The business woman saw the difficulty of finding tasty and healthy sweets as a business opportunity
Passionate about a healthy life since adolescence, Samandra Korilio has always tried to maintain her training routine and a balanced diet, favoring natural foods. Physical activity has never been an obstacle in the life of the entrepreneur, the difficulty was in overcoming the desire to consume sweets or consume them without interfering with the diet.
“I’ve always had this I need a treat after the meal, I think it is something very strong in women. In my case, I’ve always created healthy recipes with what I had at home, ”she says.
But when he spent longer periods away from home and had to resort to ready-made desserts found in specialty stores, he didn’t like the palate and even the ingredient list of the desserts. Samandra realized that her problem with finding the perfect candy could be the same as other people’s problem and she turned the obstacle into a job opportunity.
After almost a year of research, in 2017 the entrepreneur founded ConFITeria, her brand of healthy sweets without added sugar, lactose and gluten, which is striking in taste and texture. With an initial investment of R $ 40 thousand, the business started in the kitchen of his home, with the craftsmanship of his recipes.
“I studied a lot about the ingredients, their nutritional properties and the function of each in the recipes, something that goes far beyond taste,” he recalls.
The biggest challenge faced by Samandra was working with ingredients still little used in the country, such as erythritol, a type of sweetener considered natural.
“Each ingredient behaves differently in the recipe, even if they are apparently the same. Erythritol tastes closer to the sweet taste we are used to, but it is an ingredient that crystallizes easily ”, comments the entrepreneur, who also has diabetics and people with sugar consumption restrictions among her regular customers.
How much does it cost to the final consumer
Another great concern of the entrepreneur was in relation to the cost of the final product: “I had to learn to deal with anxiety, because the development of a product requires time, knowledge of the public and knowledge of costs in order not to stay the value the customer is willing to pay, ”he says.
The big challenge in his vision is to concentrate healthy ingredients, taste, texture, packaging and delivery experience in one product at an affordable price.
“Sometimes the customer wants everything in one product, but in the end the value is very high and limits too much the customers willing to pay it ”, assesses the CEO who offers sweets from R $ 26.00 to R $ 41.00.
From the first tests at home, passed through the evaluation of the palate of her husband Rodolpho, the first creation emerged, a zucchini brownie, with walnut paste and two variations of topping: fit dulce de leche or protein brigadeiro. The product was launched at Easter as a healthy option for those, like Samandra, who wanted to celebrate the date in a healthier way.
Initially presented to family and friends, the 50 units prepared for launch at the first store were completed on the same day.
Industrial kitchen in Moema
Since its launch, ConFITeria has matured and today has an industrial kitchen located in the Moema district, in Sao Paulo, where Samandra leads the team for the development of products with an already consolidated line and new tastes, with the help of consultants in the field. food engineering and nutrition.
The jump in sales also occurred, reaching BRL 4 million in 2021, an increase of over 100% is already expected by the end of this year. The sales channels have undergone changes with the development of its e-commerce and the closing of partnerships with selected supermarkets and emporiums, as well as natural and healthy products shops.
“When shopkeepers from different cities started looking for us to try the products and get to know the company better, we realized we were on the right path”, celebrates the entrepreneur who today has her brand in more than 450 stores in all. the country between them Mundo Verde and Empório Frutaria.
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Source: Terra
Benjamin Smith is a fashion journalist and author at Gossipify, known for his coverage of the latest fashion trends and industry insights. He writes about clothing, shoes, accessories, and runway shows, providing in-depth analysis and unique perspectives. He’s respected for his ability to spot emerging designers and trends, and for providing practical fashion advice to readers.
