Minister of Economic Development and Tourism Alan Winde, pictured here with Georgina De Kock, takes a bite out of one of her award-winning Munch Bowls.
You no longer have to lick your bowl clean when you’re done, you can now eat it too.
And, for this, you can thank Georgina De Kock – the founder of Yummy Bowls. Her edible bowls are known as Munch Bowls.
So, what does her success taste like?
“Just like a biscuit – crunchy, wheaty and yummy!” is the answer that De Kock gives.
De Kock was this year’s Special Innovation Award winner at the Sial Innovation Awards in Shanghai, China after getting a judging panel’s thumbs up for her “first-of-its-kind” product. Yummy Bowls beat 48 other food-producing companies from 20 countries who competed at the event held in May.
The awards provides a platform for eco-friendly food manufacturers from various countries to showcase their own inventions. The bowls were hailed as innovative for their use of organic ingredients, which are shaped and baked into bowl-like moulds. The end result is durable enough to hold both cold and hot foods – for a number of hours. “It’s ideal for family picnics, breakfast or for any larger event,” says De Kock.
De Kock has come along way. She started the business by trading at small market places in 2009 with no money or work premises.
She credits the Cape Craft and Design Institute (CCDI) and Food South Africa with having helped her to succeed thanks to the business support she received from them when she approached their offices in 2010. The CCDI partners with the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism in mentoring and supporting craft producers.
“All I had to start off with was my idea and market research, but no business experience. I was advised by the CCDI on the proper design of the wheat bowls and started trading in December 2010,” says De Kock.
In addition, the business was awarded a R47 000 grant from the department’s Provincial Growth Fund to help fund the manufacturing and packaging of the product as well as the design of a new website to market the business which is based in Observatory, Cape Town.
“If I didn’t get support to start my business, I would not have orders coming in from businesses in France, India, the UK and US and other parts of the world,” says De Kock. Prior to participating in China this year, Yummy Bowls took part in the Dubai Gulfood 2013 trade mission. “The Munch Bowls were well-received in Dubai and was featured on their TV channel Physique TV, radio stations and on the front page of their 7Days magazine,” says De Kock.
Her focus now is on teaming up with the University of Free State to help develop a machine that can produce 3 000 bowls a day for her business. ”We are busy with renovations to the existing factory where I employ two full-time staff as well as temporary staff whom I am training to efficiently use production equipment.”