“I may not be able to change the world, but I can change someone’s world. If we all do this for just someone we will slowly but surely change the world!”
This is the philosophy that drives the man behind the wonder initiative aimed at generating funds in aid of the Garden Route Food Pantry, a non-governmental organisation striving to address food scarcity and malnutrition.
Carl van Blerk, whose career serving communities has led the proud businessman to discover a new food-security product that is nutritious, convenient, affordable and quick and easy to prepare due to the country’s electricity challenges. The 54-year-old George local established Food Sock in February 2023 as a meal solution that offers a one-pot delight, which requires only water and does not compromise on taste and nutrition. While the head office is based in the coastal town regarded the capital of the Garden Route, the business has additional factories including the largest, which opened its doors in Somerset West last June.
Asked what inspired the Helderberg addition, Van Blerk said the local facility has the capacity to manufacture thousands of Food Sock meals per day, necessitated by the need to expand operations to handle the growing demand. The factory located at the Olive Grove Industrial Estate in Old Paardevlei Road is run by Van Blerk’s son-in-law Brandon Nel who is a Somerset West local. Like the Helderberg relative and stalwart, Van Blerk has management teams at each branch to handle day-to-day operations and often functions as his advisory team too. According to the CEO who focuses on product development, management is aided by a marketing team and the business boasts more than 200 entrepreneur resellers countrywide who distribute the products in their region while building a profitable venture.
Van Blerk shared that the goal for the addition of the factory on Helderbergers’ doorstep is to increase capacity and expanding their employment opportunity as all Food Sock meal solutions are packed by hand and under strict conditions. “We buy dehydrated products [as ingredients] bulk,” he said, “based on our recipes, and repack the nine flavours into each plastic sleeve in accordance with the measurements that each recipe dictates. They are then sealed, labelled and dispatched.”
At the heart of Food Sock lies a varied menu of delicious meals that cater to diverse dietary needs and can feed a family of four for under R50 in just 30 minutes. On the menu are familiar staples such as hearty tomato bredie and mutton stew as well as comforting go-to’s such as macaroni and cheese and chicken pasta. All Food Sock meals are developed with inputs from renowned culinary experts, including Master Chef Francois Ferreira and celebrity chef Nataniël. “[Food Sock meal solutions] is aimed at lowering the monthly food bill, but also is perfect for the elderly, students, hikers, and simply the hard-working individual who wants to save time cooking a family meal,” said Van Blerk.
He attributed the 14-month-old business’ success to many years of trial and error, and not giving up on a dream. “My fondest [memories] and most emotional moments relate to helping someone with food when they had experienced a crisis, such as a poverty-stricken family who lost everything in a gas-bottle explosion. We gave them food as well as the family that took them in while their home was rebuilt. We also supplied meals to victims of last year’s floods in the Helderberg. These are the moments that feed my soul.”
Van Blerk highlighted being proud of their reseller model as it has provided employment for hundreds of people and at the same time is a way to reach people in need with affordable meals right across the country. Food Sock has also clinched the award for Top 5 Start-up Small Business in South Africa at a prestigious event in Gauteng. To boot, the business is currently exporting meals to countries abroad and other corners of the globe where food is either too expensive or simply unavailable.
He urged locals to support Food Sock simply out of consideration that more than 50% of all South Africans are borrowing money to buy food for half the month, every month. “We all need to see the crisis and show that a solution is available, and therefore install hope for our future,” he added.
Van Blerk also extended the following message as food for thought: “Hard work and failure are a normal process of life, even a necessity – don’t give up, but continue to fight for your right to survive. I have started and failed at many endeavours, but as a born entrepreneur I found that my success came at finding the right product that has it’s focus on helping others, not me. Start your future by doing something good for someone else. Watch how this changes your life, let alone theirs!”
