MEET THE BUKO TEAM

My name is Raquel Konrad, the owner and founder of Bukobaba Essentials.

In 2017, my family and I had the opportunity to visit an amazing organic coconut farm in Laguna, Philippines. There we met the farmers and producers, and saw how premium, truly cold pressed coconut oil was made, from the tree to the jar. It was on that trip that a passion sparked in me, and I was inspired to bring premium quality coconut products from the Philippines to Canada.

I was only 19 at the time, but I was so excited to share my Filipino heritage and healthy coconut food products to my community and across Canada. It’s our mission to inspire healthy cooking using Bukobaba’s coconut essentials.

I’m motivated to keep doing what I do because I see the positive impact our family business has on our own health, the community, and the farmers back in my second home, the Philippines.

Our Story

Born in Las Piñas, Philippines, Raquel grew up in Vancouver maintaining strong cultural ties with her birthplace. She and her family return to the Philippines regularly but in 2017, she was particularly struck by the sharp contrast between the country's gorgeous landscape and never-ending family celebrations with the growing abundance of processed foods that came in the name of modernization.

Over the decades, Raquel noticed a considerable decline in the quality of food - home-grown and home-cooked meals were replaced by deep-fried takeaways and sugary drinks. Convenience came at the cost of health, a trend that Raquel saw with greater intensity with each trip. The country and its people that she loves so deeply was, in her mind, evolving so quickly that traditional practices weren't able to keep up with the desire to modernize.

Even the way coconut oil is processed today has changed drastically, with machines replacing skilled hands, presses replacing time.
Bukobaba is Raquel's vision of bridging her two worlds: bringing Philippine essentials such as coconut oil, prepared in traditional methods going back centuries in the Philippines, to Canada where educated consumers recognize artisanal, small-batch products that support local farmers and producers in native lands.

“You have the power to do good… for your body, your soul, and for the people around you.”

Raquel Konrad

  • Clay Konrad

    Anything to do with farming, creating systems, or engineering, Clay's the man. He keeps our books and system operations running smoothly.

  • Richard & Joy Stewart

    As Raquel's parents, and with their combined years of business experience, they've been an integral part of growing Bukobaba. They also handle all of our logistics, making sure our goods arrive safe and sound and on time.
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