At the Quality Food Awards, we’re always excited to highlight innovative brands that are shaping the food industry. Today, we bring you an exclusive interview with Ramona’s Houmous, a brand that has rapidly grown to become a staple in homes across the country. Known for their commitment to quality, taste, and sustainability, Ramona’s Houmous is much more than just a dip—it’s a passion for real, wholesome ingredients. In this interview, we dive into their journey, ethos, and what sets them apart in the ever-growing world of plant-based foods.

Can you tell us about the founding story of and how it all began?

It’s a ‘romantic’ story from 20 years ago where I founded the business in a small 1 bedroom flat’s kitchen. Literally, Ramona’s Kitchen.

I was a computer engineer and by day the flat was full of bowls of chickpeas soaking and at nights I would produce what was needed to deliver to my customers in Soho on the way to work.

What motivated you to create your award-winning Original Houmous?

My father is Egyptian and my grandparents Turkish so I had been eating houmous and falafels my whole life.

When I moved from South Africa to the UK, I really couldn’t find anything that matched that quality. It took me a few trials but finally they were wiped clean by my friends and that’s when I knew the products were right.

Could you walk us through the process of creating your Houmous, from conception to production?

Tons of chickpeas are put to soak in big vats of water, we boil them and make our delicious blend with tahini and the other ingredients. Most importantly the love.

What challenges did you face in developing your product, and how did you overcome them?

The main challenges were shelf life, pH and other technical considerations being balanced with what is a family recipe and a taste profile that I felt I needed to protect and still do today. We overcame these over the years by making sure that systems are in place to protect the product in terms of safety but ALSO in terms of quality.

How does winning Gold at the UK Quality Food Awards impact your business?

It’s so important to have outside validation that the work we’re doing on quality, price point and branding is working.

What sets your Houmous apart from others on the market?

We believe we have a different manufacturing method that gives it a creamier feel and feels more home made. Our aim is to give people a hug when they eat it.

The Ramona’s branding really stands out and is so memorable! Can you talk us through the inspiration for this?

Would you believe we had the brand name Me Too for a number of years and when the #MeToo kicked off, we soon realised that the name was toxic and bad for our sales. So we rebranded and the main thing we wanted to achieve with the rebrand was a link to me, my heritage, my provenance and even my personality. So the brand RAMONA’S was born. Bright, colourful and most importantly disruptive and noticeable (some might say like myself). We wanted people to see us on the shelf and our bright packaging accomplishes that.

Talk us through your company values and the role that these play in Ramona’s operations.

Our brand values are Integrity, generosity (big pots!) and positive disruption (bright branding). The most important to us is our integrity and we make sure every operative understands why it’s important that we make our houmous with love. That way, it really is made with love!

How does Ramona’s maintain a balance between innovation and tradition in its product range?

It’s difficult because it’s easy to say I want to use all my family’s recipes but the reality is we need to adhere to technical standards, shelf life constraints and my mom and grandma didn’t have those constraints. Having said that, I think we have managed to balance these well and have achieved home made feel.

What advice would you offer to aspiring food entrepreneurs who are just starting their journey?

1. Get a mentor. There is so much that you don’t know is coming around the corner and they can help with that.
2. You will need more money later. Definitely!
3. It doesn’t get easier, the problems just change. Entrepreneurship is a lesson in perseverance. Don’t start it if you think any differently.

What does winning multiple awards mean for the Ramona’s team and its morale?

People forget how much time and effort is put into product ranges, recipes, branding and marketing strategies. When we win those awards (we have 6 QFA awards in my office), it vindicates all that hard work and we’re very appreciative and motivated to do more.

What other products are in the Ramona’s range?

We have 2 flavours of Heavenly Houmous: Original and Jalapeno and 2 flavours of frozen Fabulous Falafel: Original and Spinach & Kale. But watch this space.. loads more coming!

What message would you like to convey to other producers considering entering the UK Quality Food and Drink Awards this year?

It’s so important to enter these awards and hear what the judges give you as feedback. These are seasoned people in the food industry that are seeing hundreds of products and their opinion can really help you even if you don’t win.

Ramona's was awarded a gold Quality Food Award in 2023 for their Original Houmous. This year, we are announcing our 2024 winners at our first in-person event since 2019 on Thursday 7 November 2024 at 8 Northumberland, London. This event is going to be a brand new format and a fantastic networking opportunity for individuals in the UK food industry. Book your place here: https://uk.qualityfoodawards.com/QFA24/en/page/2024-awards-attendance