ONGWEDIVA – Lavinia Navayole Simon (31) embarked on a journey in 2018 to establish her business of selling homemade hot chilli sauce.
She calls it ‘Gloria’s Pepper Sauce and Catering CC’.
According to Simon, growing up, she wanted to be so many things but she grew older and started focusing on her passion and what made sense to her.
“At a certain stage in my life, I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life and I could not compromise any longer.
I am currently in the hot sauce and catering business full time focusing mostly on the hot sauce,” said Simon.
Following her dreams and her love for chilli, Simon told VIBEZ! that she decided to quit her corporate job as a Risk Portfolio officer at a financial institution to focus on her love for cooking and making her special hot sauce.
“I love chilli and food with good sauces and, unfortunately, I did not find that at many food outlets and I just wanted a proper babalaas cure as well. I established my business towards the end of 2018 selling in smaller quantities like five bottles to my friends and colleagues. In 2020, I registered my business under Gloria’s Pepper Sauce and Catering CC and have been selling in large quantities,” she said.
Simon highlighted that the only thing that motivated her to venture into the hot sauce business was her passionate love for flavour and not finding that perfect kick to her food.
“I could not resist the allure of crafting and perfecting unique sauces that would tantalize everyone’s taste buds. The thrill of creating culinary magic and seeing people enjoy my creation motivated me further into creating my own business,” said Simon.
When asked about her secret ingredient, Simon with a giggle maintained that what sets her chilli sauce apart from other sauces is a blend of roasted love and pepper which adds a unique smoky depth of flavour.
“A magician never reveals her secrets,” said a happy Simon.
She highlighted that running her own business has provided her with valuable entrepreneurial skills, a deep understanding of the food industry and the opportunity to connect with people who share a deep passion for spicy flavours.
Despite the accomplishments, Simon stated that developing unique flavours that stood out, managing production costs and building local brand awareness were some of the challenges that posed significant hurdles.
The chilli sauce is available in three flavours: Jalapenos pepper sauce, Hot chilli sauce and Mild Chilli sauce.
Gloria’s homemade chilli sauce is now available at various outlets such as Ok Foods Independence Ave, Tambula Online, Namibia Farmers Online and others.
Instagram: Gloria’s Food Hub