Startup Story
A passion for cooking on the part of Jane Bisset collided with a demand for high quality convenience meals and a desire to create impact. All of this led to the creation of We are Food, a frozen meal production wholesale and retail business launched in South Africa.
LoA chatted to We are Food founder, Jane Bisset, to learn more about this impact driven food company.
Tell us about yourself
My name is Jane Bisset and I am the founder and CEO of We are Food, a South African based, female strong, frozen meal production, wholesale and retail business. I am passionate about employment and upliftment, as well as the impact my business can make on society and the environment, all while producing world-class, homestyle meals for your freezer.
What does your company do?
We produce frozen, homestyle meals all by hand, at our kitchen in Durban, South Africa. We sell through multiple wholesale avenues, as well as direct through retail avenues which include our website and three We are Food stores throughout KZN and Gauteng. We are passionate about supporting local suppliers who follow ethical practices, paying our staff a living wage so they can live a fulfilled life (and strive to support suppliers who do this too) as well as working towards a company with a lower (or no) environmental impact. We truly believe business should be a force for good and can be used as an arrow head to drive a new direction for other businesses, big and small, to follow - an ethical way to do business.
“We are passionate about supporting local suppliers who follow ethical practices, paying our staff a living wage so they can live a fulfilled life (and strive to support suppliers who do this too) as well as working towards a company with a lower (or no) environmental impact.”
What inspired you to start your company?
A passion for cooking collided with a demand for high quality convenience meals amongst our circles of friends and family. As a family we have great love of using food as a way to welcome guests in and make them feel loved. We also believed by starting our own business we would be able to have a positive impact, even if very small, over a handful of employees and our supply chain one day.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Our product is incredibly special as it is of the highest quality, using all the best, "pantry-staple" ingredients and methods you would use at home. Meaning a wonderful, finished product, conveniently in your freezer, with a 9 month shelf life meaning very little to no waste!
Our business is special as we truly believe we have the power to make a difference and drive change in the work place. We are proud of our values and ethics as a company, and our customers also appreciate this stance as a company. We are always looking for great suppliers who in turn support their workers, communities and treat their products with respect. We are passionate about our team, their fulfilment in their jobs as well as their general wellbeing and happiness outside of work. We believe in treating all humans with respect, giving them opportunities they might not otherwise get, and hopefully breaking the cycles of poverty, sickness and abuse which plague our country
“We truly believe business should be a force for good and can be used as an arrow head to drive a new direction for other businesses, big and small, to follow - an ethical way to do business.”
Tell us a little about your team
We are owned and run by myself and my sister, who share the belief of the positive societal and environmental impact a business can have in the world. The majority of our team were unskilled and unemployed when they joined us. We spend a lot of resources on training, encouragement, feedback and allowing leave and access to finance, so as to ensure all goals and dreams can be achieved if their hearts and minds are set to them!
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
My father was a born entrepreneur and dreamer, always getting involved with new enterprises and excited about new developments. He has since passed but was integral in helping me dream up the early years of the business and gave me the confidence to see the growth that was to come.
My mother is also an entrepreneur and has grown and run numerous small businesses while also being a mother. She has a remarkable work ethic and taught (and showed me) the true meaning of hard work and great customer service, which is now the foundation of our business.
I have never had a "proper job" and straight from studying I embarked on this venture when the opportunity become available. I wouldn’t have classified myself as an entrepreneur for the first few years, purely seeing it as a self-employed chef trying to make a living. But now, seeing the business we have grown and the team we have employed, as well as the entrepreneurial lessons I have learnt, I am so proud of how far we have come!
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
We are working towards tripled production and sales, which we "feel" would mean we would be maximizing our facility and truly, financially viable. We would like to employ more entry level workers, as well as employ a middle management work force to support the business. We would like to set up a training programme whereby those in need can use our business as a vehicle to launch their career, where they may not have had an opportunity before (homeless, ex-prisoners). We would like our business to become a place where those with disabilities can work. We have numerous roles within the business which would be perfect for this. We want to reduce our consumption and emissions - become a greener company. We would love to become a beacon of light within our community to inspire, assist and work alongside other entrepreneurs and businesses who would also like to make a difference through their business. We are busy with the final stages of the B Corp, certification, which already has given us so much guidance and support in our dreams and aspirations to be a business that does good
“Our business is special as we truly believe we have the power to make a difference and drive change in the work place.”
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
The people we employ and the upliftment we have seen in their lives. When a team member who was unemployed and hopeless before joining us, now has a consistent job which they gain a lot of fulfillment from, and have made massive progress in their personal life such as goal setting, self-belief etc, and even things like saving without assistance, to buy their first home, get out of debt, educate themselves further.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Don't think about it. Do it! Just get started today! You will never know if you don’t try. But be prepared for hard work and long days ahead. If your heart is in the right place, it will be the most fulfilling thing you ever do!
Find out more
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE | EMAIL jane@wearefood.co.za
Why LoA loves it….
At Lionesses of Africa, we are strong believers that women entrepreneurs can make a huge impact in the world through their businesses and the opportunities they create for others. Jane Bisset is one of those entrepreneurs who is passionate about doing business for good, creating impact as well as profit. Her business is genuinely making a difference to people’s lives, through the great products that are created by the We are Food team, and also through the jobs created that change lives. Inspirational! — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo of Lionesses of Africa