As it is known, Igorot Chef JR Royol will host the newest show of GMA News TV’s “Farm To Table.” What makes him the perfect fit for the show?
This question was answered by senior program manager Ian Roxas during the show’s virtual media conference on Tuesday, February 16. According to them, Chef JR emerged among the rest of the auditionees.
“He stood out. Interview pa lang, stand out na siya,” Roxas said.
Gigi Santiago Lara, the Senior Assistant Vice President of GMA Network shared that upon reaching the potential hosts, it was Chef JR who shined the most.
“So what we did was nag-research ‘yung staff. Naghanap sila ng mga young chefs na may interest sa farm-to-table concept. Kasi sa TV we haven’t done the farm-to-table concept yet. So nag-reach out ‘yung researcher ‘nung team, tinawagan yung iba-ibang young chef for an interview. Sa interview palang stand out na si Chef JR,” Lara said.
Moreover, the team behind the show did not mention that the auditionees will do a farm-to-table concept.
“To clarify, when we contacted several chefs, hindi kami nagsabi kung ano ‘yung show. We just said a cooking show,” Roxas said.
Lara admitted that they hit the mark with Chef JR for the reason the show, which is farm-to-table, is also an advocacy of the program’s host even before casting.
“Ang swerte namin, na nag-fit lahat. Yung concept, tapos siya meron din siyang farm-to-table advocacy,” Lara revealed.
When asked if Chef JR really advocates farm-to-table, he admitted that it is his advocacy and the show really puts his campaign into many heights.
“Even if we backtracked my career with [the] hospitality industry, this is something that I have been very conscious [of]. And very aware ako na gusto ko i-integrate with my menu,” Chef JR said.
The chef even shared that he used to get in touch with the organic farmers to help them spread the benefits of farm-to-table.
“I used to tap with other organic farms, mga samahan ng farmers before, sila ‘yung mga nakakatrabaho ko even before pa,” he added.
Last 2013, Chef JR Royol, the Rakistang Kusinero of Benguet, won ABS-CBN’s “MasterChef Pinoy Edition.” The chef, who is proud of his Igorot heritage, used ingredients coming from his hometown, creating a dish that the judges would never forget.
The celebrity chef was also a representative of the country during the 116th Independence Day celebration held in Kobe, Japan, in 2014, and the 121st Philippine Independence Day Celebration which was held in Sule Shangri-La, Yangon in 2019.
Years after winning the cooking contest, representing the country in different parts of the world, the Igorot chef is a host that features a food-to-table concept, which he himself pushes.
Catch Chef JR as he takes us on a culinary journey featuring local ingredients straight from the farm. “Farm To Table” will start on Sunday, February 21 at 6:15 p.m, only on GMA News TV.
