As an internationally renowned bakery franchise, Tour Les Jours in Phnom Penh is celebrating Valentine’s Day by crafting unique products to show love and affection.

“On Valentine’s Day, at all of our five bakery branches of Tour Les Jours, we have prepared a variety of fresh cake products. We have ‘Fresh Cream Heart Cake,’ ‘Love Unlimited,’ ‘White Heart’ and ‘Heart Chocolate and Pink Ribbon,’” said Menghuang Ngo, Public Relations Specialist for CBM. “We also have a cake named ‘My Real Honey.’ It is made from all natural honey and it represents the sweetness of love,” he said.

Besides providing delicious cakes at every branch, the customers who tried the ‘My Real Honey’ cake were also given a chance to win a holiday trip to Sihanoukville.

“We decorated our stores and created a photo area for couples. This provided them an opportunity to compete for a special prize by sharing their photo on Facebook. The ‘My Real Honey’ prize is a short vacation to Sihanoukville over Valentine’s Day. The winners get to stay at the OC Boutique Hotel for two nights, accompanied by a romantic dinner at the OC Beach Club on February 14,” said Menghuang.

The holiday package is valued at $500 with Tous Les Jours covering all expenses at the luxurious beachside resort—including round-trip bus fare. The program started during the first week of February and the winners were announced on February 10.

“To participate in the competition, the customers could post their photo on their personal Facebook page or send it to the Tous Les Jours page with the caption #myrealhoney,” Menghuang said.

Ya Ran and her fiancé were prizewinners. Their photo was shared on Facebook 13,526 times. The couple was over the moon for the upcoming excursion to Sihanoukville.

“We eat at Tous les Jours virtually every week. But we didn’t think we that we had a chance of winning the Valentine’s Day prize. We feel so lucky,” said Ran.

“When customers win the ‘My Real Honey’ prize it provides a romantic souvenir that can’t be forgotten by couples,” said Menghuang.

“Because we are a bakery franchise with stores across the world, we participate in international celebrations that are also embraced by Cambodians,” said a Manager of Tour Les Jours Bakery in Kampuchea Krom.

“In the era of globalisation we find that Cambodians for many years now, especially people under 30, have been accepting Valentine’s Day and other cultural traditions. Cambodian’s like to eat food from abroad, including burgers, pizza, bread and cakes. The food and experiences we provide are part of the international culture,” said Kuoch Sokly, shareowner of Tour Les Jours in Cambodia.

“When we started, the swift support we received from our customers encouraged us,” said Sokly. “Valentine’s Day has been a tradition for such a long time in Europe, and in Cambodia it is not just celebrated by couples, it is also love for families, relatives and their friends,” said Sokly.

Before CBM decided to buy a famous restaurant brand name and open up a branch in Cambodia, Sokly said: “We had already studied the trends of young Cambodians. We hope to benefit our company and to generate jobs for Cambodia’s youth.”