In 2010, Dino Constantinou left his job in the restaurant business due to his age and set about making dips from his kitchen with his wife. Fourteen years later, the small production unit has become a family business supplying major retail stores in KwaZulu-Natal.
The founder of TMK Foods, trading under the name Mediterranean Kitchen, started the business as a way to use his culinary skills. “Our father is a culinary genius, it made sense that when he left his job, he ventured into something food related,” said Angelo Constantinou, Dino’s son.
TMK Foods is the producer of a selection of dips and spreads such as hummus and pesto. Angelo said, in its early days, his father would make small batches of the product to sell at markets on weekends. “When I was in Grade 11, about 16 or 17, I was already helping sell the products at markets. This is how we kept the lights on and paid the bills.”
After selling at markets for some time, the company was approached by independent retailers who wanted to have recurring orders, as the dips were only available on weekends. “This is where things started getting a little complicated,” said another son, Alex.
“With more demand for our products, our father could not keep up with the production and there was chaos. This is when Angelo and I decided to take over the company to assist with its growth.”
In 2019, the two brothers, who had backgrounds in business, economics and mathematics, quit their jobs and joined the family business.
Alex said the main challenge for the company once it started growing was ensuring that production processes were effective, and there were systems to ensure everything operated accordingly. This included going from manufacturing a wide range of products to focusing on a set list of those that sold and ensuring there was a delivery schedule to all the local customers.
“We stepped in at the right time when our father didn’t have the energy to deal with the growth of the business. We realised that the more you scale up in business, the more you need structure,” he said.
Another issue the business faced was that each person had a different vision for TMK Foods, which led to conflict. Angelo said while it took some time to get everyone on the same page, it led to the family having a better relationship. “We have grown to become one strong unit as a family, and while the company itself is a success, I believe that is the best thing that came out of this,” he said.
In 2023, the company approached the Shoprite Group, and managed to get its products stocked in five Checkers stores. This has increased to 15 stores across KwaZulu-Natal over the last year. “This deal with Shoprite was a complete game changer for the business. It definitely gave the business a fighting chance,” said Alex.
We stepped in at the right time when our father didn’t have the energy to deal with the growth of the business. We realised that the more you scale up in business, the more you need structure
He added that programmes offered by big retailers such as Spar and Shoprite to support small businesses have played a major role in growing their business. “Through the Spar Supplier Development Programme, we were able to acquire certification to ensure our products were compliant — that was an important factor,” said Alex.
Today, TMK Foods supplies retailers such as Shoprite Checkers, Spar and Food Lovers Market, and delivers some of its products to ships at the Durban harbour. It has managed to get its products on the shelves at Spar in Seychelles.
TMK Foods, which is fully responsible for its production and packaging, employs 14 people at its factory and delivery section. “We buy fresh products from local farmers and make all our products ourselves, then we package them and send them out for deliveries,” he said.
Retailing at between R39,00 and R54,00 for a 180g tub, the company sells between 10,000 and 25,000 units of dip and hummus a month. However, demand is much higher in the summer months, when people gravitate towards light meals.
Looking at the long-term goal, Angelo said the company hoped to expand further into the local retail market, and have its dips sold across South Africa. He said the focus was mostly to grow its footprint in Gauteng and the Western Cape, with hopes to move from being an SME into a much bigger business. “We don’t just want to be a company that contributes to the country’s economy, we want to be a company that sets an example for others, encouraging entrepreneurs to do better,” said Angelo.
After some interest in places such as Namibia, the company said it would look into expanding outside South African borders.
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