You were living in France when you fell in love with yogurt in a way you hadn't before. What about that experience made you think, "I need to recreate this without dairy"?
I feel like the quality of food in Europe is far superior to food produced in North America. You can taste the difference and simplicity of high quality ingredients in their yogurt products. Although I was vegan at the time and created a plant-based yogurt, what we create at Yoggu! is a coconut yogurt that is high quality because we source only the best ingredients and own every part of our manufacturing process. Transparency is really important to me and I believe that living in France really inspired the quality and integrity of product we make at Yoggu!
You started by cracking open coconuts on your kitchen floor. What stands out most from those early days?
Lots of physical labour, many failures that led to invaluable learnings and a lot of trust that the path for how to scale a coconut yogurt manufacturing company would be made clear.
As Yoggu! has grown from your kitchen to a 12,500 sq ft facility, what's something you've been intentional about never letting scale take away from you?
With no prior background in food manufacturing, I have learned a lot about the food industry and how not all food is made equal. For example, most food company’s will hire a third-party (often called a co-packer) to manufacture their products. What has been a priority and intentional along the way for Yoggu! has been to fully own our manufacturing which means we own and operate our very own manufacturing facility which allows us to also maintain full control and oversight on product quality.
You talk about your suppliers and partners as "humans who share your passion". How have those relationships changed your view of food?
Yoggu! has taught me a lot about relationships and how important they are! Everyone from our suppliers, to our manufacturing team all the way to the retail staff who stock the grocery store shelves — they all leave an impact on our product before it reaches the end consumer. I see food very differently today because of my own journey in the food industry. Now more than ever, it’s important to know where your food comes from. Who are the humans behind the brand? What are their values? And most importantly, how does the food feel in your body? I believe that we should be eating food that resonates with our bodies because there is a wisdom that only our bodies can tell us that no amount of marketing can!
Yoggu! is coconut yogurt made with good vibes. What does "raising the vibration in food" mean to you?
Raising the vibration in food means setting a new standard for how food is created and leading by example. The price of food seems to be going up but yet food quality is going down. More than ever, food companies need to lead with integrity and consider their impact. At Yoggu! our team is committed to making our coconut yogurts more widely available to customers while still offering a high quality product that nourishes from the inside out.
What does a typical day look like for you, from your morning routine to how you wind down?
A typical day these days is being fully present for my 2-year-old and being open to whatever the day may bring. Our routines usually revolve around our meals. Otherwise we love going for morning walks with our dogs and we wind down by watering the garden and reading a book.
Are there any habits or practices that help you stay grounded?
Time in nature and nourishing myself and others by making a home-cooked meal.
