Coconut yoghurt business flourishes

Seb Walter and Latesha Randall have launched Raglan Coconut Yoghurt. Photo / Kay Buchanan.

Within a day of offering a few jars of surplus coconut yoghurt, Latesha Randall was inundated with requests for the product.

The savvy businesswoman (and regular Hamilton News business columnist) began Raglan Coconut Yoghurt for friends and family after making the decision to eat less dairy.

Late last year, Ms Randall had several extra jars from one batch and put the word out on a local Facebook page. "I thought people would be keen, but it went mental!"

She ended up with a list of 60 people commenting and messaging wanting the product.

"I felt like because they all wanted it, we had to deliver it."

The yoghurt is made of coconut cream, probiotics, and a touch of local honey.

"I was experimenting with how to make it. I tried various different ways of making it, looked at different blogs, played around with different kinds of probiotics and different quantities. It's quite hard to get the consistency, so I had quite a few failed batches!

"So we were thinking about how we were going to make all this yoghurt. We had to find jars, raiding all the recycle centres, cleaning of all the jars, getting rid of the labels, getting the coconut cream, so we had tins and nearly got wrist sprain from opening all the cans."

As the business began to flourish, Ms Randall said they found a local commercial kitchen to use, a supplier for bulk coconut cream, and have now managed to source jars from Wellington to save time foraging around to find recycled ones.

"We found a couple of people to help, so we have two people working with us on production. [We stock] at a place called Whaingaroa Organic Kai, that's a local vege box supplier. It's like a co-op, sources as much locally as possible and he runs that from his double garage shop."

Raglan Coconut Yoghurt is also stocked at Indi and The Shack in Raglan but they are looking to expand to Hamilton and other parts of New Zealand.

Ms Randall and her partner Seb Walter run their own business, called Seb & Tesh, from their Raglan home, working together to support clients with launching and growing their businesses.

She said it made aspects of growing Raglan Coconut Yoghurt easier, as they were set up to deal with a business. "We already had systems, an accountant and a GST number."

The yoghurt works well for people with allergies as it is nut, soy, lactose, refined sugar, GMO, and gluten free. "It ticks pretty much all the boxes!" Ms Randall said

"We've been trying to eat a lot of raw food, we don't eat much gluten and pretty much avoid dairy. I don't eat meat. I've always liked to experimenting with foodie stuff.

"I think for now, we'd like to be New Zealand's main coconut yoghurt supplier. Most places use one from Australia. So we think, why not have an New Zealand-made one?"

The yoghurt is being used in local cuisine, such as the pork baguette with ginger and coconut yoghurt at The Shack in Raglan and on the breakfast menu.

"I didn't have any thought of starting a business, I just thought this is a great product, I think other people will like it, let's share the love. It's great being able to give people something they can eat. You can put it in smoothies, it's great in dessert. It's nice making [people] happy."

From next week, Raglan Coconut Yoghurt will be stocked at Two Birds Eatery on Clyde St and Village Organics in Commerce St.