Lilian Songok and Lilian Bitok are founders of Gavo Foods International, a manufacturer of gluten-free-keto organic flours.
The duo established their company in 2019 in a bid to create awareness on the importance of traditional foods.
This was after a visit to various local hotels revealed that owners of these joints were not utilizing locally available fruits and vegetables.
Here is their story as told by WoK.
Songok holds a master’s degree in food science and community nutrition while her business partner, Bitok, who has a background in insurance.
In 2019, the two partnered to establish Gavo Foods International, and set up a shop at Kenya Industrial Estate in KIRDI, in Uasin Gishu County.
In an interview with Nation, Songok explained that they wanted to have gluten free and keto friendly food options in local hotels and thus establishing a company specialising in the same.
“We are passionate about food farming and keen to see more people adopt a traditional diet for better health and wellness
“We produce gluten free and keto organic flours, honey, assorted spices, juices and seed oils,” Songok said.
They invested Ksh 500,00 as starting capital which they used to buy a medium commercial hammer, a small mini mill and an electric food dehydrator.
Processing of the products include sorting key ingredients, cleaning and chopping them into manageable sizes for milling.
After milling, the final product is packaged for sale.
“We use high quality local ingredients such as pumpkins, butternuts, green bananas, avocados and various vegetables,” Bitok said.
The company sources its ingredients from local farmers but they hope to expand their business and source for raw materials countrywide.
“We are committed to be the leading Kenyan manufacturer of gluten-free, keto organic flours and spices, through our expert quality manufacturing and packaging technology that we continue to develop and improve
“We also work towards improving nutritional awareness by educating people on the need to eat more wholesome foods as part of efforts to alleviate lifestyle diseases, malnutrition and also to end hunger,” Bitok explained.
Gavo Foods International has employed three permanent employees and two casual labourers.
The company advertises their products through social media, print advertisements and events such as food exhibitions.
“Our leading products are powders and flours made from pumpkins, butter nuts, carrots, okra and hibiscus. They are quite affordable, ranging from Ksh 50 to Ksh 700 depending on product and quantity,” they explained.
In future, the company hopes to partner with hospitals, specifically those with patients that have coeliac diseases, diabetes and high blood pressure.
