“When people come back home, their palates are different. They’ve tasted the world, and I knew Leyte was ready.”
IN a quiet corner of Palo, Leyte — tucked away from busy commercial strips and impulsive foot traffic — stands Kreme 23, a French artisanal bakery that has become an unlikely destination for customers traveling from Tacloban, Ormoc, Maasin, Biliran, and beyond.
People do not stumble upon it by accident; they seek it out, drawn by word of mouth, the promise of long fermentation and a philosophy that values patience as much as profit.
At the heart of Kreme 23 is Kristia Reposar, a baker, entrepreneur and co-founder, whose journey to sourdough was neither linear nor romanticized. It was a path shaped by self-doubt, grief, migration and an unrelenting need to prove — mostly to herself — that she could stand on her own.
“Growing up, I wasn’t confident. I was really dependent on my parents, couldn’t even make simple decisions, and that scared me,” Reposar told The Manila Times.
Before bread became her language, Reposar managed her family’s resort in Leyte. However, a personal drive for independence pushed her to leave the Philippines and chase opportunities abroad. She took an internship in New York, where she was later hired full time. Deciding to pursue baking professionally, she felt a need to deepen her understanding of sourdough and transferred to France for further training.
What she encountered there was far from ideal. “I went through a hard time, but it helped me grow,” she recalled. “Being Asian and a woman meant I was expected to fail in that environment.”
Instead of walking away, Reposar leaned in. She volunteered for overtime when others avoided it, requested evaluations every three months and wrote down goals she intended to manifest. “I truly believed that what you think, you attract,” she said. “So I worked like someone who already knew she would succeed.”
Her perseverance paid off. After a year, she was absorbed as a full-time baker and eventually earned the trust to manage her own bakery in Union Square. It was during this period that her relationship with bread evolved beyond mere skill. “I realized baking wasn’t just a job anymore,” she said. “It was survival, dignity and proof that I could build something with my own hands.”
The vision for Kreme 23 began forming quietly. Reposar wanted to bring authentic French sourdough to Leyte, but with a meaning beyond novelty. She envisioned food that was healthier, intentional and accessible to a community that had grown more discerning, particularly after Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) pushed many locals to work and live abroad.
“When people come back home, their palates are different,” she said. “They’ve tasted the world, and I knew Leyte was ready.”
The name “Kreme” was a deliberate choice, symbolizing richness and elevation; the “K” spelling is a nod to her and her son, who share the initial. “Cream always rises to the top,” Reposar said. “That’s our reminder — that no matter the struggle, we rise.”
Established in 2022 as an online venture, Kreme 23 entered the market with a bold proposition: loaves priced higher than mass-produced bread, made without sugar, shortcuts or compromise.
“The following year, we opened our physical store,” she said. “People asked me, ‘Why would anyone buy a P170 loaf when they can buy pandesal?’ But we weren’t selling cheap bread; we were offering a different purpose.”
That purpose found balance in Clément Delanaud, Kreme 23’s executive pastry chef and Reposar’s partner in both life and business. A native of France, Delanaud’s culinary path followed traditional apprenticeship at 15, followed by years of training in pastry, chocolate and cuisine across France and South America.
“For me, pastry was always about discipline,” Delanaud told The Manila Times. “Technique, time and respect for the process.”
Unlike Reposar, Delanaud did not initially plan to open a bakery abroad. “I only wanted a cozy place,” he said. “Somewhere people feel relaxed, eat good food, drink coffee and stay.”
Their partnership began unexpectedly during the pandemic when Reposar was assigned to the bakery Delanaud supervised in France. However, when Reposar became pregnant, reality intervened. France presented steep economic challenges: high living costs and childcare expenses. Leyte offered a different path.
“I didn’t force him. I told him to come, observe and decide,” Reposar said. Delanaud arrived hesitant but curious. “I went to the market, learned how to haggle, started learning Waray, liked the people, liked the rhythm, and slowly, it felt like home,” he said.
Today, Delanaud works in Leyte by choice. “We didn’t want marriage for papers,” Reposar added. “We wanted everything to be intentional.”
That intentionality defines Kreme 23’s operations. All breads undergo 24- to 48-hour fermentation, while pizza dough rests for up to 72 hours. Sugar is minimal or nonexistent, honey replaces refined sweeteners, and dark chocolate is preferred over processed alternatives.
“Fermentation changes everything,” Delanaud explained. “Texture, flavor, digestibility — if you rush it, you lose the soul of the product.”
The bakery’s offerings — sourdough loaves, tarts, tiramisu and artisan pizza — are French in technique but Filipino in adaptation. Ube, mango and other local ingredients are incorporated thoughtfully to preserve authenticity while grounding the menu in the region.
Beyond the oven, Kreme 23 serves as a training ground for local youth. Most of the 14 staff members are in their early 20s; some are working students, while others had no prior experience.
“We don’t hire based on resumes; we hire based on attitude,” Reposar stressed. “This bakery is not a charity; it is a place that gives people purpose.”
The transition wasn’t without hurdles. Sourcing proper flour in a market unfamiliar with European protein standards was difficult, and training staff from scratch took time. In France, one supplier provides everything; in the Philippines, Delanaud had to navigate a fragmented supply chain. “It took us almost one year to get it right,” he said.
Despite the demand, Kreme 23 has no immediate plans to branch out. Instead, they are expanding their commissary capacity to supply more consistently without overstretching their standards. “Expansion is not just our decision,” Reposar said. “Our staff must be ready, and quality must be protected.”
For Reposar, the bakery is also a vessel for healing following the loss of her brother to suicide in 2010. “This is my way of finding joy amidst sorrow,” she said.
Asked for advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, the founders returned to the patience required by their bread. “Believe in yourself, never burn bridges, be grateful and remember — whatever you believe, you manifest,” Reposar said.
Delanaud added: “Problems will come, but if you work with patience and you don’t forget your dream, the result will be good.”
Like sourdough, Kreme 23 did not rise overnight. It fermented — slowly, deliberately and with care. Today, it stands as proof that when purpose leads, even the simplest loaf carries a story worth the journey.
QUICK QUESTIONS
What is your biggest fear?
Delanaud: Losing my family.
Reposar: To lose my family and fail in providing for my family.
What really makes you angry?
Delanaud: It usually takes time for me to get really mad over something.
Reposar: When people are not using their common sense.
What motivates you to work hard?
Delanaud: It’s been instilled in me to always give my 100 percent. Whether at work or in life, I don’t do things halfway. I give everything I can.
Reposar: The people who rely on me — our staff, my friends and my family. But most especially, Killian, our son, and Clement. They are all my “why.”
What makes you laugh the most?
Delanaud: Kristia and my son, both of them are funny and silly. They’re really fun to be with.
Reposar: Our son Killian, my nephews and nieces, especially Mia, Thea and Kaira, and of course, Clement.
What would you do if you won the lotto?
Delanaud: Learn again, invest into our staff to give them the opportunity to make their lives better.
Reposar: Same with Clement, but I would like to add invest wisely that would help secure ours and our son’s future, and also to build charitable foundations for kids and mental health.
If you could share a meal with any individual, living or dead?
Delanaud: Maybe Amaury Guichon — The master of chocolate creation.
Reposar: My younger brother. I would love to hear his stories and his laugh again.
What was the last book you read?
Delanaud: My son’s book for a night story.
Reposar: “Mentoring 101” by John Maxwell.
Which celebrity would you like to meet for a cup of coffee?
Delanaud: Nina Meteyer — The best pastry chef in the world.
Reposar: Eric Kayser — and ask him the same question he always asks me: “Are you happy?”
What is the most daring thing you have ever done?
Delanaud: Probably traveling alone. It is scary but I have learned a lot.
Reposar: Going to New York and Paris — cities I worked in with nothing but faith and determination.
What is the one thing you will never do again?
Delanaud: Nothing really ... If I am here today it is because of my experience and my mistakes. Mistakes are normal, learn from them, and you will get better.
Reposar: Probably nothing. Life has a way of teaching you through both joy and pain. I’ve learned to embrace the journey. Every mistake and experience makes you who you are. Just trust the process, no matter how hard it gets.
The sourdough secret: A baker’s glossary
To appreciate the “soul” of a French loaf, it helps to understand the vocabulary of the craft. Here are the key terms that set artisanal baking apart from mass-produced bread:
– Long fermentation: The process of letting dough rest for 24 to 72 hours. This allows natural enzymes to break down gluten and phytic acid, making the bread easier to digest and creating a complex, tangy flavor profile.
– Crumb structure: This refers to the pattern of holes and the texture inside the bread. A “wild” or “open” crumb features large, irregular air pockets, which is a hallmark of high-quality, high-hydration sourdough.
– Sourdough starter (Levain): A fermented mixture of flour and water that contains wild yeast and beneficial bacteria. Unlike commercial bread that uses instant yeast, sourdough relies entirely on this “living” culture for its rise.
– Artisanal: A term used to describe food produced by hand using traditional, non-mechanized methods. In baking, this means avoiding chemical improvers, preservatives and artificial sweeteners.
– Scoring: The intentional cuts made on the surface of the dough before baking. While often decorative, scoring is functional; it controls the expansion of the loaf in the oven (the “oven spring”) so it doesn’t burst at the seams.
– Hydration: The ratio of water to flour in a recipe. Higher hydration doughs are more difficult to handle but result in a crispier crust and a lighter, more airy interior.