Just like the fiery chillies that flavour this award-winning oil, from small seeds come great things….
It may be a brand and bottle you’ve already seen in the shopping aisles, received as a gourmet gift or enjoyed drizzled over your last meal, with the humble origins of their kitchen starting out in the founders garage– this is the ultimate ‘side hustle’ turned success story.
After years of frustration at not being able to enjoy the “sauce piquante” chilli oil they’d previously discovered while living in Europe, Founders, Ken Kinsey-Quick and Adi Meintjes set out to create their own premium oil; testing and trialling dozens of variations of chillies, oils and production methods until they got it just right.
What began as a passion project has since grown into a thriving enterprise, now sold in hundreds of stores across southern Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.
This is more than a quick glimpse behind the brand though, and the more time spent with the team and in their newly-launched space in Stellenbosch’s magnificent Banhoek Valley allows one to fully grasp the sense of community and generosity of spirit that propels it all forward.
Sibongile Mateyisi, who now heads up production, initially met Ken when he arrived at his home one day and as part of a garden maintenance company- another one of the countless casual labourers seeking work, and a wage, across South Africa each day. His energy, enthusiasm, and eagerness to learn was glaringly evident to the founders, who quickly acted on his potential – training him in the production of all things Banhoek Chilli Oil.
Unsurprisingly, he flourished, and within two short years he was in charge of the entire production process, transforming sacks of raw chillies into the delicious, infused oil you find in your pantry today. More than working on behalf of the brand, a few years back Sibongile approached the owners, wanting to be more involved, offering to invest in the company with his own hard-earned salary.
To date, he’s been welcomed as one of the shareholders and his investment has been matched rand for rand, increasing his stake in the future success of Banhoek Chilli Oil.
The community angle doesn’t end there, catering to the community as a whole and serving the space they now call home, Banhoek Chilli Oil has structured its business to ensure sustainable and responsible business practices that help to uplift the surrounding area.
They do this by employing neighbouring locals, wherever possible, to grow, tend to, sun dry and ultimately harvest the chillies- earning them year-round work and transformative growth potential.
With a dream end-goal to eventually be able to purchase all of their chillies from the local community, world-wide growth into new markets on the horizon and constantly-inspired new recipes made even tastier with the help of this chilli-infused canola oil – it’s no wonder there’s a fire lit and constantly burning behind all things ‘BCO’
Foodie friends and all those looking to learn more about this growing enterprise are invited to enjoy a factory tour, enjoy a light meal at the on-site ‘Taste Kitchen’ and taste the handcrafted oils in various stages of production at their newly built space, named after the valley they call home.
Travellers braving the Helshoogte (‘Hell’s Heights’) Pass between the historic towns of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek – be sure to keep a keen eye out for this new modern build, where they’re always ready and waiting to deliver the perfect balance of fire and flavour.
