Jobelle and her mum Thess, along with the rest of the Alegre family, are creating a legacy - not just with the Filipino food they create, but with their strong familial bond and kindness which serve as backdrop to their food truck's history.
She got it from her mama
Nanna Marce, the Shepparton-based food truck the family owns, was born out of the Alegre kids' love for their mother's cooking and Thess' retirement after a 10-year stint at the local hospital café.
"Mum always cooks for our friends when they come over and they absolutely love her food. One day my brothers and I were like, 'How cool would it be if we got a food truck and we served this food that people loved anyway already?' In the beginning, it was just us joking," Jobelle shares.
Joking turned to serious planning for a business which would have the namesake of Thess' mother, Marce (pronounced as 'Mars'), who too had her own food venture in the Philippines.
"My mum worked in the naval base in Olongapo. She supported me and my sister by selling street food like banana cue (fried sugared banana on a stick) and kamote cue (fried sugared sweet potato on a stick). When her business grew, she opened a small sundry in front of our house," Thess shares.
Nanna Marce worked hard for her daughters, selling merienda food items and eventually putting up a small sundry in front of their home. Source: Supplied
The small sundry would only last for a few years as Marce passed away from breast cancer when Thess was 10 years old.
"I grew up with my grandparents. We moved to Tagaytay. It's where I met my husband Rani," Thess shares.
Then and now: Thess and Rani Alegre Source: Supplied
Mom's meals
Meeting eventually led to marriage and, a daughter and two sons (all three are involved in the family's food truck).
"The caravan is an extension of our family home, but on wheels. We have taken food that are already popular and gave them a Filipino spin," Jobelle shares, adding, "For example, loaded fries and sliders, [we use] adobo (soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and peppercorns) pulled pork and then pandesal (sweet bread rolls) for the buns of the sliders. The amazing thing is since we introduced these items on the menu, non-Filipinos are really having a go at saying words like 'Tatay' (dad), 'turon' (bananas sprinkled with sugar, wrapped with spring roll wrapper and fried) and 'pandesal'."
Aside from these, the Alegre family takes pride in Thess' famous chicken and rice, Filipino-style spaghetti and their 'The Family' sampler pack.
"'The Family' is a OnePlate partner meal. OnePlate is an Australian organisation that combats world hunger, one plate at a time. For every 'The Family' sold, a dollar goes to a community in need. The project began in the Philippines," Jobelle shares, adding, "We're not well off by any means so hopefully this inspires people to not wait until they have massive surplus before they look at where they can fill a need in the world."
The Alegre family fills yet another need in the world through a sustainability practice that also helps poor provincial communities in the Philippines.
Jobelle: "We hesitated to [sell] sweet spaghetti because it's not what people are used to; but we served it at my daughter's party and guests loved it." Source: Supplied
Some of Nanna Marce's offerings Source: Nanna Marce
"When my brothers and I were kids in the Philippines, we weren't allowed to drink soda that were sold in plastic bags with a straw. We would escape and pass through the back of our house to buy from the corner store," Jobelle admits, laughing, "We decided to do the same thing for the drinks we sell now. We place the drinks in a biodegradable cup and give the soda bottles to our friend who then raises money by recycling them. The money earned is sent to kids in Cebu for their school supplies, slippers and backpacks."
[L-R] Soda sold from corner stores in the Philippines are sometimes placed in plastic bags; Nanna Marce's sustainability practice is reminiscent of this Source: Supplied / Wanderlusting /LifeInThePhilippines (YouTube)
The legacy we leave
Kids in Cebu are not the only ones who have been impacted by the Alegre family's compassion. Jobelle shares that they've learned to find their own way of giving back to the community, inspired by their paternal grandfather's altruism and their parents' generosity.
"We were brought up to not turn our eyes away from people who are in need. Our grandfather would always invite people to our Christmas parties, especially if they had nowhere to go during the holidays," Jobelle says.
"When we were kids, I remember our grandfather (middle) would always have Christmas parties and he would invite anyone to come - no matter who they were." Source: Supplied
The practice of inviting other people to their home during the holidays continue for the Alegre family even in Australia, with Jobelle adding, "When we look around where we live now, some don't have as close family ties as Filipinos; so my mom, she always opens the door to our friends and to whoever needs [compassion]. That's something that I want to pass on to our kids as well. I want them to be, ultimately, kind."
And while kindness is a legacy Thess and Rani have successfully inculcated in their children, Thess shares that her greatest achievement has been raising children who are steadfast in familial love.
Jobelle: "I want [my kids] to be, ultimately, kind." Source: Supplied
"People know my kids as smart; but in as much as that is important, I'm happy that they have maintained their closeness and love for each other," Thess shares, her voice cracking, "I hope they continue sticking together and I pray they never lose their desire to help others in need."
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Thess: "People know my kids as smart; but in as much as that is important, I'm happy that they have maintained their closeness and love for each other." Source: Supplied
