It’s Summertime once again, and Big Bite 2019 is coming this weekend. The biggest Northern Mindanao Food Fest. It was a decade ago when the first Big Bite Food Festival in Northern Mindanao uncovered an exciting food culture in the region. Founded by Centrio Ayala Mall, it has become mall management’s great pride and joy to discover new and innovative food entrepreneurs and enthusiasts comprising an incredibly dynamic local food industry.

The first Big Bite Food Festival was held in Marquee Mall in Pampanga, a regional food haven in the North. Further down south in 2014, Mindanao followed suit with Cagayan de Oro’s then brand new Centrio Ayala mall offering itself as the venue. Both festivals form part of Ayala mall’s traditional support for local food business and concepts.

Big Bite features the visible massive-sized food items as a festival highlight. Past years have revealed the giant halo-halo, the region’s largest maja blanca, enormous ham sliders, a large pineapple crumble and an oversized bowl of salad among a host of other interesting savory flavors and dessert delights in gigantic portions. In addition to such titanic highlights, Centrio gives an award to the year’s best food discovery, as judged by the country’s food industry leaders and celebrities.

This year, gracing the festivities is the Philippines’ Idol sa Kusina, Chef Boy Logro. The Chef Master of GMA network is joined by young television host and former VJ, Joyce Pring to oversee exciting culinary competitions and other cooking events throughout the 4-day fiesta. Celebrity Chef JP Anglo, host of CNN’s Hungry with Chef JP will be the festival’s Special Guest; completing the set are some of the country’s top food bloggers including The Pickiest Eater in the World, Ritchie Zamora.

Big Bite regulars have come to expect fresh food concepts interspersed with all-time favorites from homegrown restaurants in the local food scene. What’s more, expect a treat of excellent music featuring the best of local artists, and gastronomic sets in visually exciting scenes and instagrammable nooks and crannies which best showcase the epicurean pleasures the festival has to offer.

The Big Bite Northern Mindanao Food Festival runs from Thursday until Sunday, March 14-17, 2019. So see you there and let’s enjoy the foods around.