Entrepreneurial couple Thando and Tessa-Rose are challenging the ‘fake food’ industry with their homemade Greek yoghurt brand, Ubisi Creamery.
Some people believe that your name holds the key to your destiny. And for Thando and Tessa-Rose Ubisi (whose surname translates to milk), owners of the Ubisi Creamery, that’s certainly been the case.
Ironically, though, Thando and Tessa-Rose spent months considering, and rejecting, names for their yoghurt-making venture before ChatGPT suggested that they name it after themselves – and, even then, it took Thando a few days to settle into the spirit.
Maybe that’s not surprising, given that neither had ever planned to establish a business. Thando was working in construction when he and Tessa-Rose met eight years ago, while she was climbing her way up ladders in the advertising industry. But therein lay the problem: “We connected on Tinder, but it took months of chatting online before we were able to meet in person. Tessa was just too busy!” Thando laughs. He, meanwhile, enjoyed his work well enough, but as a people’s person, would have enjoyed a little more interaction with clients.
That’s why, when Tessa-Rose’s mother suggested they start selling the yoghurt they had made for their now two-year-old son, they took her idea seriously. Two years on, what began as a way for them to make sure their baby was taking in proper nutrients has become a growing business.
A lot of online research has taken place between then and now, along with lengthy chats with food scientists, and lots of cooking and experimentation – not all of which has been successful, Tessa-Rose admits. “Our dogs have ended up eating a lot of yoghurt!” she says.
Lucky dogs! Ubisi Creamery’s yoghurt is notably thicker and creamier than most options you’ll find on supermarket shelves. But, what really makes it different is the lack of ingredients like artificial flavours, preservatives or thickeners. It’s also strained through muslin cloths, in the traditional Greek method, to create a naturally thick, protein-rich superfood that’s nutritionally superior.
“This is actually why we started making yoghurt,” Tessa-Rose informs. “I was going back to work so I had to wean my son, and since he wasn’t mad about milk, we had to find another way to make sure he was getting enough calcium.” Yoghurt seemed an obvious answer, especially since he loved it so much that he’d devour helpings at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Except that, once she started reading labels, Tessa-Rose felt concerned. “There wasn’t much in there that was recognisable as food.” As a self-described nutrition nerd who loves nothing more than cooking for friends and family, Tessa-Rose felt it made more sense to whip up her own yoghurt. Then Thando started eating it, then her family members, her colleagues – and today, Thando spends all his time making batch after batch of yoghurt – around 100 litres every week.
It may sound like an overnight success story, but in reality, it’s anything but. “The thing about small companies is that you don’t realise how much work has gone into them,” Thando says – like finding just the right packaging and labels, learning about distribution and becoming compliant with health and safety regulations. “That’s why we no longer have a garage – because it’s been turned into a beautiful commercial kitchen,” he laughs.
“In the beginning, we did what everyone does – we used yoghurt to make more yoghurt. But you can’t guarantee consistency,” he continues. That’s when the couple started consulting laboratories to help them find the right cultures, Tessa-Rose adds. They settled on strains they knew would provide the kind of wellness boost they’d want themselves – the cultures that give yoghurt its reputation as a health food; plus a probiotic strain for extra gut health, and yet another that creates a safe environment, nixing the need for preservatives.
“Our food scientist has tried to convince us that we need to use stabilisers, but I’m like – come on. If people made this without stabilisers in Biblical times, we can do it now!”
It does place strain on the Creamery, though, because it takes two days to make a single batch of yoghurt – and every batch is delivered by Thando as soon as possible after it has been made to ensure freshness. “We don’t make to order, because we have specific delivery days – but that means we make big batches and hope like crazy that everything sells. Luckily, it always does.”
Tessa-Rose says that it blows her mind to picture her yoghurt in the kitchens of strangers – but make no mistake, the couple invests a lot of effort to get it there. Thando recalls an occasion when an order for a Friday market came in at 9pm on Wednesday night. “We started cooking at 10pm, after driving to every garage shop in the suburb to make sure we had enough milk,” he recalls.
It’s all about making the most of every opportunity offered, Tessa-Rose says – but not only because there’s enormous satisfaction in building a business. “We firmly believe that food should be food. That’s what Ubisi Creamery stands for.”
Thando and Tessa-Rose’s tips for being a wiser consumer
Shop local where you can. “Think of it this way: your money can go towards a big corporation’s bottom line. Or it can help grow an entrepreneur’s family.”
Choose homemade over processed. “We are big believers in meal prep: cook once, eat five times.”
Details: Thando and Tessa-Rose are working to get Ubisi Creamery stocked by retailers, but until then it is available from food markets and at Ubisicreamery.co.za or @ubisicreamery.
Text: LISA WITEPSKI. • Photo: MEGAN BRETT.
