 & Co. fits seamlessly into everyday life. Del Rosario-Lacson has built a quiet cult following—people who order in advance, recommend her without prompting, and return not out of habit, but out of trust. Consistency is what keeps them coming back. Not novelty. Not spectacle.
And when something goes wrong, she makes it right. Service is non-negotiable.
Del Rosario-Lacson’s references are equally revealing. A red velvet cupcake from Sibby’s in the Bay Area is something she still thinks about. And if she could host anyone at her table, it would be Anthony Bourdain, for his understanding that food is always connected to something deeper than itself.
Hospitality as part of the experience
Some bakers make things that taste good. Del Rosario-Lacson makes things that are not only delicious but also meaningful—to her, and perhaps to us as well.
What is beyond the baker? Hospitality and care, even in the smallest of spaces.
Del Rosario-Lacson carries that same sensibility. In her commissary’s powder room, there is quiet attention—hand soap from D.S. & Durga’s Big Sur After Rain, folded paper towels with a softness and weight reminiscent of Charmin, and an Apparatus Studio Horsehair sconce in Palomino, casting a warm glow against an industrial space softened by purple mood lighting, creating a calm, balanced atmosphere.
It brings to mind the small discoveries that stay with you long after—a bit like my first encounter with Aesop hand soap in the washroom of Breizh Café in Paris years ago: a dark amber bottle, minimal and almost sculptural, with a scent and texture that lingered both on the skin and in memory. Even here, hospitality is not an afterthought, but part of the everyday experience.
Some things are worth planning ahead for. This is one of them.
Find her on Instagram at @50andcobakery. Pickup orders at New Solid Building, Jupiter Street, Makati City. Advance orders are encouraged. To place an order, contact +63 917 864 0111
50 & Co. Bakery sweets and savories
A curated selection of sweets and savories made for sharing, celebration, and everyday indulgence
- Coffee crunch cake: Blum’s-inspired cake from San Francisco
- Chocolate ganache cake: Moist layers with premium couverture chocolate ganache
- Mixed berry chantilly cake: Sponge, chantilly, berries, and buttercream
- Burnt butter chocolate chip cookies: Browned butter with Belgian chocolate
- Lemon torte: Six layers of dacquoise with lemon curd and cream
- Burnt butter cereal polvoron: Buttery, crisp, tasty treat
- Empanadas: Thin, buttery, flaky pastry shell filled with chicken, jamón Brie with fig, and mushroom with truffle
- Roasted whole turkey with stuffing: Golden roasted turkey, served with gravy and sides
- Pancit palabok: A Filipino classic with shrimp broth sauce, topped with shrimp, garlic, chicharon, egg, and calamansi
- Roasted leg of lamb: Slow-roasted with herbs and garlic, served with gravy
