Where it all began

Sometimes in life things start long before you even sense you are on a new path. And only after a long time of trials and tribulations do you recognise the new path you are walking on. This is also my case and this is my story.

I was born in Eastern Europe straight after the fall of Communism, when times were hard and people were making the most with what they had. In that time life was traditional, simple and seasonal: people were eating local seasonal fresh produce, in Summer and Autumn women would make pickles, jams and delicious spreads, which would all be consumed the coming winter. I spent my summers eating red, sweet watermelons, juicy peaches which would melt in the mouth and Autumn’s sweet and sour plums were a delight worth waiting until September. Strawberries were the first fruit to come in the season in late May and we would all spend the previous month driving our parents’ crazy asking about them.

Winters were hard because we didn’t have as many fresh fruits. One snowy winter day when I was 5 or 6 years old my father took me for a family visit to his aunt and she offered me a little surprise. She gave me dehydrated apple skins, which I had never seen before. It was a mystery to the little 5 year old me. I still vividly remember the red and green skins filling my little hands and the smell which reminded me of summer’s fresh apples. I bit the first piece and the sweetness of the apple filled my mouth. It felt like no matter how much I would chew, the flavour would never end. I received a little gift for home and that was the end of my little dry apple experience.

13 years later, I moved to the United Kingdom for University, where I also lived and worked in finance for the following 10 years. Life changed dramatically for me when I started working. The long hours and the change in my diet as a result, the stress, all started to have an impact on my health. I decided I needed and wanted a change, so I returned to my home country with the desire to change my lifestyle and start a business in the food industry. Whilst our organic farm dreams grew, Aunt apple skins passed away and my family purchased the house in which I had my little dry fruit experience. It was in this year that dehydration as method to preserve vegetables and fruits became a passion and a viable solution to some of today’s food waste and complicated food distribution.

Armed with a small dehydrator and determination, I started testing and experimenting with that summer’s sweet potato crop from our organic farm and other fruits from the farmers in the local villages. I fell in love with the results and realised why my father’s aunt was so patiently preserving her apples, figs and plums from her own garden. Today we are very proud to welcome you to our range of dried fruit slices and speciality flours.