Neither Jennifer Worthley nor Bryan Matamorosa set out to be a chef; it just sort of happened. Coming from different corners of the world—Worthley from Maine and Matamorosa from the Philippines—they both ended up at Bellingham Technical College in 2017 and 2018. Matamorosa was pursuing an associate degree in the culinary program while Worthley was enrolled in the pastry arts program.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Worthley started a cottage kitchen bakery in 2018, which moved into a commercial kitchen space in 2020 and began to pick up more customers, despite the hardships of being a small business during the pandemic. Matamorosa continued through a variety of positions at local kitchens and banquet events before deciding to apply to the Bellingham Farmers Market to sell his homemade Filipino food as a side gig, which ended up being so successful that he quit his full-time kitchen job and started his own food business in 2020.
Along the way, they got married.
Bry’s Filipino Cuisine began as a secondhand food truck bought off Craigslist that was renovated almost entirely from the tires up. Community funding helped the business get off its feet, which is something that Matamorosa will always be grateful for.
“It wasn’t even just about the money,” he says. “It was more about knowing that there are so many people in our community who care, love, and give so much hope to us.”
He credits his wife for being his core support throughout his struggles, even while she was making the major move from a kitchen to a storefront with the opening of It’s The Sweet Things bakery in downtown Bellingham.
“Nothing means more to me than being able to share my passion, gift, and training with the community around me and I am so thankful that I get to do that each and every day,” Worthley shares.
Despite having drastically different menus, the couple finds a way to bring American and Filipino flavors together. Matamorosa’s food highlights culinary traditions from the Bicol region of the Philippines—where he is from—with coconut milk, smoke from shredded coconuts, and shrimp paste in his Bicol Express and smoked coconut chicken (ginataang manok) dishes, while he utilizes salmon in other dishes to add a Pacific Northwest flair. He also offers Filipino staples like chicken or pork adobo (tender meat coated in a savory and tangy glaze) and lumpia (Filipino egg rolls).
Photograph by Leigh Hellman
Worthley bakes cheesecakes, cookies, cupcakes, bars, cakes, and pastries with rich, classic flavors like salted caramel, blueberry lemon, vanilla bean, German chocolate, strawberry champagne, and carrot spice. But she also incorporates more tropical flavors like mango into her desserts, and offers several items made with ube (a purple yam native to southeast Asia with a mild and sweet flavor that is a popular ingredient in traditional Filipino sweets). Ube is also an option for her creamy milkshakes, a new item along with artisan truffles.
These days, Worthley and Matamorosa have a lot to look forward to. It’s The Sweet Things continues to grow and raise its profile in the community as a truly small-batch, artisan environment that uses time-honored techniques to create unexpected and mind-blowing flavor combinations for its customers. With its devoted local fans, Bry’s Filipino Cuisine will be opening its new brick and mortar restaurant at 1151 North State Street in downtown Bellingham in February 2024, just in time for Valentine’s Day and the anniversary of the food truck’s original launch.
In the midst of all of these changes, they are both committed to maintaining the passion and dedication that first catalyzed them on their journeys.
“What motivated me to become a chef is taking care of people,” Matamorosa says. “There is nothing more rewarding than working very hard to make sure that we give the best quality of food and service and, as a result, make everyone happy.”
“I love being able to bake for important celebrations and memorable moments and making someone’s day a little brighter with delicious treats,” Worthley adds. “Delicious food and desserts are kind of our love language.”
It’s The Sweet Things, 1206 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham, 360.255.9998, itsthesweetthings.com Bry’s Filipino Cuisine, Bellingham, 360.223.1022, brysfilipinocuisine.com
