Fria's Superfoods expands into mainstream health market

18 Apr 2018

Fria's Superfoods, a locally owned delicatessen specialising in wholesome treats, has just secured shelf space in Wellness Warehouse Lifestyle on Kloof in Cape Town. Until recently, the company's nutritious nibbles were only available from a small selection of niche Cape Town outlets or ordered online via the Fria's Superfoods website.

Image styled by Marizka du Toit and shot by Jurie Senekal

Fria’s Superfoods was born from a passion for cooking, but at the same time trying to maintain a healthy eating regime. Having “fallen off the wagon” in favour of sugar, white flour and additives several times Fria Hiemstra decided to try and “healthify” the treats she ate, and what started as a hobby turned into a thriving small business.

Owner of Fria’s Superfoods, Hiemstra says: “I’m not a qualified nutritionist but I’m passionate about knowing what you put in your body and keeping it clean. What I know of healthy living and superfoods is self-taught. I tend to go through phases, which often become little obsessions, and I’ve found that it is the best way for me to learn and to offer the finest products I possibly can.”

Everything out of Fria’s kitchen is fresh and, as far as possible, naturally dried whole foods – she sprouts or activates her own buckwheat, black beans, almonds and chickpeas before adding them to her treats. She also adds a high quality, vegan protein powder to some of her treats to make them more nutritious.

Hiemstra continues: “I’ve tried a little bit of everything from sprouting to fermentation and ‘aquafaba-ing’. I went through quite a serious beetroot phase… which turned into a juicing phase, which turned into a sprouting phase, which turned into a superfood phase and then back into a baking phase. And here we are, years later, with a line of healthy-living products that are loved by many. It’s been such an amazing journey.”

Image styled by Marizka du Toit and shot by Jurie Senekal

What's in the fridge?

Hiemstra's journey has slowly led her into the mainstream health market, with a selection of treats now stocked at Wellness Warehouse on Kloof Street from Monday to Sunday. In the fridge, customers will find lemon bliss balls, matcha mint and liquorice balls, sweet potato brownie balls, black bean truffles, the coffee choccie workout bar, banoclate cake cups, peppermint mousse cake cups and best-seller, snickers cake cups.

“By day I’m in actuarial work, by night I am Fria’s Superfoods recipe creator, patisserie, dish washer, marketing manager, stock buyer, investor, personal assistant, accountant, web developer and delivery service, but I wouldn’t change a thing.”