September 16, 2025 • 46 mins
In this episode of Fugitive Chefs, host Furqan sits down with Andres Jara, Colombian-born chef and founder of Fava Mole. Andres’ journey moves from his grandmother’s kitchen in Cartagena to running his first catering company at 21, studying at culinary schools across Latin America and Europe, and eventually becoming a farmer, butcher, and head chef in Italy.
What makes his story unique is how he turned a moment of scarcity—no avocados for guacamole—into innovation, creating Fava Mole, a sustainable alternative born out of local farming and creativity. Today, Fava Mole is scaling across Europe while staying rooted in regenerative agriculture.
We talk about:
Leaving the safety of traditional kitchens to carve an independent path.
How failures and pivots (from catering to farming to dips & spreads) shaped his resilience.
The link between farming and cooking, and why more chefs should get their hands in the soil.
What it takes to scale a food innovation without losing integrity.
Andres reminds us that fear is often the sign you’re close to a breakthrough—and that chefs can make just as much impact outside kitchens as inside them.
If you’ve ever wondered what a chef can become beyond the pass, this one’s a map and a nudge.🎧 Fugitive Chefs is your window into alternative culinary careers and bold food innovation. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow, rate us & subscribe for more stories from the culinary underground.🎙️ Hosted by Furqan from the Fugitive Chefs PodcastFurqan`s Personal Insta : https://bit.ly/4dtiyTvPodcast Instagram : https://bit.ly/43ndATOSpotify : https://spoti.fi/3F6j25AApple Podcasts : https://apple.co/43vBtbT🔗 Connect with Andres JaraLinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/andres-jara-favamole/Website :https://www.favamole.nl/
Chapters
00:00 Culinary Journey Begins
08:36 Building a Catering Business
17:14 Expanding Horizons in Culinary Education
18:14 The Journey of Food Sourcing
21:53 The Birth of Fava Mole
25:08 Scaling Up: Challenges and Opportunities
31:15 Market Dynamics and Competition
36:34 The Chef's Perspective: From Kitchen to Business
41:21 Embracing Challenges and Building Resilience
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
So hello everyone, and welcome back to Future the Chef's
podcast. There's a podcast about chefs
and food, people who have walkedaway from traditional kitchens
to create something freer, more meaningful, and often something
which is more connected to people and their place.
In today's case, we have Andres Harras.
Andres, first of all, welcome tothe podcast.
And thank you for the invitation.
I'm really happy to be here to share a little bit more about
(00:21):
the story and a little bit of what we have been doing.
Yeah. And exactly that's what we're
looking forward to, right. And actually Andres comes
recommended from one of our listeners if if you're
listening, Emma from Near Farms.And Emma told me a little about
what Andres does and it was veryinteresting to me.
I think it's a great, I mean it's a great, I think philosophy
behind this kind of project thatAndres has taken upon and we'll
(00:42):
hear more about it. But from what I know, Andres is
the founder of Fava Mole. It's a project, which is, if I
understand correctly, it's rethinking the food from the
ground up. So something which isn't just
product development, it's actually thinking behind what
all goes behind a product. And from someone who knows a
little more about say by products and the and the whole
story of how to create a productfrom the ground up.
(01:02):
And what I also know is that others, as somebody who has
stepped outside the classical chef career path to build
something that for me, I think it blends not only food, but
also culture, creativity and sustainability being one of the
strong, strong pillars I think of of your project.
And today's idea is to just, yeah, listen about, listen to
Andress's story. How did he end up into what he
(01:23):
does today? How was his past with the
kitchen? And what kind of suggestions
does he have for people who alsomaybe have something similar to
connect with? So I think before we like deep
dive into all of this, Andres, first of all, just tell me,
like, how did you end up in kitchen?
Like what was your first memory of food?
What was your earliest connection and when did you
think that this is this is goingto be your career, sort of.
(01:45):
It's a great question. So everything started when I was
really young. I have this memory of my
grandmother always cooking and providing food for us and you
know, also for taking food to school.
When I woke up there was always breakfast and it was already and
you could already feel the smellof of lunch.
And where is this? Is Colombia right?
(02:05):
This is Cartagena, Colombia, Yes, in the in the Caribbean.
So yeah, very warm. What's breakfast like?
What does breakfast smell like in Colombia?
I mean. Depends.
You know, my grandmother is fromMedellin.
So over there is like they they eat a lot of arepa.
So it's like a cornbread fried bread.
And then for her it's like that and cheese like or like Primo
salad, like something in Italianthat we call or like a just like
(02:28):
a fresh cheese with some butter,some eggs, some milk.
But then also, you know, over there in Cartagena and in the
Atlantic Coast, the culture there is a lot of fry food.
So you start the morning really,really like frying bananas or
like fry arepas as well, or likesomething that we call arepa E.
Well, that is like I love. That I love it, like I remember
(02:49):
some interns showing me in Mugaritz how to make it, like
frying it, then opening make thepocket, putting the egg inside.
It's amazing. It's like double dip fry.
Yeah, egg arepas. It's wonderful.
It's delicious. It's also quite heavy, but you
know, we also have this in Cartagena and, and in
Barranquilla, both theories thatI grew up when I was a child
(03:09):
because of all the African influence from the, the Spanish
colonization. So like it's also a melting pot
of, of flavors and wonderful cultures as well.
So that was the, my first touch with the, with the food.
Also my grandmother always filling us a lot.
There was always food always. And then while growing up, I
(03:30):
developed this food, this love for food.
And you know, then on weekends, I was asking to cook the, the
breakfast for the family also tolike learn how to also cook
lunch. And then eventually I also my
family and my mom started to take me to restaurants.
And every time I had the opportunity to choose, I always
(03:51):
wanted to go to something that Icould see.
So an open kitchen, so like a Teppan Jackie or something in
which I could see the, the action and the chef and the
cooks, because that's also something that really always
intrigued me. And then I saw that it was like,
he's like a, he's an art, but it's then it's an it's an art
that is edible. So it's just like, it's also
(04:11):
bring different layers on on thewhole experience.
So then afterwards, when I was in high school, you know, you're
speaking about what you're goingto study and what you're going
to do. And then my friends were talking
about, you know, lawyers, doctors, etcetera, etcetera.
And then in my head, it was the only thing that I was thinking
is like, I would like not to be behind the computer.
(04:32):
So then I was not really thinking about food.
But then one friend told me, like, why don't you study like
culinary or like cooking? Because every time we go to like
a road trip or we are doing a BBQ or we're going somewhere,
you end up cooking for everyone.So like, why not to try that,
that that road? And I was just like, yeah,
actually I didn't really talk about it.
(04:55):
So then I just started. It was quite interesting because
I wanted to go to Spain at the very beginning, but then my
family were just like, why don'tyou start here in Colombia and
then see if this really something that you that you
really want to do. But I'm just to like just to
interrupt you over here. But when you said, you know,
like you said, food is somethingyou connect with your friends,
say you cook well and you have these food memories from
(05:17):
nostalgia from childhood. The first career that comes up
to your head, like the closest relatable career to food for you
was was it kitchen or or what did you think?
Like what will you do in food? Yeah, for me was like about
cooking. It's just like just how can we
just because cooking really connect us like when you, when
you, when you like, let's put itlike this.
(05:40):
The room that is always the mosthectic and the fullest is the
kitchen at any home. That's true.
Is where is where the magic happens is what everyone
gathers. Like you start like a drink you
start or like a dinner. It's there's always something
happening in the kitchen. And now it's also the same in my
(06:00):
house. Like for me, we're just like,
OK, something that connects people, brings people together
and it's like a celebration because eating is just a
celebration. It's also a political act, but
it's also celebration definitely.
So I was just like, OK, how can we like, what can I do that is
actually just connect me to thisbeautiful feeling of being able
to give, to feed people and to share an experience with them.
(06:22):
So then I went into Culinary Institute in Bogota and then I
moved, I moved to the capital and then over there I study, you
know, I did a program of 2 1/2 years and to learn how to, you
know, techniques and all the different ways of like Asian
cuisine, like grill, like Frenchcuisine and, and doing
(06:49):
internships. So it was just submerged fully
in the whole experience of cooking.
And then I really loved it so much that we had classes from 95
and then I was there from 99. Wow.
And also on Saturdays from like 4:50, because they were like
workshops, they were different like classes.
And we had the opportunity to, to, to have professors from
(07:13):
outside the university doing workshops in the, in the
institute that were not our professors.
And I wanted to learn from them.So I put myself as a, as a
volunteer to give a hand in their, in their classes.
So I also get more knowledge andI would just like getting and
connecting with more people and getting to know.
(07:33):
And that was also the thing thathelped me create my first
company in Columbia because OK, all of these people that were
wanting to learn, they were alsowanting eventually to have their
own events. And then they were asking some
chefs, like a chef for example, if I would like to do an event
and I would like to hire you, would that be possible?
(07:54):
And then they were like, no, notreally.
I don't do that anymore. Andres is really keen and then
he has been working with me for X amount of time.
So I can assure you that the quality you interested with him
is like a same as the one with me.
So that also encouraged me to open my first startup, like my
(08:18):
first company in in Colombia. Wow.
And that was like, how many years like it was during your
school or just after culinary school?
Yeah, it was just like right that day at the end of the of
the final year of the wow cleaner school.
So I was like, what, 21? OK.
And and what did that startup entail?
(08:38):
Like was it like more management, was it more like
selling yourself or was it just cooking?
How was the how was your role inthe in the company?
So well, I started this. Well, first I was helping and
they, they also the same shift that I was helping in those
classes in the, in the institute, they also took me to
their own events. So then I was having more
(08:59):
experience to bigger events. They told me to some first to
some launchings of some like, some of them were like also like
ambassadors of, of meat brands in Colombia.
So they took me to this also to gain experience and to, and to
see a little bit of the world ofthe cooking in this, in this
different field. And then over there, you know,
it's, it's all about connectionsand network.
(09:19):
So eventually when I decided to,to jump and then do the catering
company, at the beginning, it was just be just just myself and
then doing these small dinners, all of these, by the way, a site
to, to conventional working environment in a hotel.
So I was working in, in a, in a hotel and I was having my
shifts. But then when I was off, I was
(09:41):
doing this, this, this, this personal caterings, you know, so
people in, in their house, so they wanted to have a BBQ or
like experience for 20, 25 people.
And then eventually, you know, you get paid, you get equipment,
you buy more than you, you're able to produce more than
eventually the day happens that two people try to book you for
the same day. And then is that the, the time
(10:03):
in which you start thinking, OK,I cannot do that.
So then what if we call a friendor someone that is that I trust
and then we divide and conquer. So then, then eventually this
kind of thing started to happen.And then two became 3 and then
three, six. And then eventually after like a
couple of years, we were working, we were nine people
working not full time, but then every time we, we needed hands
(10:27):
and we did events and we did quite a lot of interesting
events. And we also work with like for
example, pharmaceutical laboratory in which they wanted
to have like this experience forthe customers or for their
doctors. So we just did like a culinary
experience or a class and then we just start with them like for
(10:48):
two or three hours and then showthem how to make different
recipes like some ceviche, stiladitos or something like
something like this. You like to keep them just like
to give them an experience to taste something.
And then around them there was like the, the they said the
representative of the company talking and doing the business
with, with the people. So it was like a like a sales
experience. But yeah, more focus in the
(11:10):
whole experience than just in the hard cold sale.
OK. So that was that was also very,
very interesting. But and what was your drive for
all of this? Because I'm very curious because
somebody who comes out of a culinary school, their first
choice possibly is to work in a restaurant.
I think it's more, more safe, more secure and more viable.
And I from what I know, I mean, I've never been to Colombia, but
I know that Colombia has, I mean, Bogota especially, you
(11:32):
have Leo, you have El Chato, youhave many good restaurants in
Bogota, right? So weren't you like curious and
maybe I wouldn't have like many people who have these ideas kind
of put these brakes on themselves like they don't have
enough experience or people willnot take me seriously because
I'm not old enough. And all these, I bet you had
these inhibitions, you know. So what was the drive for you?
Was it just seeing that as a requirement like it's a product
(11:52):
market fit or it was that you did not want to confirm to the
kind of career people set out for you?
When I'm now that you put it like this, I'm always being like
a little bit different Rebel. Yeah.
And then yeah, I did my my internships and I did work in
the restaurants and high end places.
(12:14):
But then what I experienced is like over there, it was more
like always like learning a lot,but then it would have taken
quite a longer time to actually be able to do what I really
wanted to do. And then while while
experiencing this with the chef that I was helping in the
institute that helped me to build my company, then it was
(12:36):
just more like when I was doing the events, I could propose my
own ideas and my own like menus.So it was like this way of being
able to let flow my creativity and bring flavors of
combinations. It was like, really?
Let's say it was calling me more.
Yeah, I mean, there's so much freedom, right?
Like when you're at the when you're like add the, when you're
(12:56):
the captain of the ship and not just somebody who's following.
So I think, I think that gives you a lot of creative freedom, I
guess. And then the fact that then this
the two great chefs, they also encouraging me and telling like,
you know, if you want to do something great, you just hire
and dress and he will deliver amazing.
So then also this, this boost of, of encouragement is just
like, OK, I have the if he's telling the people that that I
(13:19):
will do good, then you know, there is trust because he's
putting his name on on me selling like, OK, if you hire
him, he would deliver it. So then it's also on me to like,
OK, he's putting a lot of support and he's giving also,
you know, recommendation at thatat that age, you just you don't
want to to put a bad name on him, but you also put in a good
(13:40):
name on you and. How did that progress like, how
was this transformation of like I was?
I mean, right now you're not in Colombia.
So what happened over there withthat company?
When did you think that it's time to move on from that?
Well, then afterwards I did the go to study to Peru.
So I did called Dumble in the inLima.
(14:01):
I continue continue studying because you never, you never end
starting. Like I think if you, if you stop
starting, then it's, it's, it's a yeah, you, you always need to
learn or like increase your knowledge because you are your
best asset and everything you do, you, everything you do for
yourself is just like the best you could do.
(14:23):
Yeah. It's like an investment in
yourself, right? And like, was there something
specific that you looked for from, from this LCB in Lima or
like any direction that you thought that you could get from
this place? Well, over there, yes, over
there it was. Then I wanted to go to more into
the, the, the fine dining to really increase my knowledge in
execution of like fine dining experience.
(14:45):
Because then at that moment I realized that I have the flavour
profile, I have a good talent indoing many things.
But then like I could see that plating and like doing more
refined things. I could learn more about that.
So I went there. I went there and I did
specialization, a master's in chef.
(15:06):
No, it's it's in French cuisine.OK.
Then a master's in Peruvian cuisine and a specialization of
seafood and and shellfish of thePacific Ocean.
It was just like wonderful. So over there it was just to
(15:26):
really refine and to improve also because Peruvian cuisine.
And that was in 2011, 2011. Wow, so that since then the
Peruvian cuisine has always beenlike a top level.
So I also did over there practices and like internship in
(15:46):
what today is one of the best restaurants in South America.
It's central. Yeah, I would be a Helio.
So when I when I was there, justI learned so much.
So it was just like a great, great opportunity.
And Peruvian cuisine is just wonderful.
It's it's it's delicious. And also with all the
combinations. So I stayed there in Lima for I
(16:08):
think 1 1/2 years, almost 2. And then I went back to
Colombia. But in all of this, the catering
company was still running and being managed by someone in the
team and also by my sister. So the, the whole company was
still a continued. Then then I went back.
And then I also went to, to study in Argentina.
So then to, in, in Mendoza to study wine and like the, the,
(16:32):
the beautiful art of doing a saddle, right?
So I've been, I've been doing a lot of things, a lot of
learning. And then I went back to
Colombia. And then that was the moment in
which I really saw this university.
So it's the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy,
Polenso. And, and then I saw it and I saw
(16:53):
the pencil and right away did anapplication.
I fell in love with the university and then I applied to
do a master's in the in food production and development.
And then, yeah, I got accepted. So then I, I started the whole
process, studying Italian, improving my English, all these
things to do the big jump into Europe.
(17:14):
And it was, it was wonderful. But then at the very end,
something happened. Something happened with my
document, my papers, and then they told me that I could still
do the master, but then just have a certificate of a
tendency. And I was just like, no, I want
a European the degree. So they told me like, OK, you
what you can do. Basically it's like you can swap
(17:37):
to the bachelor and then if you already got accepted to to the
to the master, like we can just put you like from master's to
bachelor. You don't have to do exams,
applications or anything. And it's like, OK, so it would
be 3 1/2 years instead of 1 1/2 years.
Wow, that at that time I was already 23, almost only 24.
(17:58):
And I was just like, you know what's great?
Let's go for it. And now, almost 10 years later,
is the best thing I could ever like, the best decision I could
ever made. Yeah.
Of course. Yeah.
Yeah. That's destiny, right?
I mean, it's all these, all these changes.
And how was your, how was your like a family and friends
reacting to like from exactly like for me, what's curious is
like when your parents like heard, you know, that you're
going to the Colony Institute ofBogota and like starting over
(18:20):
there. And then did they actually think
that you would start a catering company from there?
And that from what I hear, your sister's also involved in it.
And then you doing all these learnings.
What is the reaction of your friends and family about all
these different specializations and the kind of twist to the
cardio? Well, The thing is like, I have
always now at this age, I'm 35 now that I, I don't have a fear
(18:42):
of, of uncertainty. So it's just like, you know, we
just go and then we will figure it out and we will figure it out
because that's what we do. So then these these kind of
things of like, like, like with that, that doesn't mean that I
didn't have jobs, like I had jobs and you know, and also the
field of security and then the the salary and all these things.
(19:03):
And then there was always something in me that he was
telling me like, OK, this is temporary.
This is temporary. Right.
Yeah. So of course, when I, when I, I
was always travelling, my familyalways just like, OK, are you
coming back? Are you going to stay there?
And then it's like, yeah, I'm just, I'm just enjoying what I'm
doing at the moment. Like being present.
It is also something that that it's been very important and
(19:28):
also realizing now that if you are a great cook, you can work
anywhere in the world. And that's, that's what happened
when I arrived in Europe. So, you know, I, I, I went to
Italy and I started as a, you know, you, you arrive to a new
continent and you are nobody like even doesn't matter who you
are in, in where you come from, you arrive with a clean slate.
(19:50):
So I was a student. I was, I started in a PCD as a
dishwasher. And in the meantime, I was still
also running the company in, in Colombia.
Wow. And then, but it was, it was
becoming quite challenging because you know, being like
starting, then being a dishwasher, then having all
these things, it was, it was just like very, very, very
(20:12):
intense. But then because of like the,
the, IT, everything happened at the right time because one, one
day one of the, of the cooks of the pizzeria got sick and then
they were like, OK, so we need someone to cook.
We need someone to, to come and then we don't have nobody.
And that was the moment. It was just like, hey, guys,
this is the moment I've been waiting for.
Like I can cook. So like they did the dishwasher
(20:33):
and everything. Like I dishwashed because like,
you know, it's the job that I can just get, but you give me
the opportunity. And then I was cooking.
And then from that moment on, I went from dishwasher into
cooking and then up, up, up, up,up.
So I did cook in some restaurants, also helping some
events. And one of the things that I
learned the most in in Polenzo is also with the, with the that
(20:56):
I forgot to mention that I wouldlike to go back while learning
in Peru with a great chef, Bernard du Clay.
It's that a great chef is not the one that can call for any
ingredient to cook, but it's theone that cooks and understand
what is in their surroundings and make wonderful food with the
(21:16):
food of the territory. So it's like super interesting,
like who is growing your food? Where is your food coming from?
Is it local? Is it's from far away?
What is the connection to the territory?
And then it's like, OK, that's like, wow, that was that was
very, very insightful and reallytouch a nerve within me.
And you say, OK, from there. This is always something that
was in my food, like how to use local ingredients but with any
(21:39):
kind of technique and just make the local shine in a way which
is surprised the people that have been eating the same food
for many, many years. Yeah.
Wow, that's super deep. And I think that connects a lot
with what you do today, right? Like, I mean, I think you heard
something back there and I'm I'mI'm very wondering like
listening to this. And maybe at that point you
didn't have the opportunity to maybe like go back to the roots
(22:01):
and things like that. But tell us about Fawa Mole,
because that's the that's for me, the main main topic on this
podcast. Like, how did that idea come up?
How did you find an opportunity?And how did you kind of think
that, you know, this would mean not cooking maybe every day,
possibly maybe that's this will not be the place where you cook
every day. And that's what you've been
doing through your career from like also with the switch from
(22:21):
dishwasher then working in restaurants in Italy especially.
How was that for you? Was it were you questioning
yourself if this is the right thing or it was just something
natural? No.
Well to tell you when I finishedthe university I managed to to
land a job as a as a head chef on Austeria.
Wow. And for me, that was the moment
in which I was just like, OK, I managed to get a head chef
(22:44):
position in a Italian restaurantas a foreigner.
So that was just like, OK, yeah.And then it was just like, I did
that for two years and then the place was amazing.
It was like in these hills in Altalonga close to Barbaresco
with like the vines and everything and the vine yards.
But then there was also something in me that was just
like, OK, now and now what? So then it was just like, OK,
(23:07):
let's continue. Let's remember what we thought
at the beginning. OK, let's continue just getting
more knowledge. So this like, OK, we are in
Italy, what we can do. OK, So I, I became a butcher.
OK, so I went to, I did an internship and then I did my
certification working in a farm.And then all of this is
connected to foam mole. So I'm, I'm getting there.
(23:28):
So when I went to this farm in Tuscany around 9-10 years ago
and I got my certification, we were also able to do pop up
dinners and we were doing with areally good colleague of mine,
Stefan, by the way, love him. Love you dude.
We were doing meso and South American flavors with all
(23:49):
Italian ingredients. So we had we had access to corn,
we had access to lemons, meat, pork, beef, all the different
things. And we were doing everything
from scratch. So we were just doing like a
wonderful experience for people since just one day we were doing
like tacos and tostadas and things.
And then one of the, of the customers and one of the people
(24:10):
that were eating was just like, guys, I love what you're doing,
but we're missing, we missing guacamole.
They just make us some guacamoleand we were just like, now we,
we, we, we will not do it because, well, it's not grown in
Tuscany. It's like now days is still it's
grown in Europe. But also, you know, to get some,
some avocados, we needed to drive 40 minutes to the city and
(24:32):
40 minutes back. So 80 minutes there the round
trip. But then at that time it was
early June. So fava fava bean season was
full bloom. OK.
OK, wait a second. But we have favas.
They are green. We can double peel them, blanche
them, smash them and dress and like mix them like with all the
spices and make like a fava mole.
(24:53):
So it was just like, why not, you know, let's do fava mole.
So we made fava mole and we put it in the in the in the pop up
and people loved it. People just went crazy for it.
Of course, it's a, it's a difference when you do it a
small scale and when you do it now at the scale we're doing it,
but people just couldn't believethat they were in fava beans
instead of, of, of guacamole of avocado.
(25:15):
So then that was the whole beginning of a mole around like
10 years ago. OK.
And I didn't know that there wasgoing to be my well, now I know
that that was just the beginningof it.
So then moving forward the timeline, I moved to the
Netherlands because I wanted to open a farm with some friends
that we use studying the university.
(25:36):
And then we did this. And then again when I moved to
Amsterdam, we started the the project we're doing part time.
And then part time I was, I wentback to the cooking.
So I was doing the catering and I went doing some freelance chef
here and there. And then I was doing, but I was
doing mainly the pop ups. Then when the lockdown of the
(25:59):
COVID came, I had my friend's neighbors farmers.
They had a lot of surplus products.
OK. On, on like on risk of being
wasted. So we just decided to add value
to this and then started transforming, transforming it
and then putting it into sauces and dips.
Also very important to mention, like when I was in this farm in,
in Italy, in Tuscany, I was alsodoing the, the products for the
(26:21):
farm. So over there is where I learned
and mastered the, the technique of preservation.
OK, like to make like the preserve from the jars and the
jams and the things. So then this happened like
around four or five years ago. And then we had our first brand.
We put, we start selling door todoor to neighbors, to friends
and everything. And then eventually you get into
(26:42):
the first shop, second shop, third shop.
And we were doing everything organic.
We got organic certification, wegot into organic supermarket.
And also just like learning by doing, learning by screwing.
And then eventually it was goingreally well.
So we were just like upscaling and everything.
But then we were arriving into like bottlenecks because we
(27:03):
wanted to work just with specific onions from farmers or
specific chilies from this specific farmers.
So you know, when you want to upscale a business need like you
know, if you want to outsource your production, then to find
the farmer that is working with the production facility that can
preach up open all the onions, you can just do it with like 500
(27:26):
kilos. You need to do like tons and
tons and tons. So this those were one of the
challenges that we were facing at the moment.
So I was doing both of them. And then last year after the
most after the wettest spring ofthe decade at the farm, we saw
that one of the things that we're growing the best, it was
(27:46):
the the fava beans. And for me it was like a like a
message of like Andres, rememberus, we are here.
Remember from Molly. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So I was just like, OK, we have also been doing the farm for 70
years, the business running well, We have a wonderful team,
really well structure. So it was just like, OK, this is
the time to, to, to give it a try.
I also tried again like 4 years before and they didn't work.
(28:09):
But then last year we we actually did an application for
a grant and, and we got, we have, we got €50,000 from the
from the province of South Holland.
OK. And supported by the European
Union. And then they gave us the the
(28:29):
opportunity to develop and the concept and the and upscale
recipe of falamole. Oh, wow.
So yeah. Yeah, and.
And how is it, how is it to see something that you've done at an
event and how, what kind of challenges do you have when you
have, because maybe somebody listening to this podcast like,
OK, I have something similar, like I have done something
similar in an event which sold well.
(28:49):
How different it is from like creating that and then scaling
up and understanding, I don't know, standardizing the kind of
power you're getting in all the kind of machines you have to
use, which, which then have their own cost and maintenance
and understanding of how this machine works.
So what kind of challenges do you have in scaling this product
up? The challenges, OK, we have
quite some challenges, but I like to see challenges and
opportunities because again we we're still doing it the way in
(29:12):
which we don't buy from the wholesaler, we buy directly from
the farmers. So there is a little bit more
challenges than that, but there is also a great opportunity
because then we know with whom we're working, we know how the
the crops are being grown and weknow which system we are
supporting. And this is one of the key
elements for us about like to support regenerative agriculture
(29:33):
and sustainable practices. So we work with farmers that we
visit and something that has been really of a great
experience or like a great advantage is that because I'm a
farmer, let's let's put it like this, I speak farmer.
So I go with them and then thereis like a quick understanding
and they see like, OK, you, you know what you're talking about.
You know that what is, you know,crop rotation, nitrogen
(29:56):
fixation, carbon, you know all these things.
So that gave us a lot of opportunities.
So one of the challenges of course is upscaling production.
If you have an idea or, and you want to make a product, try to
think right away on do you really want to be a production
company or you want to be, let'ssay, brand company with a
(30:16):
partner that produces for you. That is that's very important to
know from the very, very from the very beginning.
And then also to see that when you scale up your recipe, it
will change. And then you will have to do
some, not some compromises, but you need to to adapt the recipe
because it's not that you multiply your recipe by 10X if
you want to do it 10 times bigger because that's is is not
(30:39):
how it works. And then just do, just do
batches like, you know, we started with doing from a Molev
2 kilos, then we went to 4, thenwe went to 8, then 16, then 32
and so on, so on. Then then of course, like you
need to give it a taste, you need to sample it and you need
to get feedback. And then fortunately the subsidy
(31:01):
help us a lot because if not, it's a lot of bootstrapping, but
then it's, it's also just how active and how do you really see
the dream or really happening and not not just like dreaming
it, but also like being active in bringing it.
So then we just went to, to different places to taste it, to
(31:23):
get feedback. We give for free.
We partner with some events and to just to get feedback and get
people to, to, to really listen to really tell us what they,
what they, what they felt when they eat the product.
And we got just very, very positive comments.
And then those this, that was the moment in which is like, OK,
let's, let's just go for it now.Actually, I closed the other
(31:44):
company, the salsa company and in the farm I also asking now
for, well, I asked already for asabbatical like one year because
I want to, I'm focusing all my energy in farm Molly.
So I'm doing now full time now. From the time we started till
now, we now also scale. So we can do now between 801 and
1000 kilos of guacamole per production.
(32:06):
We also partner with one of the biggest guacamole producers in
the continent and we are workingalready with the two wholesalers
and we also speaking with some retailers as well.
So it's just like from an idea that started nine years ago to
crazy pop up dinner to an attempt four years ago that
(32:27):
flopped up to last year when it started.
Just like with, with this, of course, all the knowledge and
all the different experience from the past, It's just.
Beautiful, right? I mean, the journey has to be
like for somebody who has done it yourself, I think has to be
very, very immersive to see all these changes.
And also how sometimes the idea can be great, but maybe the time
is not correct, the place is notcorrect.
But how do you, because this sector is so big, like your
(32:48):
segment that you've taken is like this dips and spreads, I
feel is just booming, especiallywith with veganism.
I think a lot of alternatives, what we were used to like breads
like the butters and the classics or Patez and stuff that
is so much market which wants something different.
And of course, guacamole itself is known as a product.
So you are replacing something or kind of creating an
alternative, which is which people know at least how to use.
(33:09):
It's not a lot of education on how to use it at least or what
to combine with that sort of. But my question is more like a
company like yours, like Fava Mole at the moment.
Actually have a friend who's also doing a similar company
with Broccolis actually from from here in Spain, from
Alicante. And I wonder for like companies
like yours, how is how competitive is the market?
Because of course you also have the big brands doing something
similar or also these white brands from, from, from the
(33:32):
supermarket chains. You know, how do you think at
what places are you into advantage?
Because maybe you are smaller, more controllable?
And what points do you feel the other bigger FMC GS have?
A better edge I guess. Actually there's something great
because some like couple of weeks ago the big company that
it's working with beans, they put, they put out in the market
(33:56):
3 new spreads based on the lentils, chickpeas and like
white beans. So three friends immediately
send me a message. It's just like, oh, look, they
are doing this something. And then, you know, for a
microsecond I was just like, oh shit.
They just like, you know, they, they are step ahead.
They have budget, they have theyare aprons.
(34:18):
And then I was just like, no, wait a second, how can we see
this an opportunity? And then we and then I felt like
this is actually a great opportunity for us because they
are actually proving that the concept is great.
Yeah. If an A brand is already jumping
there, that means that the market is open and is ready to
do so. And sounds like the betting the
market for you and all because the consumer who's trying that
(34:39):
will be more I guess open to tryyour product I would say.
Exactly. So then it just like for, for
that microsecond, it was just like, yeah, yeah, we're late or
whatever. And it's like, no, it's actually
if a big company like that is doing this is just because they
also see the opportunity and we just, But then it's also a great
opportunity to ask the right questions because you know, it's
(35:02):
one of the things we focus a lotis in local.
So our beans, they come from Europe, our supply and chain is
European. So we don't import anything from
outside of Europe. And this is also something that
it's a unique selling point fromus.
And in that sense, then I ask them like not to be pointing
fingers or anything. It's like, hey, then it's great,
guys, what are you doing? But then now you have a
question, where do you source your beam from?
(35:24):
Because then it's not about being mean.
It's about being easy, about daring to ask the questions in
order to really have a proper conversation.
Because you know, one of the things of the food system is
that it's really shady. So you know, it, it hides behind
claims behind like phony wordingand labels like no sugars added,
free from this or that. And then if you really know a
(35:47):
little bit or pay attention to it, then it's just like, it's
like, oh wow, this is this is very, very shady.
Yeah, I know. It's, I mean people, I think
people who can read labels thinkthey can read labels, but just
reading label is not enough because you never know what I
don't know what natural preservative means.
Nobody knows it. What is organic Preservative is
so different from natural. So why is natural not organic?
(36:07):
There's like there's so many questions.
Like yesterday I saw a very interesting post from one of our
previous guests called Vitech from from Slovakia.
And he said like, why are peopleselling organic carrots?
Like he hates organic carrots. He said, like all carrots should
be organic and the ones which are not organic should be like,
I don't know, poisoned carrots or something like that.
Like why all carrots? Yeah, exactly.
This is this is the whole problem with all these, all
(36:27):
these brandings and this like, Ihave a follow up question for
you because now, as somebody whowas like, as we, the idea of the
podcast was in the beginning to listen to your somebody who's
coming from culinary school, notjust one, going for multiple
schools to get trainings, internships, doing a catering
company and all of it kind of being a chef, like being the
person who produces food that isimmediately, you can serve it to
somebody, get their immediate feedback.
(36:48):
So it's a very different kind of, I guess, career because you
are gratified immediately once you serve the food.
And from that to now the kind ofjob do you do?
Do you still see yourself as a chef?
And that is one question. So do you still see yourself as
a chef in this role that you do with Pavamoli?
And what part of your chef past helps you in today's business?
I induce see myself as chef. Well, I cook every day, so in
(37:10):
that sense, yes. I don't cook it now for like
commercial. So I don't do that many events.
But yeah, once a chef, you're always a chef.
Definitely. And I also love doing
experiments, like for example, when I go on on holiday and I
have some time off, I just love fermenting things and, you know,
doing like a sodas or doing things and then having just like
(37:31):
find an experience for myself and my friends.
But then just like we're just there.
It's not like, so it's just, andthere is no, no stress.
It's just super easy going. But then there is time to, to to
experiment and to do crazy stuff.
So this is this is very interesting and for the in the
job that I do, yes, there is always food is very important in
(37:54):
in if you're in the food system,because now we have the product
and then there is always, you know, explaining or show people
how can you use your product. And if you, if you are a chef,
you have already a lot of ideas under the sleeve or like in your
mind or like the creativity or for example, I work a lot behind
the computer now. But then sometimes if I just
(38:15):
wanted to let the creativity flow, then I just go to the
kitchen and prepare lunch for the team or just like, you know,
let's do something that is fun. And then we just make it into a
video and then we see we use it or not or something like this.
But then it's also like a very nice also in farming and
cooking, because this is I thinkthe two the two really field
that made Fava mole where it is today.
(38:37):
It's like when I was farming, I was also cooking and to be able
to get to know your food, not just like to have the
opportunity to transform and over or like an eggplant that
arrives, but to get to know how the flower looks that you can
eat the young leaf and you can do something with the with the
flowers. I see that there's no many.
(39:00):
I would love if more chef have the possibility to become
farmers, because that just give you an amazing overview, an
opportunity of like expansion ofof the things that you can do.
You know, for example, I we bring some junk chefs to the
farm and then when we show them and, and a flower of an
aubergine of an eggplant, it's like, Hey, what can you
(39:21):
recognize this flower? And they say they Nope.
So it's just very important thatis that a chef for a cookie is
not the one that can transform, but it's also the one that
knows. So like every every fruit or a
in this case, vegetable that is also a fruit.
For example, tomato is a fruit. It's not a vegetable, but yeah,
it's it's first a flower, of course, and then it became a
(39:43):
fruit. So this is also something that
is great to to knowledge to havebecause everything is connected.
And one of the advantages that Ihave had in this journey is that
I went from all the links in thechainsaw farming to cooking, to
butcher, to food production, to now having the farmer Molly to
(40:03):
be able to translate all the experiences in the different
fields. In that particular aspect, for
example, we can. Now for Molly, the company as
translating the the farm experience to the companies is a
tree, it's a young tree of one year.
(40:24):
So then you know, let's say if you have an apple tree and then
you plant it, then it will not give you many apples, but you
still need to take care of the tree.
Then like hopefully in three, incouple of years is going to give
you a couple of apples. But in 10-15 years you won't
know what to do with all the apples that they will give you.
So then it's just like a little bit of like this.
(40:46):
This translated into entrepreneurship is like to have
the patience to understand and respect the natural rhythms of
nature. No, I think it's a beautiful
journey. I mean, the way you explain it,
I mean, it all makes sense, right?
I mean, I mean of could you havedone far more without being a
chef, without being a farmer? Possibly, yes.
But I think the way you can run it today with the integrity and
the way you can possibly talk toeven if you have like somebody
(41:08):
producing it for you, you can ask them the right question.
When you have somebody selectingthe fava beans for you, you can
ask them the right questions. I think that definitely
strengthens you. And I think everybody has their
kind of time and amount of time to take it to these kind of
specializations. But I think definitely there's a
way like like your carrier is kind of a proof that there is a
way to be able to kind of as yousaid, you know, there's no it's
never too early. Like you started a business
(41:29):
straight out of school. I mean, almost during your last
years of culinary school. And I think that's given you
definitely an edge over other companies because if somebody
listens to your career and you're only 35 and listens to
all the things you've done, it'sonly because you have like not
waited to get somebody's approval or, or get some years
of experience to say, you know, now it can possibly step into
something else. So I think as you said, you've
been rebellious and you have yeah, not not been like not
(41:52):
stopped by the industries question and just define your
kind of kind of question. So yeah, I think I think it's
beautiful. And I think that's that shows in
the product itself, the shows inthe kind of mission that you've
taken upon yourself. And Andreas, before we close
this podcast, I would like to hear from you Think about
somebody who's like maybe in your kind of stage, you know,
maybe somebody who's like like you 4 years ago tried to farm or
it did not work out. Or somebody who's kind of in in
(42:14):
the restaurant and has an idea maybe for a catering business or
something similar to what you'vedone.
What kind of advice would you give give to them so that they
kind of make this leap and they don't stop themselves?
Trust on yourself because you might be closer to the breaking
point than you think. This is also something that that
I have realized and I have learned with experience is that
(42:36):
the more you fear, the more you feel the fear.
The closer you are to the break point, the more afraid you are
to actually doing it. That is actually the signal in
within your body that is tellingyou let's go there, because
every time I have followed that fear in the other side is like
(42:57):
the most beautiful thing. But then when you are like,
let's say you are in this pyramid thing and then you're
like climbing, climbing, climbing, and then you're here
dancing in the edge and then you're like almost tipping
point. Then you are so freaking scared.
But then because the brain worksin a really funny way that
rather it rather have the certainty of the known than the
(43:20):
uncertainty good of the unknown.So then you just try to go
backwards as I know they just gogo and just really trust and
feel as is already happening. It's not a dream anymore because
and then I will go a little bit into like a topic that I've been
studying also lately. It's like you can create your
own reality. So if you don't dream or you
(43:43):
don't think that it will happen,you behave like it already
happened. Okay.
And then once you have that, everything is possible.
Yeah, I think believing the dream, right, I think I could
not frame it. I could not frame it better the
way you've said it. I think it's, and it's also like
not somebody who's just picking up a quote and saying it like
your journey, your, your cardio is a proof that this works.
And I think I think it's a greatinspiration, at least for me
(44:05):
listening to it. And I hope for the listeners as
well to listen to your story. And I think I hope this kind of
motivation and the story that you've given with like proper
proofs and proper witnesses and also the challenges.
It's not like it's not all butterflies and rainbows.
You've also mentioned to us how there were challenges.
You know. We should just butterflies and
rainbows. I can tell you like a really
quick challenge is just like, also because you know, it's,
(44:25):
it's like it sounds very easy. You have a success night.
We had challenges like, you know, we, we were sued, almost
sued by a German company becauseof a trademark.
We made a mistake that cost us €8000 and then we had to make
financial plans to be able to pay.
We bootstrap for three months. I use all my savings around like
30,000 and then didn't pay my team and myself for three months
(44:49):
and then we were just already in, in the red.
And then the money and the, and the investor came.
You know, it's so it's the moment when you're like this,
just like, oh, and then it's like, it's really like a test of
like how, how hard do you want this and how much are you
(45:10):
willing to do to continue for it?
And then boom, it happens. Yeah, definitely.
But I mean, to be able to reach there, you have to believe, you
have to believe that there is there is a light at the end of
the tunnel. And also, I mean, it's also
equally important to know when to stop.
But I think it's also important to see how much can you endure
and how much if you believe in the concept and if you believe
it's something you should stand for.
And if you've done the research about it, especially in your
case of not just doing research,but knowing exactly, you know,
(45:33):
what you're doing. It's not just something you've
seen on the Internet and you're you're making it, you know, so I
think, yeah, it's it's great. Beautiful advice you've given on
the rest and thank you for sharing a journey with us.
I think Fava Moley and your carrier is a powerful reminder
that chefs don't have to just stay in the kitchens.
There's so much more we learn inthese carriers.
It could be small incidents likefor you, in your case was in a
pop up making this recipe out ofa challenge that you had, which
(45:55):
was to not have avocados or not want to have avocados.
And this is one thing also as chefs, we learn a lot to think
on our feet, to think very quick.
And it's beautiful to see how you have like showed that it's
like chefs can be outside the kitchen and make a bigger
impact, Create some new models of food that not only feed
people, but feed cultural communities and kind of this
creative imagination to create products out of nowhere out of
(46:17):
out of not having something, youcreated something.
So I will put the link to Farmonin the show notes and the
listeners should explore more about what it is.
And yeah, this has been a fugitive chef.
Thank you so much, Andre, for being on the podcast.
No, thank you so much for the inspiration, for the opportunity
to share the story and for the listeners.
Go guys, go for it. That's my message for you.
Definitely. Thank you so much.
So hello everyone, and welcome back to Future the Chef's
podcast. There's a podcast about chefs
and food, people who have walkedaway from traditional kitchens
to create something freer, more meaningful, and often something
which is more connected to people and their place.
In today's case, we have Andres Harras.
Andres, first of all, welcome tothe podcast.
And thank you for the invitation.
I'm really happy to be here to share a little bit more about
(00:21):
the story and a little bit of what we have been doing.
Yeah. And exactly that's what we're
looking forward to, right. And actually Andres comes
recommended from one of our listeners if if you're
listening, Emma from Near Farms.And Emma told me a little about
what Andres does and it was veryinteresting to me.
I think it's a great, I mean it's a great, I think philosophy
behind this kind of project thatAndres has taken upon and we'll
(00:42):
hear more about it. But from what I know, Andres is
the founder of Fava Mole. It's a project, which is, if I
understand correctly, it's rethinking the food from the
ground up. So something which isn't just
product development, it's actually thinking behind what
all goes behind a product. And from someone who knows a
little more about say by products and the and the whole
story of how to create a productfrom the ground up.
(01:02):
And what I also know is that others, as somebody who has
stepped outside the classical chef career path to build
something that for me, I think it blends not only food, but
also culture, creativity and sustainability being one of the
strong, strong pillars I think of of your project.
And today's idea is to just, yeah, listen about, listen to
Andress's story. How did he end up into what he
(01:23):
does today? How was his past with the
kitchen? And what kind of suggestions
does he have for people who alsomaybe have something similar to
connect with? So I think before we like deep
dive into all of this, Andres, first of all, just tell me,
like, how did you end up in kitchen?
Like what was your first memory of food?
What was your earliest connection and when did you
think that this is this is goingto be your career, sort of.
(01:45):
It's a great question. So everything started when I was
really young. I have this memory of my
grandmother always cooking and providing food for us and you
know, also for taking food to school.
When I woke up there was always breakfast and it was already and
you could already feel the smellof of lunch.
And where is this? Is Colombia right?
(02:05):
This is Cartagena, Colombia, Yes, in the in the Caribbean.
So yeah, very warm. What's breakfast like?
What does breakfast smell like in Colombia?
I mean. Depends.
You know, my grandmother is fromMedellin.
So over there is like they they eat a lot of arepa.
So it's like a cornbread fried bread.
And then for her it's like that and cheese like or like Primo
salad, like something in Italianthat we call or like a just like
(02:28):
a fresh cheese with some butter,some eggs, some milk.
But then also, you know, over there in Cartagena and in the
Atlantic Coast, the culture there is a lot of fry food.
So you start the morning really,really like frying bananas or
like fry arepas as well, or likesomething that we call arepa E.
Well, that is like I love. That I love it, like I remember
(02:49):
some interns showing me in Mugaritz how to make it, like
frying it, then opening make thepocket, putting the egg inside.
It's amazing. It's like double dip fry.
Yeah, egg arepas. It's wonderful.
It's delicious. It's also quite heavy, but you
know, we also have this in Cartagena and, and in
Barranquilla, both theories thatI grew up when I was a child
(03:09):
because of all the African influence from the, the Spanish
colonization. So like it's also a melting pot
of, of flavors and wonderful cultures as well.
So that was the, my first touch with the, with the food.
Also my grandmother always filling us a lot.
There was always food always. And then while growing up, I
(03:30):
developed this food, this love for food.
And you know, then on weekends, I was asking to cook the, the
breakfast for the family also tolike learn how to also cook
lunch. And then eventually I also my
family and my mom started to take me to restaurants.
And every time I had the opportunity to choose, I always
(03:51):
wanted to go to something that Icould see.
So an open kitchen, so like a Teppan Jackie or something in
which I could see the, the action and the chef and the
cooks, because that's also something that really always
intrigued me. And then I saw that it was like,
he's like a, he's an art, but it's then it's an it's an art
that is edible. So it's just like, it's also
(04:11):
bring different layers on on thewhole experience.
So then afterwards, when I was in high school, you know, you're
speaking about what you're goingto study and what you're going
to do. And then my friends were talking
about, you know, lawyers, doctors, etcetera, etcetera.
And then in my head, it was the only thing that I was thinking
is like, I would like not to be behind the computer.
(04:32):
So then I was not really thinking about food.
But then one friend told me, like, why don't you study like
culinary or like cooking? Because every time we go to like
a road trip or we are doing a BBQ or we're going somewhere,
you end up cooking for everyone.So like, why not to try that,
that that road? And I was just like, yeah,
actually I didn't really talk about it.
(04:55):
So then I just started. It was quite interesting because
I wanted to go to Spain at the very beginning, but then my
family were just like, why don'tyou start here in Colombia and
then see if this really something that you that you
really want to do. But I'm just to like just to
interrupt you over here. But when you said, you know,
like you said, food is somethingyou connect with your friends,
say you cook well and you have these food memories from
(05:17):
nostalgia from childhood. The first career that comes up
to your head, like the closest relatable career to food for you
was was it kitchen or or what did you think?
Like what will you do in food? Yeah, for me was like about
cooking. It's just like just how can we
just because cooking really connect us like when you, when
you, when you like, let's put itlike this.
(05:40):
The room that is always the mosthectic and the fullest is the
kitchen at any home. That's true.
Is where is where the magic happens is what everyone
gathers. Like you start like a drink you
start or like a dinner. It's there's always something
happening in the kitchen. And now it's also the same in my
(06:00):
house. Like for me, we're just like,
OK, something that connects people, brings people together
and it's like a celebration because eating is just a
celebration. It's also a political act, but
it's also celebration definitely.
So I was just like, OK, how can we like, what can I do that is
actually just connect me to thisbeautiful feeling of being able
to give, to feed people and to share an experience with them.
(06:22):
So then I went into Culinary Institute in Bogota and then I
moved, I moved to the capital and then over there I study, you
know, I did a program of 2 1/2 years and to learn how to, you
know, techniques and all the different ways of like Asian
cuisine, like grill, like Frenchcuisine and, and doing
(06:49):
internships. So it was just submerged fully
in the whole experience of cooking.
And then I really loved it so much that we had classes from 95
and then I was there from 99. Wow.
And also on Saturdays from like 4:50, because they were like
workshops, they were different like classes.
And we had the opportunity to, to, to have professors from
(07:13):
outside the university doing workshops in the, in the
institute that were not our professors.
And I wanted to learn from them.So I put myself as a, as a
volunteer to give a hand in their, in their classes.
So I also get more knowledge andI would just like getting and
connecting with more people and getting to know.
(07:33):
And that was also the thing thathelped me create my first
company in Columbia because OK, all of these people that were
wanting to learn, they were alsowanting eventually to have their
own events. And then they were asking some
chefs, like a chef for example, if I would like to do an event
and I would like to hire you, would that be possible?
(07:54):
And then they were like, no, notreally.
I don't do that anymore. Andres is really keen and then
he has been working with me for X amount of time.
So I can assure you that the quality you interested with him
is like a same as the one with me.
So that also encouraged me to open my first startup, like my
(08:18):
first company in in Colombia. Wow.
And that was like, how many years like it was during your
school or just after culinary school?
Yeah, it was just like right that day at the end of the of
the final year of the wow cleaner school.
So I was like, what, 21? OK.
And and what did that startup entail?
(08:38):
Like was it like more management, was it more like
selling yourself or was it just cooking?
How was the how was your role inthe in the company?
So well, I started this. Well, first I was helping and
they, they also the same shift that I was helping in those
classes in the, in the institute, they also took me to
their own events. So then I was having more
(08:59):
experience to bigger events. They told me to some first to
some launchings of some like, some of them were like also like
ambassadors of, of meat brands in Colombia.
So they took me to this also to gain experience and to, and to
see a little bit of the world ofthe cooking in this, in this
different field. And then over there, you know,
it's, it's all about connectionsand network.
(09:19):
So eventually when I decided to,to jump and then do the catering
company, at the beginning, it was just be just just myself and
then doing these small dinners, all of these, by the way, a site
to, to conventional working environment in a hotel.
So I was working in, in a, in a hotel and I was having my
shifts. But then when I was off, I was
(09:41):
doing this, this, this, this personal caterings, you know, so
people in, in their house, so they wanted to have a BBQ or
like experience for 20, 25 people.
And then eventually, you know, you get paid, you get equipment,
you buy more than you, you're able to produce more than
eventually the day happens that two people try to book you for
the same day. And then is that the, the time
(10:03):
in which you start thinking, OK,I cannot do that.
So then what if we call a friendor someone that is that I trust
and then we divide and conquer. So then, then eventually this
kind of thing started to happen.And then two became 3 and then
three, six. And then eventually after like a
couple of years, we were working, we were nine people
working not full time, but then every time we, we needed hands
(10:27):
and we did events and we did quite a lot of interesting
events. And we also work with like for
example, pharmaceutical laboratory in which they wanted
to have like this experience forthe customers or for their
doctors. So we just did like a culinary
experience or a class and then we just start with them like for
(10:48):
two or three hours and then showthem how to make different
recipes like some ceviche, stiladitos or something like
something like this. You like to keep them just like
to give them an experience to taste something.
And then around them there was like the, the they said the
representative of the company talking and doing the business
with, with the people. So it was like a like a sales
experience. But yeah, more focus in the
(11:10):
whole experience than just in the hard cold sale.
OK. So that was that was also very,
very interesting. But and what was your drive for
all of this? Because I'm very curious because
somebody who comes out of a culinary school, their first
choice possibly is to work in a restaurant.
I think it's more, more safe, more secure and more viable.
And I from what I know, I mean, I've never been to Colombia, but
I know that Colombia has, I mean, Bogota especially, you
(11:32):
have Leo, you have El Chato, youhave many good restaurants in
Bogota, right? So weren't you like curious and
maybe I wouldn't have like many people who have these ideas kind
of put these brakes on themselves like they don't have
enough experience or people willnot take me seriously because
I'm not old enough. And all these, I bet you had
these inhibitions, you know. So what was the drive for you?
Was it just seeing that as a requirement like it's a product
(11:52):
market fit or it was that you did not want to confirm to the
kind of career people set out for you?
When I'm now that you put it like this, I'm always being like
a little bit different Rebel. Yeah.
And then yeah, I did my my internships and I did work in
the restaurants and high end places.
(12:14):
But then what I experienced is like over there, it was more
like always like learning a lot,but then it would have taken
quite a longer time to actually be able to do what I really
wanted to do. And then while while
experiencing this with the chef that I was helping in the
institute that helped me to build my company, then it was
(12:36):
just more like when I was doing the events, I could propose my
own ideas and my own like menus.So it was like this way of being
able to let flow my creativity and bring flavors of
combinations. It was like, really?
Let's say it was calling me more.
Yeah, I mean, there's so much freedom, right?
Like when you're at the when you're like add the, when you're
(12:56):
the captain of the ship and not just somebody who's following.
So I think, I think that gives you a lot of creative freedom, I
guess. And then the fact that then this
the two great chefs, they also encouraging me and telling like,
you know, if you want to do something great, you just hire
and dress and he will deliver amazing.
So then also this, this boost of, of encouragement is just
like, OK, I have the if he's telling the people that that I
(13:19):
will do good, then you know, there is trust because he's
putting his name on on me selling like, OK, if you hire
him, he would deliver it. So then it's also on me to like,
OK, he's putting a lot of support and he's giving also,
you know, recommendation at thatat that age, you just you don't
want to to put a bad name on him, but you also put in a good
(13:40):
name on you and. How did that progress like, how
was this transformation of like I was?
I mean, right now you're not in Colombia.
So what happened over there withthat company?
When did you think that it's time to move on from that?
Well, then afterwards I did the go to study to Peru.
So I did called Dumble in the inLima.
(14:01):
I continue continue studying because you never, you never end
starting. Like I think if you, if you stop
starting, then it's, it's, it's a yeah, you, you always need to
learn or like increase your knowledge because you are your
best asset and everything you do, you, everything you do for
yourself is just like the best you could do.
(14:23):
Yeah. It's like an investment in
yourself, right? And like, was there something
specific that you looked for from, from this LCB in Lima or
like any direction that you thought that you could get from
this place? Well, over there, yes, over
there it was. Then I wanted to go to more into
the, the, the fine dining to really increase my knowledge in
execution of like fine dining experience.
(14:45):
Because then at that moment I realized that I have the flavour
profile, I have a good talent indoing many things.
But then like I could see that plating and like doing more
refined things. I could learn more about that.
So I went there. I went there and I did
specialization, a master's in chef.
(15:06):
No, it's it's in French cuisine.OK.
Then a master's in Peruvian cuisine and a specialization of
seafood and and shellfish of thePacific Ocean.
It was just like wonderful. So over there it was just to
(15:26):
really refine and to improve also because Peruvian cuisine.
And that was in 2011, 2011. Wow, so that since then the
Peruvian cuisine has always beenlike a top level.
So I also did over there practices and like internship in
(15:46):
what today is one of the best restaurants in South America.
It's central. Yeah, I would be a Helio.
So when I when I was there, justI learned so much.
So it was just like a great, great opportunity.
And Peruvian cuisine is just wonderful.
It's it's it's delicious. And also with all the
combinations. So I stayed there in Lima for I
(16:08):
think 1 1/2 years, almost 2. And then I went back to
Colombia. But in all of this, the catering
company was still running and being managed by someone in the
team and also by my sister. So the, the whole company was
still a continued. Then then I went back.
And then I also went to, to study in Argentina.
So then to, in, in Mendoza to study wine and like the, the,
(16:32):
the beautiful art of doing a saddle, right?
So I've been, I've been doing a lot of things, a lot of
learning. And then I went back to
Colombia. And then that was the moment in
which I really saw this university.
So it's the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy,
Polenso. And, and then I saw it and I saw
(16:53):
the pencil and right away did anapplication.
I fell in love with the university and then I applied to
do a master's in the in food production and development.
And then, yeah, I got accepted. So then I, I started the whole
process, studying Italian, improving my English, all these
things to do the big jump into Europe.
(17:14):
And it was, it was wonderful. But then at the very end,
something happened. Something happened with my
document, my papers, and then they told me that I could still
do the master, but then just have a certificate of a
tendency. And I was just like, no, I want
a European the degree. So they told me like, OK, you
what you can do. Basically it's like you can swap
(17:37):
to the bachelor and then if you already got accepted to to the
to the master, like we can just put you like from master's to
bachelor. You don't have to do exams,
applications or anything. And it's like, OK, so it would
be 3 1/2 years instead of 1 1/2 years.
Wow, that at that time I was already 23, almost only 24.
(17:58):
And I was just like, you know what's great?
Let's go for it. And now, almost 10 years later,
is the best thing I could ever like, the best decision I could
ever made. Yeah.
Of course. Yeah.
Yeah. That's destiny, right?
I mean, it's all these, all these changes.
And how was your, how was your like a family and friends
reacting to like from exactly like for me, what's curious is
like when your parents like heard, you know, that you're
going to the Colony Institute ofBogota and like starting over
(18:20):
there. And then did they actually think
that you would start a catering company from there?
And that from what I hear, your sister's also involved in it.
And then you doing all these learnings.
What is the reaction of your friends and family about all
these different specializations and the kind of twist to the
cardio? Well, The thing is like, I have
always now at this age, I'm 35 now that I, I don't have a fear
(18:42):
of, of uncertainty. So it's just like, you know, we
just go and then we will figure it out and we will figure it out
because that's what we do. So then these these kind of
things of like, like, like with that, that doesn't mean that I
didn't have jobs, like I had jobs and you know, and also the
field of security and then the the salary and all these things.
(19:03):
And then there was always something in me that he was
telling me like, OK, this is temporary.
This is temporary. Right.
Yeah. So of course, when I, when I, I
was always travelling, my familyalways just like, OK, are you
coming back? Are you going to stay there?
And then it's like, yeah, I'm just, I'm just enjoying what I'm
doing at the moment. Like being present.
It is also something that that it's been very important and
(19:28):
also realizing now that if you are a great cook, you can work
anywhere in the world. And that's, that's what happened
when I arrived in Europe. So, you know, I, I, I went to
Italy and I started as a, you know, you, you arrive to a new
continent and you are nobody like even doesn't matter who you
are in, in where you come from, you arrive with a clean slate.
(19:50):
So I was a student. I was, I started in a PCD as a
dishwasher. And in the meantime, I was still
also running the company in, in Colombia.
Wow. And then, but it was, it was
becoming quite challenging because you know, being like
starting, then being a dishwasher, then having all
these things, it was, it was just like very, very, very
(20:12):
intense. But then because of like the,
the, IT, everything happened at the right time because one, one
day one of the, of the cooks of the pizzeria got sick and then
they were like, OK, so we need someone to cook.
We need someone to, to come and then we don't have nobody.
And that was the moment. It was just like, hey, guys,
this is the moment I've been waiting for.
Like I can cook. So like they did the dishwasher
(20:33):
and everything. Like I dishwashed because like,
you know, it's the job that I can just get, but you give me
the opportunity. And then I was cooking.
And then from that moment on, I went from dishwasher into
cooking and then up, up, up, up,up.
So I did cook in some restaurants, also helping some
events. And one of the things that I
learned the most in in Polenzo is also with the, with the that
(20:56):
I forgot to mention that I wouldlike to go back while learning
in Peru with a great chef, Bernard du Clay.
It's that a great chef is not the one that can call for any
ingredient to cook, but it's theone that cooks and understand
what is in their surroundings and make wonderful food with the
(21:16):
food of the territory. So it's like super interesting,
like who is growing your food? Where is your food coming from?
Is it local? Is it's from far away?
What is the connection to the territory?
And then it's like, OK, that's like, wow, that was that was
very, very insightful and reallytouch a nerve within me.
And you say, OK, from there. This is always something that
was in my food, like how to use local ingredients but with any
(21:39):
kind of technique and just make the local shine in a way which
is surprised the people that have been eating the same food
for many, many years. Yeah.
Wow, that's super deep. And I think that connects a lot
with what you do today, right? Like, I mean, I think you heard
something back there and I'm I'mI'm very wondering like
listening to this. And maybe at that point you
didn't have the opportunity to maybe like go back to the roots
(22:01):
and things like that. But tell us about Fawa Mole,
because that's the that's for me, the main main topic on this
podcast. Like, how did that idea come up?
How did you find an opportunity?And how did you kind of think
that, you know, this would mean not cooking maybe every day,
possibly maybe that's this will not be the place where you cook
every day. And that's what you've been
doing through your career from like also with the switch from
(22:21):
dishwasher then working in restaurants in Italy especially.
How was that for you? Was it were you questioning
yourself if this is the right thing or it was just something
natural? No.
Well to tell you when I finishedthe university I managed to to
land a job as a as a head chef on Austeria.
Wow. And for me, that was the moment
in which I was just like, OK, I managed to get a head chef
(22:44):
position in a Italian restaurantas a foreigner.
So that was just like, OK, yeah.And then it was just like, I did
that for two years and then the place was amazing.
It was like in these hills in Altalonga close to Barbaresco
with like the vines and everything and the vine yards.
But then there was also something in me that was just
like, OK, now and now what? So then it was just like, OK,
(23:07):
let's continue. Let's remember what we thought
at the beginning. OK, let's continue just getting
more knowledge. So this like, OK, we are in
Italy, what we can do. OK, So I, I became a butcher.
OK, so I went to, I did an internship and then I did my
certification working in a farm.And then all of this is
connected to foam mole. So I'm, I'm getting there.
(23:28):
So when I went to this farm in Tuscany around 9-10 years ago
and I got my certification, we were also able to do pop up
dinners and we were doing with areally good colleague of mine,
Stefan, by the way, love him. Love you dude.
We were doing meso and South American flavors with all
(23:49):
Italian ingredients. So we had we had access to corn,
we had access to lemons, meat, pork, beef, all the different
things. And we were doing everything
from scratch. So we were just doing like a
wonderful experience for people since just one day we were doing
like tacos and tostadas and things.
And then one of the, of the customers and one of the people
(24:10):
that were eating was just like, guys, I love what you're doing,
but we're missing, we missing guacamole.
They just make us some guacamoleand we were just like, now we,
we, we, we will not do it because, well, it's not grown in
Tuscany. It's like now days is still it's
grown in Europe. But also, you know, to get some,
some avocados, we needed to drive 40 minutes to the city and
(24:32):
40 minutes back. So 80 minutes there the round
trip. But then at that time it was
early June. So fava fava bean season was
full bloom. OK.
OK, wait a second. But we have favas.
They are green. We can double peel them, blanche
them, smash them and dress and like mix them like with all the
spices and make like a fava mole.
(24:53):
So it was just like, why not, you know, let's do fava mole.
So we made fava mole and we put it in the in the in the pop up
and people loved it. People just went crazy for it.
Of course, it's a, it's a difference when you do it a
small scale and when you do it now at the scale we're doing it,
but people just couldn't believethat they were in fava beans
instead of, of, of guacamole of avocado.
(25:15):
So then that was the whole beginning of a mole around like
10 years ago. OK.
And I didn't know that there wasgoing to be my well, now I know
that that was just the beginningof it.
So then moving forward the timeline, I moved to the
Netherlands because I wanted to open a farm with some friends
that we use studying the university.
(25:36):
And then we did this. And then again when I moved to
Amsterdam, we started the the project we're doing part time.
And then part time I was, I wentback to the cooking.
So I was doing the catering and I went doing some freelance chef
here and there. And then I was doing, but I was
doing mainly the pop ups. Then when the lockdown of the
(25:59):
COVID came, I had my friend's neighbors farmers.
They had a lot of surplus products.
OK. On, on like on risk of being
wasted. So we just decided to add value
to this and then started transforming, transforming it
and then putting it into sauces and dips.
Also very important to mention, like when I was in this farm in,
in Italy, in Tuscany, I was alsodoing the, the products for the
(26:21):
farm. So over there is where I learned
and mastered the, the technique of preservation.
OK, like to make like the preserve from the jars and the
jams and the things. So then this happened like
around four or five years ago. And then we had our first brand.
We put, we start selling door todoor to neighbors, to friends
and everything. And then eventually you get into
(26:42):
the first shop, second shop, third shop.
And we were doing everything organic.
We got organic certification, wegot into organic supermarket.
And also just like learning by doing, learning by screwing.
And then eventually it was goingreally well.
So we were just like upscaling and everything.
But then we were arriving into like bottlenecks because we
(27:03):
wanted to work just with specific onions from farmers or
specific chilies from this specific farmers.
So you know, when you want to upscale a business need like you
know, if you want to outsource your production, then to find
the farmer that is working with the production facility that can
preach up open all the onions, you can just do it with like 500
(27:26):
kilos. You need to do like tons and
tons and tons. So this those were one of the
challenges that we were facing at the moment.
So I was doing both of them. And then last year after the
most after the wettest spring ofthe decade at the farm, we saw
that one of the things that we're growing the best, it was
(27:46):
the the fava beans. And for me it was like a like a
message of like Andres, rememberus, we are here.
Remember from Molly. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So I was just like, OK, we have also been doing the farm for 70
years, the business running well, We have a wonderful team,
really well structure. So it was just like, OK, this is
the time to, to, to give it a try.
I also tried again like 4 years before and they didn't work.
(28:09):
But then last year we we actually did an application for
a grant and, and we got, we have, we got €50,000 from the
from the province of South Holland.
OK. And supported by the European
Union. And then they gave us the the
(28:29):
opportunity to develop and the concept and the and upscale
recipe of falamole. Oh, wow.
So yeah. Yeah, and.
And how is it, how is it to see something that you've done at an
event and how, what kind of challenges do you have when you
have, because maybe somebody listening to this podcast like,
OK, I have something similar, like I have done something
similar in an event which sold well.
(28:49):
How different it is from like creating that and then scaling
up and understanding, I don't know, standardizing the kind of
power you're getting in all the kind of machines you have to
use, which, which then have their own cost and maintenance
and understanding of how this machine works.
So what kind of challenges do you have in scaling this product
up? The challenges, OK, we have
quite some challenges, but I like to see challenges and
opportunities because again we we're still doing it the way in
(29:12):
which we don't buy from the wholesaler, we buy directly from
the farmers. So there is a little bit more
challenges than that, but there is also a great opportunity
because then we know with whom we're working, we know how the
the crops are being grown and weknow which system we are
supporting. And this is one of the key
elements for us about like to support regenerative agriculture
(29:33):
and sustainable practices. So we work with farmers that we
visit and something that has been really of a great
experience or like a great advantage is that because I'm a
farmer, let's let's put it like this, I speak farmer.
So I go with them and then thereis like a quick understanding
and they see like, OK, you, you know what you're talking about.
You know that what is, you know,crop rotation, nitrogen
(29:56):
fixation, carbon, you know all these things.
So that gave us a lot of opportunities.
So one of the challenges of course is upscaling production.
If you have an idea or, and you want to make a product, try to
think right away on do you really want to be a production
company or you want to be, let'ssay, brand company with a
(30:16):
partner that produces for you. That is that's very important to
know from the very, very from the very beginning.
And then also to see that when you scale up your recipe, it
will change. And then you will have to do
some, not some compromises, but you need to to adapt the recipe
because it's not that you multiply your recipe by 10X if
you want to do it 10 times bigger because that's is is not
(30:39):
how it works. And then just do, just do
batches like, you know, we started with doing from a Molev
2 kilos, then we went to 4, thenwe went to 8, then 16, then 32
and so on, so on. Then then of course, like you
need to give it a taste, you need to sample it and you need
to get feedback. And then fortunately the subsidy
(31:01):
help us a lot because if not, it's a lot of bootstrapping, but
then it's, it's also just how active and how do you really see
the dream or really happening and not not just like dreaming
it, but also like being active in bringing it.
So then we just went to, to different places to taste it, to
(31:23):
get feedback. We give for free.
We partner with some events and to just to get feedback and get
people to, to, to really listen to really tell us what they,
what they, what they felt when they eat the product.
And we got just very, very positive comments.
And then those this, that was the moment in which is like, OK,
let's, let's just go for it now.Actually, I closed the other
(31:44):
company, the salsa company and in the farm I also asking now
for, well, I asked already for asabbatical like one year because
I want to, I'm focusing all my energy in farm Molly.
So I'm doing now full time now. From the time we started till
now, we now also scale. So we can do now between 801 and
1000 kilos of guacamole per production.
(32:06):
We also partner with one of the biggest guacamole producers in
the continent and we are workingalready with the two wholesalers
and we also speaking with some retailers as well.
So it's just like from an idea that started nine years ago to
crazy pop up dinner to an attempt four years ago that
(32:27):
flopped up to last year when it started.
Just like with, with this, of course, all the knowledge and
all the different experience from the past, It's just.
Beautiful, right? I mean, the journey has to be
like for somebody who has done it yourself, I think has to be
very, very immersive to see all these changes.
And also how sometimes the idea can be great, but maybe the time
is not correct, the place is notcorrect.
But how do you, because this sector is so big, like your
(32:48):
segment that you've taken is like this dips and spreads, I
feel is just booming, especiallywith with veganism.
I think a lot of alternatives, what we were used to like breads
like the butters and the classics or Patez and stuff that
is so much market which wants something different.
And of course, guacamole itself is known as a product.
So you are replacing something or kind of creating an
alternative, which is which people know at least how to use.
(33:09):
It's not a lot of education on how to use it at least or what
to combine with that sort of. But my question is more like a
company like yours, like Fava Mole at the moment.
Actually have a friend who's also doing a similar company
with Broccolis actually from from here in Spain, from
Alicante. And I wonder for like companies
like yours, how is how competitive is the market?
Because of course you also have the big brands doing something
similar or also these white brands from, from, from the
(33:32):
supermarket chains. You know, how do you think at
what places are you into advantage?
Because maybe you are smaller, more controllable?
And what points do you feel the other bigger FMC GS have?
A better edge I guess. Actually there's something great
because some like couple of weeks ago the big company that
it's working with beans, they put, they put out in the market
(33:56):
3 new spreads based on the lentils, chickpeas and like
white beans. So three friends immediately
send me a message. It's just like, oh, look, they
are doing this something. And then, you know, for a
microsecond I was just like, oh shit.
They just like, you know, they, they are step ahead.
They have budget, they have theyare aprons.
(34:18):
And then I was just like, no, wait a second, how can we see
this an opportunity? And then we and then I felt like
this is actually a great opportunity for us because they
are actually proving that the concept is great.
Yeah. If an A brand is already jumping
there, that means that the market is open and is ready to
do so. And sounds like the betting the
market for you and all because the consumer who's trying that
(34:39):
will be more I guess open to tryyour product I would say.
Exactly. So then it just like for, for
that microsecond, it was just like, yeah, yeah, we're late or
whatever. And it's like, no, it's actually
if a big company like that is doing this is just because they
also see the opportunity and we just, But then it's also a great
opportunity to ask the right questions because you know, it's
(35:02):
one of the things we focus a lotis in local.
So our beans, they come from Europe, our supply and chain is
European. So we don't import anything from
outside of Europe. And this is also something that
it's a unique selling point fromus.
And in that sense, then I ask them like not to be pointing
fingers or anything. It's like, hey, then it's great,
guys, what are you doing? But then now you have a
question, where do you source your beam from?
(35:24):
Because then it's not about being mean.
It's about being easy, about daring to ask the questions in
order to really have a proper conversation.
Because you know, one of the things of the food system is
that it's really shady. So you know, it, it hides behind
claims behind like phony wordingand labels like no sugars added,
free from this or that. And then if you really know a
(35:47):
little bit or pay attention to it, then it's just like, it's
like, oh wow, this is this is very, very shady.
Yeah, I know. It's, I mean people, I think
people who can read labels thinkthey can read labels, but just
reading label is not enough because you never know what I
don't know what natural preservative means.
Nobody knows it. What is organic Preservative is
so different from natural. So why is natural not organic?
(36:07):
There's like there's so many questions.
Like yesterday I saw a very interesting post from one of our
previous guests called Vitech from from Slovakia.
And he said like, why are peopleselling organic carrots?
Like he hates organic carrots. He said, like all carrots should
be organic and the ones which are not organic should be like,
I don't know, poisoned carrots or something like that.
Like why all carrots? Yeah, exactly.
This is this is the whole problem with all these, all
(36:27):
these brandings and this like, Ihave a follow up question for
you because now, as somebody whowas like, as we, the idea of the
podcast was in the beginning to listen to your somebody who's
coming from culinary school, notjust one, going for multiple
schools to get trainings, internships, doing a catering
company and all of it kind of being a chef, like being the
person who produces food that isimmediately, you can serve it to
somebody, get their immediate feedback.
(36:48):
So it's a very different kind of, I guess, career because you
are gratified immediately once you serve the food.
And from that to now the kind ofjob do you do?
Do you still see yourself as a chef?
And that is one question. So do you still see yourself as
a chef in this role that you do with Pavamoli?
And what part of your chef past helps you in today's business?
I induce see myself as chef. Well, I cook every day, so in
(37:10):
that sense, yes. I don't cook it now for like
commercial. So I don't do that many events.
But yeah, once a chef, you're always a chef.
Definitely. And I also love doing
experiments, like for example, when I go on on holiday and I
have some time off, I just love fermenting things and, you know,
doing like a sodas or doing things and then having just like
(37:31):
find an experience for myself and my friends.
But then just like we're just there.
It's not like, so it's just, andthere is no, no stress.
It's just super easy going. But then there is time to, to to
experiment and to do crazy stuff.
So this is this is very interesting and for the in the
job that I do, yes, there is always food is very important in
(37:54):
in if you're in the food system,because now we have the product
and then there is always, you know, explaining or show people
how can you use your product. And if you, if you are a chef,
you have already a lot of ideas under the sleeve or like in your
mind or like the creativity or for example, I work a lot behind
the computer now. But then sometimes if I just
(38:15):
wanted to let the creativity flow, then I just go to the
kitchen and prepare lunch for the team or just like, you know,
let's do something that is fun. And then we just make it into a
video and then we see we use it or not or something like this.
But then it's also like a very nice also in farming and
cooking, because this is I thinkthe two the two really field
that made Fava mole where it is today.
(38:37):
It's like when I was farming, I was also cooking and to be able
to get to know your food, not just like to have the
opportunity to transform and over or like an eggplant that
arrives, but to get to know how the flower looks that you can
eat the young leaf and you can do something with the with the
flowers. I see that there's no many.
(39:00):
I would love if more chef have the possibility to become
farmers, because that just give you an amazing overview, an
opportunity of like expansion ofof the things that you can do.
You know, for example, I we bring some junk chefs to the
farm and then when we show them and, and a flower of an
aubergine of an eggplant, it's like, Hey, what can you
(39:21):
recognize this flower? And they say they Nope.
So it's just very important thatis that a chef for a cookie is
not the one that can transform, but it's also the one that
knows. So like every every fruit or a
in this case, vegetable that is also a fruit.
For example, tomato is a fruit. It's not a vegetable, but yeah,
it's it's first a flower, of course, and then it became a
(39:43):
fruit. So this is also something that
is great to to knowledge to havebecause everything is connected.
And one of the advantages that Ihave had in this journey is that
I went from all the links in thechainsaw farming to cooking, to
butcher, to food production, to now having the farmer Molly to
(40:03):
be able to translate all the experiences in the different
fields. In that particular aspect, for
example, we can. Now for Molly, the company as
translating the the farm experience to the companies is a
tree, it's a young tree of one year.
(40:24):
So then you know, let's say if you have an apple tree and then
you plant it, then it will not give you many apples, but you
still need to take care of the tree.
Then like hopefully in three, incouple of years is going to give
you a couple of apples. But in 10-15 years you won't
know what to do with all the apples that they will give you.
So then it's just like a little bit of like this.
(40:46):
This translated into entrepreneurship is like to have
the patience to understand and respect the natural rhythms of
nature. No, I think it's a beautiful
journey. I mean, the way you explain it,
I mean, it all makes sense, right?
I mean, I mean of could you havedone far more without being a
chef, without being a farmer? Possibly, yes.
But I think the way you can run it today with the integrity and
the way you can possibly talk toeven if you have like somebody
(41:08):
producing it for you, you can ask them the right question.
When you have somebody selectingthe fava beans for you, you can
ask them the right questions. I think that definitely
strengthens you. And I think everybody has their
kind of time and amount of time to take it to these kind of
specializations. But I think definitely there's a
way like like your carrier is kind of a proof that there is a
way to be able to kind of as yousaid, you know, there's no it's
never too early. Like you started a business
(41:29):
straight out of school. I mean, almost during your last
years of culinary school. And I think that's given you
definitely an edge over other companies because if somebody
listens to your career and you're only 35 and listens to
all the things you've done, it'sonly because you have like not
waited to get somebody's approval or, or get some years
of experience to say, you know, now it can possibly step into
something else. So I think as you said, you've
been rebellious and you have yeah, not not been like not
(41:52):
stopped by the industries question and just define your
kind of kind of question. So yeah, I think I think it's
beautiful. And I think that's that shows in
the product itself, the shows inthe kind of mission that you've
taken upon yourself. And Andreas, before we close
this podcast, I would like to hear from you Think about
somebody who's like maybe in your kind of stage, you know,
maybe somebody who's like like you 4 years ago tried to farm or
it did not work out. Or somebody who's kind of in in
(42:14):
the restaurant and has an idea maybe for a catering business or
something similar to what you'vedone.
What kind of advice would you give give to them so that they
kind of make this leap and they don't stop themselves?
Trust on yourself because you might be closer to the breaking
point than you think. This is also something that that
I have realized and I have learned with experience is that
(42:36):
the more you fear, the more you feel the fear.
The closer you are to the break point, the more afraid you are
to actually doing it. That is actually the signal in
within your body that is tellingyou let's go there, because
every time I have followed that fear in the other side is like
(42:57):
the most beautiful thing. But then when you are like,
let's say you are in this pyramid thing and then you're
like climbing, climbing, climbing, and then you're here
dancing in the edge and then you're like almost tipping
point. Then you are so freaking scared.
But then because the brain worksin a really funny way that
rather it rather have the certainty of the known than the
(43:20):
uncertainty good of the unknown.So then you just try to go
backwards as I know they just gogo and just really trust and
feel as is already happening. It's not a dream anymore because
and then I will go a little bit into like a topic that I've been
studying also lately. It's like you can create your
own reality. So if you don't dream or you
(43:43):
don't think that it will happen,you behave like it already
happened. Okay.
And then once you have that, everything is possible.
Yeah, I think believing the dream, right, I think I could
not frame it. I could not frame it better the
way you've said it. I think it's, and it's also like
not somebody who's just picking up a quote and saying it like
your journey, your, your cardio is a proof that this works.
And I think I think it's a greatinspiration, at least for me
(44:05):
listening to it. And I hope for the listeners as
well to listen to your story. And I think I hope this kind of
motivation and the story that you've given with like proper
proofs and proper witnesses and also the challenges.
It's not like it's not all butterflies and rainbows.
You've also mentioned to us how there were challenges.
You know. We should just butterflies and
rainbows. I can tell you like a really
quick challenge is just like, also because you know, it's,
(44:25):
it's like it sounds very easy. You have a success night.
We had challenges like, you know, we, we were sued, almost
sued by a German company becauseof a trademark.
We made a mistake that cost us €8000 and then we had to make
financial plans to be able to pay.
We bootstrap for three months. I use all my savings around like
30,000 and then didn't pay my team and myself for three months
(44:49):
and then we were just already in, in the red.
And then the money and the, and the investor came.
You know, it's so it's the moment when you're like this,
just like, oh, and then it's like, it's really like a test of
like how, how hard do you want this and how much are you
(45:10):
willing to do to continue for it?
And then boom, it happens. Yeah, definitely.
But I mean, to be able to reach there, you have to believe, you
have to believe that there is there is a light at the end of
the tunnel. And also, I mean, it's also
equally important to know when to stop.
But I think it's also important to see how much can you endure
and how much if you believe in the concept and if you believe
it's something you should stand for.
And if you've done the research about it, especially in your
case of not just doing research,but knowing exactly, you know,
(45:33):
what you're doing. It's not just something you've
seen on the Internet and you're you're making it, you know, so I
think, yeah, it's it's great. Beautiful advice you've given on
the rest and thank you for sharing a journey with us.
I think Fava Moley and your carrier is a powerful reminder
that chefs don't have to just stay in the kitchens.
There's so much more we learn inthese carriers.
It could be small incidents likefor you, in your case was in a
pop up making this recipe out ofa challenge that you had, which
(45:55):
was to not have avocados or not want to have avocados.
And this is one thing also as chefs, we learn a lot to think
on our feet, to think very quick.
And it's beautiful to see how you have like showed that it's
like chefs can be outside the kitchen and make a bigger
impact, Create some new models of food that not only feed
people, but feed cultural communities and kind of this
creative imagination to create products out of nowhere out of
(46:17):
out of not having something, youcreated something.
So I will put the link to Farmonin the show notes and the
listeners should explore more about what it is.
And yeah, this has been a fugitive chef.
Thank you so much, Andre, for being on the podcast.
No, thank you so much for the inspiration, for the opportunity
to share the story and for the listeners.
Go guys, go for it. That's my message for you.
Definitely. Thank you so much.
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